_off_the_Brooklyn_Navy_Yard_in_January_1943.jpg) | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | Bristol |
| Namesake | Mark Lambert Bristol |
| Builder | Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company |
| Laid down | 20 December 1940 |
| Launched | 25 July 1941 |
| Commissioned | 22 October 1941 |
| Fate |
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| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Gleaves-classdestroyer |
| Displacement |
|
| Length |
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| Beam | 36 ft (11 m) |
| Draft |
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| Propulsion |
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| Speed | 37.5 kn (69.5 km/h; 43.2 mph) |
| Range | 6,000 nmi (11,000 km; 6,900 mi) at 15 kn (28 km/h; 17 mph) |
| Complement | 208 (276 war) |
| Armament |
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USSBristol (DD 453) was aGleaves-classdestroyer of theUnited States Navy, named forRear AdmiralMark Lambert Bristol. She waslaunched 25 July 1941 byFederal Shipbuilding,Kearny, New Jersey; sponsored by Mrs.Powell Clayton.The destroyer wascommissioned on 22 October 1941.
During her first year of serviceBristol operated as a patrol andconvoy escort in theNorth Atlantic, making several trans-Atlantic voyages toIreland. On 22 September 1942, CmdrJohn Albert Glick took over command of the ship. On 24 October 1942, she made her first voyage toNorth Africa, as part of theOperation Torch landings atFedala,French Morocco (8–17 November). Returning to the United States in late November, she operated out ofNorfolk, Virginia until 14 January 1943, when she again steamed to theMediterranean where, with the exception of one trip to thePanama Canal Zone in April 1943, she served exclusively until 13 October 1943.
While on duty in that area, she took part inOperation Husky (9 July – 17 August 1943) and theSalerno landings (9–21 September). On 11 September 1943,Bristol rescued 70 survivors from the torpedoed destroyerRowan. While performing shore bombardment during the same operation, she destroyed the Italian Navyarmed train ("treno armato")T.A. 76/2/T around the port ofLicata.
At 04:30 on 13 October 1943, while escorting a convoy toOran, Algeria,Bristol was struck on the port side at the forward engine room by a singletorpedo fromU-boatU-371 commanded byWaldemar Mehl.[1]Bristol was broken in half by the single explosion. No fires resulted, but steam, electrical power, and communications were lost and the ship had to be abandoned. Eight minutes after the explosion the aft section sank, followed four minutes later by the foreparts.Bristol suffered the loss of 52 of her crew; the survivors were rescued by the destroyersTrippe andWainwright.
| Convoy | Escort Group | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| HX 179 | MOEF group A5 | 13–22 March 1942[2] | 21 ships escorted without loss fromNewfoundland toNorthern Ireland |
| ON 81 | MOEF group A5 | 30 March–9 April 1942[3] | 13 ships escorted without loss from Northern Ireland to Newfoundland |
| AT 17 | 1–12 July 1942[4] | 6 troopships escorted without loss fromNew York City toFirth of Clyde | |
| UGF 1 | 24 October–8 November 1942[5] | 31 ships escorted without loss fromChesapeake Bay toOperation Torch | |
| UGF 4 | 14–25 January 1943[5] | 21 ships escorted without loss from Chesapeake Bay toMediterranean Sea | |
| UGF 6 | 5–18 March 1943[5] | 22 ships escorted without loss from Chesapeake Bay to Mediterranean Sea | |
| UGS 6 | battle reinforcement | 20–22 March 1943[6] | Chesapeake Bay to Mediterranean Sea; 3 ships torpedoed & sunk |
| GUF 6 | 25 March–7 April 1943[7] | 15 ships escorted without loss from Mediterranean Sea to Chesapeake Bay | |
| UGS 8A | 17 May–1 June 1943[6] | 80 ships escorted without loss from Chesapeake Bay to Mediterranean Sea |
Bristol received threebattle stars for her World War II service.
This article incorporates text from thepublic domainDictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be foundhere.37°19′N6°19′E / 37.317°N 6.317°E /37.317; 6.317
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Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in October 1943 | |
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| Shipwrecks |
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| Other incidents |
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