Definition
USS Ericsson (DD‑56) was a United States Navy destroyer commissioned in 1915 and named in honor of the Swedish‑American engineer John Ericsson (1803–1889).
Overview
The vessel was built by the New York Shipbuilding Company in Camden, New Jersey, and launched on 5 May 1915. She entered service on 23 July 1915 as part of the Atlantic Fleet. During World War I, USS Ericsson performed convoy‑escort duties along the Atlantic coast and in the Gulf of Mexico, as well as training and patrol operations. After the war she continued to serve in the Atlantic Fleet’s destroyer force until she was decommissioned on 23 July 1922. The ship was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 18 December 1935 and subsequently sold for scrap.
Etymology / Origin
The name “Ericsson” commemorates John Ericsson, a prolific inventor best known for designing the ironclad warship USS Monitor and the screw‑propeller steamboat SS Swallow. The United States Navy traditionally names destroyers after naval heroes, engineers, and distinguished individuals, and the selection of Ericsson follows this convention.
Characteristics
| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| Class | Cassin‑class destroyer |
| Displacement | Approx. 1,050 long tons (standard) |
| Length | 305 ft (93 m) overall |
| Beam | 30 ft 10 in (9.38 m) |
| Draft | 9 ft 6 in (2.90 m) |
| Propulsion | 4 boilers feeding 2 steam turbines, driving 2 propeller shafts; rated at 20,000 shp |
| Speed | 29–30 knots (≈ 55 km/h) |
| Armament (as built) | 4 × 4 in/50 caliber guns; 8 × 21 in torpedo tubes (4 twin mounts) |
| Complement | ~100 officers and enlisted personnel |
| Service period | 1915–1922 (active); 1935 (scrapped) |
The ship’s design reflected early 20th‑century destroyer concepts: high speed for torpedo attacks, moderate gun armament for escort duties, and a relatively shallow draft suitable for Atlantic operations.
Related Topics
- John Ericsson – inventor and naval engineer after whom the ship was named.
- Cassin‑class destroyers – a series of 10 destroyers built for the U.S. Navy between 1912 and 1914.
- United States Navy destroyer development – evolution of destroyer design from the pre‑World War I era through the interwar period.
- Convoy escort tactics in World War I – naval strategies employed by destroyers such as USS Ericsson to protect merchant shipping from submarine threats.
- USS Monitor – ironclad warship designed by John Ericsson, a notable predecessor in U.S. naval engineering history.