USS Lansdale (DD 426)
Destroyer of the Benson / Gleaves class
Type Destroyer
Class Benson / Gleaves
Pennant DD 426
Built by Boston Navy Yard (Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.)
Laid down 19 Dec 1938
Launched 20 Oct 1939
Commissioned 17 Sep 1940
Lost 20 Apr 1944
Loss position 37° 03'N, 3° 51'E
USS Lansdale (Lt Cmdr Douglas Mckean Swift, USN) was sunk after being torpedoed by German aircraft about 15 miles northeast of Algiers, Algeria in position 37º03'N, 03º51'E, 49 of her crew were lost and 232 survivors which includes 76 wounded were rescued by the USS Menges/Newell; The Commanding officer was amongst the Survivors.
Commands listed for USS Lansdale (DD 426)
1 Lt.Cdr. John Connor, USN 17 Sep 1940 13 Feb 1942
2 Lt.Cdr. Eugene Field McDaniel, USN 13 Feb 1942 5 Jul 1942
3 Lt.Cdr. Donald Cord Varian, USN 5 Jul 1942 16 Sep 1942
4 Lt.Cdr. Valery Havard, Jr., USN 16 Sep 1942 31 Dec 1943
5 Douglas McKean Swift, USN 31 Dec 1943 20 Apr 1944
Notable events involving Lansdale include:
USS Lansdale picks up 3 survivors from the Panamanian merchant Longtaker that was torpedoed and sunk on 18 August 1941 south-west of Iceland in position 61°26'N, 30°50'W by German U-boat U-38.
During 21/22 August 1942 HMS H 32 (Lt. J.R. Drummond, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with USS Madison, USS Lansdale, USS Hilary P. Jones, USS Charles F. Hughes and USS Plunkett. These also included night exercises. (1)
HMS H 43 (Lt. J.C.Y. Roxburgh, DSC, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with USS Plunkett, USS Hilary P. Jones, USS Charles F. Hughes and USS Lansdale. (2)
HMS H 32 (Lt. J.R. Drummond, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with USS Lansdale, USS Plunkett, HMS Achates (Lt.Cdr. A.H.T. Johns, RN) and HMS Yestor (Lt. R.C. Holt, RNVR). (1)
HMS H 44 (Lt. I.S. McIntosh, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with USS Campbell, USS Lansdale and USS Hilary P. Jones. (3)
HMS H 50 (Lt. G.S.C Clarabut, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with USS Madison, USS Lansdale, USS Charles F. Hughes, USS Babbitt and USS Upshur. (4)
HMS H 33 (Lt. J.A. Spender, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with USS Madison, USS Lansdale, HMS Wanderer (Lt.Cdr. R.F. Whinney, RN) and HMS Inconstant (Lt.Cdr J.H. Eaden, DSC, RN). (5)
HMS H 32 (Lt. J.A.R. Troup, DSC, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with USS Madison, USS Lansdale, HMS Winchelsea (Lt.Cdr. G.W. Gregorie, RD, RNR), HMS Pennywort (Lt. O.G. Stuart, RCNVR) and HMS Clover (Lt. P.H. Grieves, RNR). (6)
HMS P 511 (Lt. C.W. Taylor, RNR) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle together with HMCS Assiniboine (Cdr. K.F. Adams, RCN), USS Madison (Lt.Cdr. J.W. Hager, USN) and USS Lansdale (Cdr. V. Havard, Jr., USN). (7)
HMS H 32 (Lt. J.A.R. Troup, DSC, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with USS Madison, USS Lansdale and USS Charles F. Hughes. (6)
Destroyers of World War Two
Whitley, M. J.
Blood on the Sea
Parkin, Robert Sinclair
($ 15.98)
U.S. Destroyers
Friedman, Norman
United States Destroyer Operations In World War II.
Roscoe, Theodore
ADM 173/17216
ADM numbers indicate documents at the British National Archives at Kew, London.
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