USSGamble(DD–123/DM-15)was aWickes-classdestroyerin theUnited States NavyduringWorld War I,later converted to aminelayerinWorld War II.
 USSGambleat anchor
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| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | Gamble |
| Namesake | Peter Gamble andJohn M. Gamble |
| Builder | Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company,Newport News, Virginia |
| Laid down | 12 November 1917 |
| Launched | 11 May 1918 |
| Commissioned | 29 November 1918 |
| Decommissioned | 17 June 1922 |
| Identification | DD-123 |
| Recommissioned | 24 May 1930 |
| Decommissioned | 22 December 1937 |
| Reclassified | 13 June 1930 (DM-15) |
| Recommissioned | 25 September 1939 |
| Decommissioned | 1 June 1945 |
| Fate | Sunk byscuttling,16 July 1945 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Wickes-classdestroyer |
| Displacement | 1,090 tons (1,108 t) |
| Length | 314 ft 5 in (95.8 m) |
| Beam | 31 ft 9 in (9.7 m) |
| Draft | 8 ft 8 in (2.6 m) |
| Speed | 35knots(65 km/h) |
| Complement | 113 officers andenlisted |
| Armament |
|
Namesakes
editPeter Gamble was born on 5 November 1793 inBordentown, New Jersey.He was appointedmidshipmanon 16 January 1809 and served onThomas Macdonough'sflagshipUSSSaratogain theBattle of Lake Champlain.He was killed in action while in the act of sighting his gun on 11 September 1814. Macdonough deplored Gamble's loss and commended his gallantry in action.
John M. Gamblewas the brother of Peter Gamble and achieved the rank ofBrevetLieutenant Colonelin theUnited States Marine Corps.
No other ships in the United States Navy have borne this name.
Construction and commissioning
editGamblewaslaunched11 May 1918 by theNewport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company,Newport News, Virginia,sponsoredby Miss Evelyn H. Jackson, a relative ofSecretary of the NavyJosephus Daniels.The ship wascommissionedatNorfolkon 29 November 1918.
Service history
editAftershakedown trainingout of theVirginia Capes,Gamblesailed fromNew York Cityon 13 January 1919 to take part in maneuvers offCuba;Key West, Florida;and theNew Englandseaboard until June 1919. Followingoverhaulat Norfolk, she joined thePacific FleetatSan Diego7 August 1919 and operated along the Pacific coast until placed inreservestatus in theMare Island Navy Yard1 December 1919. In October 1920, she came out of reserve and assisted theflotillaintorpedopractice; maneuvered with the Battle Force; and cruised along theCaliforniacoast as atraining shipforreservists.Shedecommissionedat San Diego on 17 June 1922.
Gamblerecommissioned on 24 May 1930; was reclassified (DM-15) on 13 June, and converted into a lightminelayerat theMare Island Navy Yard.Arriving atPearl Harborfrom the West Coast, she becameflagshipof Mine Squadron 2 in July 1930 and later served as flagship of Mine Division 1, Mine Squadron 1. She patrolledHawaiianwaters instructing naval reservists inmine warfareand acted asplane guardand radio tracker forseaplanes,each year participating in fleet readiness andfleet problemsuntil she returned to San Diego where she decommissioned on 22 December 1937. Recommissioning on 25 September 1939 as Europe was plunged into World War II, she joined Mine Division 5 in patrol and schoolship duties out ofSan Francisco.In April 1941, she proceeded to Pearl Harbor for war readiness patrol in Hawaiian waters as a unit of Mine Division 2.
World War II
editOn 7 December 1941,Gamblehad returned from offshore patrol, when her peaceful routine was broken by the first of the Japanese carrier-based planes whichattacked American shipsin the harbor.Gamble's gunners joined the fire of other warships and saw one enemy plane fall into the water on her port beam. When the U.S. Navy submarineUSSThresher(SS-200)surfaced off Pearl Harbor later that day in attempt to enter the harbor and get medical attention for a severely injured crewman,Gamblemistook her for a Japanese submarine and opened gunfire on her as she surfaced, forcing her to submerge again immediately.[1]By the timeThresherwas able to reach Pearl Harbor on 8 December, her injured crewman had died.[1]
After the attack on Pearl Harbor,Gambletookantisubmarinepatrol station in the screen of theaircraft carrierEnterprise,and later guarded the approaches to Pearl Harbor. In mid-February 1942, she headed south in the escort for a convoy toPago Pago,American Samoa,then joinedRamsayin laying a protective minefield offTutuila.At the end of March the two minelayers shifted to theFiji Islands,to lay a minefield inNadiwaters from 7–14 April. Returning to Pearl Harbor for heavier armament,Gamblehelped safeguardconvoystoMidwayduring the time of thatcrucial and historic battle,then headed south withBreeseandTracyto lay a defensive minefield off the entrance to Second Channel,Espiritu Santo,New Hebrides Islands.
On 27 August 1942,Gamblejoined a task unit headed toGuadalcanal.Although designated a destroyer-minelayer, the old vessel still carried antisubmarine gear. On the morning of 29 August, when her lookouts spotted a large enemysubmarine,she immediately went into action. After severaldepth chargeattacks,Gambleran through large oil slicks, found deck planking, and observed a large air bubble break the surface. Later her victim was identified asI-123,whose dying radio had signaled "under heavy enemy attack." That afternoon she proceeded at full speed toNura Islandwhere she rescued four stranded aviators from the aircraft carrierSaratoga.Continuing to aid in the struggle for Guadalcanal, she transported 158Marinesto the island on 31 August, patrolled offLunga Roads,then on 5 September assisted in freeingWilliam Ward Burrowsand escorted her to Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides Islands. Her patrol, escort, and transport duty continued as the drive for Guadalcanal pressed on to victory.
Five minutes after midnight on 6 May 1943,Gamble,withPrebleandBreese,turned simultaneously in rain squalls which broke at times to disclose each to the other in perfect formation. Making 15knots(28 km/h), each ship dropped a mine every 12 seconds, planting over 250 mines in 17 minutes acrossBlackett Strait,the western entrance toKula Gulfand directly in the favorite route of the Japanese "Tokyo Express."The ships then sped north to join the protective screen ofRear AdmiralWalden L. Ainsworth'scruiser-destroyer force before refueling atTulagi.On the night of 7/8 May, four Japanese destroyers entered the mined waters. One,Kuroshio,went down, two others,OyashioandKagerō,were badly damaged and sent out calls for help that broughtMi ăn kít oto the scene. Aircraft, alerted by a coastwatcher, intercepted the rescue operation, sinking the two destroyers and sendingMi ăn kít olimping back to port, badly damaged.
On 30 June 1943, during the invasion ofNew Georgia,Gamblelaid a string of mines off the beachhead, before returning to Tulagi. In July welcome orders sent her back to the United States for overhaul. She headed west again on 20 September 1943. Her minelaying duties then brought her toEmpress Augusta Bayfrom 1–2 November 1943 to support landing operations;Bougainville Strait,7–8 November;Purvis Bay,Florida Island,23–24 November, thence to the New Hebrides Islands for escort duty among theSolomonsuntil she returned to San Francisco on 12 October 1944.
After overhaul and refresher training,Gambledeparted San Diego on 7 January 1945, en route via Hawaii and theMarshallstoIwo Jimawhere she arrived on 17 February, to lendfire supportto the various sweeping units, and to explode floating mines. During her shelling a direct hit on anammunition dumpexploded the enemymagazineat the foot ofMount Suribachi.
Fate
editOn 18 February 1945,Gamblewas hit just above the waterline by two 250 lb (113 kg) bombs. Both firerooms immediately flooded and she became dead in the water with two holes in her bottom as all hands fought raging fires, jettisoned topside weight and shored damagedbulkheads.Five men were killed, one missing in action, and eight wounded. AsU.S. Marinesstormed the shores of Iwo Jima the next day,Gamblewas taken in tow byDorsey,who turned her over toLSM-126for passage toSaipan.She arrived at Saipan on 24 February and went alongsideHamulfor repair.
Gamblewas towed from Saipan to Guam May 16-17, 1945 by USS ATR-52.[2]
Some hope remained forGamblefor a long time, but on 1 June 1945 she decommissioned, and, on 16 July, she was towed outsideApra Harbor, Guamand sunk.
Awards
editGamblereceived sevenbattle starsfor service in World War II.
References
editCitations
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This article incorporates text from thepublic domainDictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.The entry can be foundhere.
Bibliography
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