USS Bainbridge DD-246

The USS Bainbridge (DD-246) was one of a few of the four-stack Clemson-class destroyers saw action in World War II, as most had been decommissioned and scrapped by the early 1930s.

Named for Admiral William Bainbridge of the War of 1812, the USS Bainbridge was built by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation in Camden, New Jersey between May 1919 and June 1920, receiving her commission the following February. She was placed under the command of Lieutenant Commander E. L. Thebaud.

For the first several months, Bainbridge patrolled the Atlantic Coast and Caribbean. Her primary duties involved training exercises and war games. In October 1922, she was ordered to the eastern Mediterranean and two months later was involved in the rescue of 500 French troops trapped on a transport that had caught fire near Istanbul, Turkey.

From 1923 to 1928, Bainbridge was stationed out of Newport, Rhode Island, continuing with the same duties and training functions with the exception of a period spent off the coast of Nicaragua during the civil unrest of 1927. She was finally decommissioned in December 1930 and placed in reserve at the naval station in Philadelphia.

A little more than 13 months later, Bainbridge was called back to limited active duty. Initially, she patrolled the northeastern Caribbean, sailing between Guantanamo Bay and the Florida Keys. In the fall of 1934 she was ordered to San Diego, completing several runs up the Pacific coast to Alaska and out to Hawaii. She was again mothballed on 20 November 1937.

Less than two years later, war broke out in Europe and tensions between the United States and Japan were rising. Bainbridge was assigned to Neutrality Patrol in the Panama Canal zone, then ordered to Key West for patrol duty. In early 1941, Bainbridge was reassigned to the northern Atlantic coast and escorted three supply convoys to Newfoundland and Iceland prior to the U.S. entry into the war.

During World War II, the USS Bainbridge joined other older destroyers as a convoy escort in the waters off the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, making five voyages to North Africa in 1943. She was decommissioned in July 1945 and four months later, but her ultimate fate is unrecorded.

Asbestos Risks

Throughout both World Wars I and II asbestos, a toxic fibrous mineral, was widely utilized for its fireproofing abilities and as pipe insulation aboard U.S. Navy vessels. A ship's boilers and mechanical spaces were the most frequent sections where a crewman or a technician might come in contact with asbestos in the air, but essentially all compartments of vessels like the USS Bainbridge posed a measurable level of asbestos risk.

Greater risk of exposure often occurred when the ship was damaged, in conflict or through daily wear and tear, exposing asbestos-containing materials. Inhalation or ingestion of asbestos fibers can lead to the development of serious asbestos-related illnesses such as mesothelioma, a rare cancer. If you served aboard the USS Bainbridge or worked on the construction or repairs of the vessel and wish to learn more about mesothelioma, symptoms, treatment and legal options, please click here and Asbestos.com will send you a complimentary comprehensive packet.

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Destroyers Index