USS Benham (DD-49)

Benham was authorized in March 1911 as the third of four ships of the {{sclass|Aylwin|destroyer|4}}, which was almost identical to the {{sclass|Cassin|destroyer|1}}s authorized at the same time.The {{sclass|Aylwin|destroyer|4}} is considered a part of the {{sclass|Cassin|destroyer|4}} by Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921 (p. 122), but is classed separately by the United States Navy. See, for example, {{cite DANFS | author=Naval History & Heritage Command | author-link=Naval History & Heritage Command | url = http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/a15/aylwin-ii.htm | title = Aylwin }} Construction of the vessel—like her three sister ships—was awarded to William Cramp & Sons of Philadelphia which laid down her keel on 14 March 1912. On 22 March 1913, Benham was launched by sponsor Edith Wallace Benham, daughter of the ship's namesake, Andrew Ellicot Kennedy Benham.Benham, p. 21. The ship was the first U.S. Navy vessel named in honor of the American admiral. As built, the destroyer was {{convert|305|ft|3|in|m|abbr=on}} in length, {{convert|30|ft|4|in|m|abbr=on}} abeam, and drew {{convert|9|ft|5|in|m|abbr=on}}. The ship had a standard displacement of {{convert|1036|LT|MT|abbr=on}} and displaced {{convert|1235|LT|MT|abbr=on}} when fully loaded.

Benham had two steam turbines that drove her two screw propellers, and an additional pair triple-expansion steam engines, each connected to one of the propeller shafts, for cruising purposes. Four oil-burning boilers powered the engines, which could generate {{convert|16000|shp|kW|abbr=on}}, moving the ship at the design speed of {{convert|29.5|kn|mph km/h|abbr=on}}; Benham exceeded her contracted speed in her trials in December 1913, when she averaged {{convert|29.81|kn|mph km/h|abbr=on}} over five runs off the Delaware Breakwater.{{cite news | title = Destroyer exceeds speed | work=The Christian Science Monitor | date = 18 December 1913 | page = 7 }}

Benham{{'}}s main battery consisted of four 4"/50 caliber gun caliber Mark 9 guns,{{cite web | last = DiGiulian | first = Tony | title = United States of America: 4"/50 (10.2 cm) Marks 7, 8, 9 and 10 | url = http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNUS_4-50_mk9.htm | work=Naval Weapons of the World | publisher=Navweaps.com | date = 15 August 2008 | access-date =29 May 2009 }}The 50 denotes the length of the gun barrels; in this case, the gun is 50 calibers, meaning that the gun is 50 times as long as its bore, or {{convert|200|in|m|abbr=on}} in this case. The Mark number is the version of the gun; in this case, the ninth U.S. Navy design of the 4-inch/50 gun. with each gun weighing in excess of {{convert|6100|lb|kg|abbr=on}}. The guns fired {{convert|33|lb|kg|abbr=on}} armor-piercing projectiles at {{convert|2900|ft/s|m/s|abbr=on}}. At an elevation of 20°, the guns had a range of {{convert|15920|yd|m|abbr=on}}. In early 1917, Benham{{'}}s single {{convert|4|in|mm|abbr=on}} guns were replaced with twin {{convert|4|in|mm|abbr=on}} guns on an experimental basis. However, before Benham departed for overseas service during World War I, her original single gun mounts had been restored. Benham was also equipped with four twin mount {{convert|18|in|mm|abbr=on}} torpedo tubes.

USS Benham was commissioned into the U.S. Navy on 20 January 1914. In February and March, Benham conducted a shakedown cruise to the West Indies and, in April, began operations out of Hampton Roads, Virginia. On 6 April, Benham and sister ships {{USS|Aylwin|DD-47|2}} and {{USS|Parker|DD-48|2}} were exercising off the North Carolina coast,{{cite news | title = Explosion on Navy boat | newspaper=The Washington Post | date = 7 April 1914 | page = 5 }} about {{convert|15|nmi|km}} off the Diamond Shoals lightship.{{cite news | title = Three men injured by ship explosion | work=The Atlanta Constitution | date = 7 April 1914 | page = 11 }} An explosion ripped through the forward fire room on Aylwin, injuring three men. Benham loaded the three wounded sailors and sped to the naval hospital at Norfolk, Virginia, while Parker took on the remainder of Aylwin{{'}}s crew. One of the injured men died on Benham before landfall was made in Virginia; another died a short time later.{{cite news | title = Naval funeral for Bernard Glynn | work=The New York Times | date = 13 April 1914 | page = 11 }} Aylwin remained afloat but, unmanned, was towed into Norfolk by Parker and U.S. Navy tug {{USS|Sonoma|AT-12|2}}. The crews of all three destroyers raised $250 to help defray funeral expenses for the widow of one of the men. In July, the Benham went into reserve at the New York Navy Yard. She came back into active service on 21 December 1914.

In August 1916, the U.S. Navy conducted what The New York Times called the "greatest war game undertaken by the American Navy." In the scenario, a 'Blue' force defended the East Coast of the United States against a 'Red' force attempting an amphibious landing. Benham, scouting for the Blue force, was the first to spot the inbound Red transports and their escorts, but an attack on the transports by the Red force was repulsed, leading to a Blue victory.{{cite news | title = 'Blue' fleet beaten, hostile army lands | work=The New York Times | date = 27 August 1916 | page = 8 }}

Prior to the entrance of the United States into World War I, she served on Neutrality Patrol duty, trying to protect American and neutral-flagged merchant ships from interference by British or German warships and U-boats. In the course of performing those duties, Benham was at Newport, Rhode Island, in early October 1916. At 05:30 on 8 October, wireless reports came in of a German submarine stopping ships near the Lightship Nantucket, off the eastern end of Long Island. After an SOS from the British steamship West Point was received at about 12:30, Rear Admiral Albert Gleaves ordered Benham and other destroyers at Newport to attend to survivors.{{cite news | title = Newport aroused by U-boat's raid | url = https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1916/10/09/301915432.pdf | work=The New York Times | date = 9 October 1916 | page = 2 | access-date =29 May 2009}}According to a report in The New York Times on 9 October the other ships, in addition to Benham, were the flotilla's destroyer tender, {{USS|Melville|AD-2|2}}, and 15 other destroyers: {{USS|Aylwin|DD-47|2}}, {{USS|Balch|DD-50|2}}, {{USS|Cassin|DD-43|2}}, {{USS|Conyngham|DD-58|2}}, {{USS|Cummings|DD-44|2}}, {{USS|Cushing|DD-55|2}}, {{USS|Drayton|DD-23|2}}, {{USS|Ericsson|DD-56|2}}, {{USS|Fanning|DD-37|2}}, {{USS|Jarvis|DD-38|2}}, {{USS|McCall|DD-28|2}}, {{USS|O'Brien|DD-51|2}}, {{USS|Paulding|DD-22|2}}, {{USS|Porter|DD-59|2}}, and {{USS|Winslow|DD-53|2}}. A firsthand account of the events by a quartermaster from destroyer {{USS|McDougal|DD-54|2}}, published on 22 October 1916, indicates that ship was present as well.
For the initial report, see: {{cite news | title = Newport aroused by U-boat's raid | url = https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1916/10/09/301915432.pdf | work=The New York Times | date = 9 October 1916 | access-date =29 May 2009 | page = 2}}
For the account of McDougal{{'}}s quartermaster, see: {{cite news | title = United States sailor describes rescue of U-53's victims | url = https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1916/10/22/119033188.pdf | work=The New York Times | date = 22 October 1916 | access-date =29 May 2009 | page = X1}} The American destroyers arrived on the scene about 17:00 when the U-boat, {{SMU|U-53||2}} under the command of Kapitänleutnant Hans Rose,{{SMU|U-53||2}} had called at Newport on 7 October 1916, the day before the attacks, to drop off a letter for Johann Heinrich von Bernstorff, the German Ambassador to the United States, and had exchanged courtesy visits with Admirals Albert Gleaves and Austin M. Knight before departing. was in the process of stopping the Holland America Line cargo ship {{SS|Blommersdijk||2}}. Shortly after, U-53 stopped the British passenger ship {{SS|Stephano||2}}.Long, pp. 93–94. As Rose had done with three other ships U-53 had sunk earlier in the day,The other three ships were the British cargo ships West Point and Strathdene, and the Norwegian tanker Christian Knutsen. he gave passengers and crew aboard Blommersdijk and Stephano adequate time to abandon the ships before sinking the pair.Long, p. 93.{{cite news | title = Six of our ships see Stephano sunk | url = https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1916/10/09/301915412.pdf | work=The New York Times | date = 9 October 1916 | access-date =29 May 2009 | page = 1}} In total, 226 survivors from U-53{{'}}s five victims were rescued by the destroyer flotilla.{{cite news | title = Newport opens arms to U-boat survivors | url = https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1916/10/10/301917302.pdf | newspaper = The New York Times | date = 10 October 1916 | access-date =29 May 2009 | page = 2}} Benham picked up the captain of and crewmen from Blommersdijk for transport to Newport.{{cite news | title = Ships ready to fight | newspaper = The Washington Post | date = 16 October 1916 | page = 2 }}

After the United States entered World War I on 6 April 1917, Benham was one of the first group of destroyers chosen for anti-submarine duty in European waters. She departed Tompkinsville, New York on 17 May and arrived in Queenstown, Ireland on 24 May. Four days later, the destroyer began the first of many tours of duty at sea hunting U-boats and shepherding convoys to their destinations.

File:USS Benham (DD-49), decks awash.jpg

Her first encounter with U-boats came on 13 July when she was apparently attacked by two submarines. They launched a total of three torpedoes at Benham, but she and her convoy evaded them. The destroyer then drove them away with a depth charge attack. On 30 July, while she was on her way to Queenstown, the destroyer spied the wake of another torpedo some {{convert|1500|yd|m|abbr=on}} from her. Immediately, she charged to the attack with guns and depth charges. Later, her crew sighted air bubbles and oil on the surface. The British Admiralty commended her for probable damage to a German U-boat. The destroyer continued her patrols out of Queenstown until June 1918 when she moved to Brest, France, her base of operations through the end of the war.

In September 1917, during her European wartime service, Benham was rammed by the British {{sclass|Azalea|sloop|1}} HMS Zinnia.{{cite web | title = USS Benham (Destroyer # 49, later DD-49), 1914–1935 | url = http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-b/dd49.htm | archive-url = https://archive.today/20121212214133/http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-b/dd49.htm | url-status = dead | archive-date = 12 December 2012 | work=Online Library of Selected Images: U.S. Navy Ships | publisher=Navy Department, Naval Historical Center | date = 15 December 2008 | access-date =29 May 2009 }} The event is not mentioned in the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships; the extent of the damage to both ships is unknown.

A photograph from the U.S. Navy's Naval History & Heritage Command website shows a nearly sunken Benham moored between two ships.

On 21 December 1918, Benham put to sea from Brest for the last time and began the voyage back to the United States. Rejoining the Atlantic Fleet at the beginning of 1919, the warship participated in the annual fleet maneuvers held in Cuban waters and then made a cruise to the Azores in May. Upon her return to the United States that summer, she was placed in ordinary at Norfolk on 28 June. Active again in 1921, she patrolled the eastern seaboard until assigned duty as plane guard and tender to the Atlantic Fleet Air Squadrons. That duty terminated in May 1922, and she stood into Philadelphia on 12 May to prepare for inactivation.

Benham was decommissioned at Philadelphia on 7 July 1922. The ship was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 8 March 1935, and, on 23 April, was ordered scrapped at the Philadelphia Navy Yard.

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• {{cite book | last1 = Bauer | first1 = K. Jack | author-link = K. Jack Bauer | last2 = Roberts | first2 = Stephen S. | title = Register of Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1775–1990: Major Combatants | place = New York | publisher=Greenwood Press | year = 1991 | isbn = 978-0-313-26202-9 | oclc = 24010356 }}
• {{cite book | last = Benham | first = Edith Wallace | title = Ships of the United States Navy and Their Sponsors, 1797–1913 | place = Norwood, Massachusetts | publisher=Privately Printed | year = 1913 | oclc = 7397146 }}
• {{cite DANFS | last = Mann | first = Raymond A | url = http://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/b/benham-i.html | title = Benham | access-date =18 January 2015 }}
• {{cite book | last = Friedman | first = Norman | title = U.S. destroyers: An Illustrated Design History | place = Annapolis, Maryland | publisher=Naval Institute Press | year = 2004 | orig-year = 1982 | edition = rev. | isbn = 978-1-55750-442-5 | oclc = 51861947 }}
• {{cite book | editor1-last=Gardiner | editor1-first=Robert | editor2-last=Gray | editor2-first=Randal | title = Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921 | place = Annapolis, Maryland | publisher=Naval Institute Press | year = 1985 | isbn = 978-0-87021-907-8 | oclc = 12119866 }}
• {{cite journal | last = Long | first = Wellington | title = The Cruise of the U-53 | journal=Proceedings | place = Annapolis, Maryland | publisher= Naval Institute Press | volume = 92 | issue = 10 |date=October 1966 | pages = 89–94 | issn = 0041-798X | oclc = 2496995 }}
• {{cite book| last = Stringer | first = Harry R. | title = The Navy Book of Distinguished Service | url = https://archive.org/details/navybookdisting00strigoog | place = Washington, D.C. | publisher=Fassett Pub. Co | year = 1921 | oclc = 2654351}}

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• {{navsource|05/049|Benham}}

{{Aylwin class destroyer}}

{{Good article}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Benham (Dd-49)}}

Category:Aylwin-class destroyers

Category:Ships built by William Cramp & Sons

Category:1913 ships

Category:World War I destroyers of the United States