US NAVY WW2 Destroyer Tender APD Dobbins 1/1250 scale

Description

USS Dobbins AD 3
USS Dobbin (AD-3)
is the name of a
United States Navy
destroyer tender
of World War II, named after
James Cochrane Dobbin
, the Secretary of the Navy from 1853 to 1857.
USSDobbin(AD-3)
History
United StatesNameUSS DobbinBuilder
Philadelphia Navy Yard
Launched5 May 1921Sponsored byMrs. H. H. JamesCommissioned23 July 1924Decommissioned27 September 1946Honours and
awards1 ×
battle star
FateTransferred to the
United States Maritime Commission
, 24 December 1946, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Olympia, WA. Sold for scrapping, 5 May 1950General characteristicsType
Destroyer tender
Displacement12,450 long tons (12,650 t) full loadLength483 ft 10 in (147.47 m)Beam61 ft (19 m)Draft24 ft 1 in (7.34 m)Propulsion
Parsons geared turbines
Speed16
knots
(30 km/h; 18 mph)Armament4 × single
5"/38 caliber guns
Dobbin was launched on 5 May 1921 by the
Philadelphia Navy Yard
. She was commissioned on 23 July 1924, and served for 22 years before being decommissioned on 27 September 1946, and transferred to the
United States Maritime Commission
for disposal.
Pre-World War II
Dobbin (AD-3) was launched on 5 May 1921 at the
Philadelphia Navy Yard
, sponsored by Mrs. H. H. James, granddaughter of Secretary Dobbin. She was commissioned on 23 July 1924 with Commander D. C. Bingham in command.
On 3 January 1925 Dobbin sailed for
Guantanamo Bay
, Cuba, by way of
Newport, Rhode Island
, and
Hampton Roads
, Virginia, where she loaded equipment and supplies for her mission as tender to Destroyer Squadron 14 of the
Scouting Fleet
. She joined that squadron at Guantanamo Bay, and took part in gunnery practice with the destroyers. From this base, on 13 February 1925, Dobbin steamed to the
Panama Canal
and crossed to the
Pacific Ocean
. After maneuvers at sea with the Scouting Fleet she arrived at
San Diego
on 9 March 1925 for 4 months of tender service along the west coast and at
Pearl Harbor
, Hawaii.
Dobbin returned to the east coast in July 1925 and operated in the
Atlantic Ocean
for the next 7 years. During this time she participated in radio experiments and continued her services to the destroyers of the Scouting Fleet. In 1932, Dobbin returned to San Diego, arriving 1 September, and operated out of that port until 5 October 1939. At that time she was transferred to Hawaii and based on Pearl Harbor.
Missing captain
Main article:
Thomas C. Latimore
In July 1941 Commander
Thomas C. Latimore
, Dobbin's captain, disappeared while hiking the local
Aiea Hills
. His body was never found and was the subject of much local news coverage and rumor before being overshadowed by the Pearl Harbor attack. Commander Latimore was declared legally dead in July 1942.
Attack on Pearl Harbor
USS Dobbin (AD-3) and destroyers at
Pearl Harbor
.
Dobbin was present during the
attack on Pearl Harbor
on 7 December 1941. At the time of the attack she was moored northeast of
Ford Island
with five destroyers,
USS Phelps (DD-360)
,
USS Macdonough (DD-351)
,
USS Worden (DD-352)
,
USS Dewey (DD-349)
and
USS Hull (DD-350)
.
[1]
Dobbin's crew watched as Japanese planes targeted
Battleship Row
, but as the battleships each took heavy damage the Japanese pilots looked for other targets. Seeing that the ship had admiral flags,
[1]
the aircraft tried to bomb Dobbin, but the ship only took shrapnel damage.
Dobbin's small craft spent the morning picking up survivors and taking the wounded to shore. The ship picked up hundreds of sailors from other ships, and when she left the harbor in search of the Japanese fleet, 200 men from
USS Raleigh (CL-7)
alone were aboard.
[1]
World War II
After the attack, Dobbin served in the Hawaiian area until May 1942 and then she was sent to Sydney, Australia. Dobbin was one of several Allied vessels located in Sydney Harbor during the
Japanese midget submarine attack
of 31 May 1942.
[2]
On 25 June 1943 she was sent to
Brisbane
,
Mackay
,
Townsville
, and
Cleveland Bay
, Australia, before arriving at
Milne Bay
,
New Guinea
, 30 September 1943. She stayed near New Guinea until 14 February 1945, at which point she moved to
Subic Bay
in the
Philippines
. She served at Subic Bay from 24 February to 3 November 1945.
Fate
Dobbin returned to San Diego on 7 December 1945 and was decommissioned on 27 September 1946. She was transferred to the
Maritime Commission
for disposal on 24 December 1946.
American Defense Service Medal
with "FLEET" clasp
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
with one
battle star
World War II Victory Medal