USS Alden DD-211

Named for Admiral James Alden Jr., who served during the American Civil War, the USS Alden (DD-211) was built between October 1918 and May of 1919 by the William Cramp and Sons Shipbuilding Company of Philadelphia, the same company that had the distinction of building the first "modern" battleship in the early 1890s. The Alden was commissioned in November 1919 and placed under command of Commander William Ancrum.

During the early 1920s, Alden's primary purpose was to protect U.S. interests in the eastern Mediterranean and later in east Asia. After a tour of duty with the USN Asiatic Fleet, Alden returned to San Diego and was decommissioned in January 1923. She was recommissioned in 1930 and placed under the command of Cmdr. Lloyd R. Gray, relocating to the Mare Island Navy Yard near San Francisco. In 1936, the Alden was chosen to replace a destroyer that had been damaged beyond repair in a collision and re-assigned to the Asiatic Fleet. During the Sino-Japanese conflict, the Alden accompanied other ships of the Asiatic Fleet on a "goodwill visit" to Russia's Pacific port of Vladivostok on the first official visit since the U.S. established diplomatic relations with what was then the Soviet Union in 1933.

Stationed in Manila in late 1937 as the Sino-Japanese war spread into southern China, the Alden received orders on December 11 to aid a passenger liner that had run aground on Formosa (Taiwan). At the time, tensions were starting to build between Washington, D.C. and Tokyo over the Panay incident, leading the captain of the Alden to arm the ship. Although no weapons were fired, the Alden remained near the Japanese-held island for two weeks.

Over the next few years, the Alden remained in Asia, sailing out of Manila. As Japan's imperial ambitions became clear, the ship was ordered to various destinations in the South Pacific. Ultimately, the USS Alden was ordered to join a task force of the Royal Navy out of Singapore. She was en route to this posting when open hostilities broke out between the U.S. and Japan.

World War II

Aside from a relatively minor skirmish with Japanese destroyers in the Strait of Bali in February 1942, the Alden saw little action, serving as a convoy shuttle, escort and "screening" vessel in virtually every operation in which she participated. During the summer of 1943, Alden was serviced at the New York Navy Yard and the Charleston Navy Yard and the following year, she was serviced at the Boston Navy Yard and the Norfolk Navy Yard. In January 1945, the Alden suffered damage in a collision with a transport ship and was sent to the Boston Navy Yard for repairs. Once completed, the Alden returned to escort duty and ended her days conducting carrier qualifications out of the Pensacola Naval Air Station.

The USS Alden was finally decommissioned at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard on June 15,1945, and eventually sold to the Boston Metals Salvage Company of Baltimore, Maryland in November of that year.

Asbestos Risks

On board every American Navy ship throughout World War I and World War II, the mineral asbestos was routinely utilized for insulation and fireproofing capabilities. A vessel's boiler room and engine spaces usually were the most common workspaces where someone aboard a destroyer could be exposed to asbestos particles, but practically all sections of vessels like the USS Alden contained the mineral.

If a ship or vessel was damaged, either in conflict or due to normal operations, toxic asbestos particles could break off into the air where they could be inhaled or ingested by anyone nearby. The greatest hazard in asbestos exposure comes from asbestos sections that become easily broken, as tiny asbestos microfibers can enter surrounding air, where asbestos is inhaled by sailors in the area. Significant asbestos inhalation has been proven to cause mesothelioma, tumors, asbestosis and other serious health conditions. Seamen who have been exposed to asbestos fibers may wish to learn more about symptoms and treatment options associated with mesothelioma. Please click here to receive a complimentary comprehensive packet.

Sources:

Destroyers Index