USS Madison is the name borne by two United States Navy warships, a War‑of‑1812‑era sloop‑of‑war and a World‑War II Benson‑class destroyer. Both vessels were named in honor of prominent American figures: the 1812 ship after President James Madison, and the destroyer after Commander James J. Madison, a Medal of Honor recipient.
USS Madison (1812)
- Type: Sloop‑of‑war (corvette) – schooner‑rigged
- Displacement: 503 tons
- Dimensions: 112 ft (34.14 m) length; 32 ft 6 in (9.91 m) beam
- Armament: 14 × long 18‑pounder guns; 8 × 32‑pounder carronades
- Builder: Henry Eckford, Sackets Harbor, New York
- Launched: 26 November 1812 on Lake Ontario
- Commissioned: c. 1813, under Lieutenant Jesse D. Elliot; served as flagship of Commodore Isaac Chauncey’s Lake Ontario Squadron
Operational history
Madison participated in several actions during the War of 1812, including:
- The capture of York (present‑day Toronto) in April 1813.
- The attacks on Fort George in May 1813.
- Two engagements with British squadrons on Lake Ontario (7–11 August and 11–22 September 1813).
After the war, the vessel was considered “a fast ship‑rigged vessel that was not considered very safe to operate.” She remained laid up at Sackets Harbor until being sold in 1825.
Fate: Sold in 1825; subsequent disposition unknown.
USS Madison (DD‑425)
- Class & type: Benson‑class destroyer
- Displacement: 2 395 tons (full load)
- Dimensions: 347 ft 4 in (105.94 m) length; 36 ft 1 in (11.25 m) beam; 11 ft 9 in (3.58 m) draft
- Propulsion: 4 boilers, 2 shafts, 50 000 shp; speed 35 knots
- Armament: 5 × 5‑in/38 caliber dual‑purpose guns, 6 × 0.50 in MGs, 10 × 21‑in torpedo tubes, depth‑charge tracks
- Builder: Boston Navy Yard; laid down 19 September 1938, launched 20 October 1939, commissioned 6 August 1940
- Namesake: Commander James J. Madison (1888–1922), Medal of Honor recipient (World War I)
Service record
- Pre‑World II: Conducted Neutrality Patrols in the Caribbean and North Atlantic; escorted diplomatic missions, including transporting Admiral William D. Leahy to Europe (January 1941).
- World War II:
- Joined the British Home Fleet at Scapa Flow (April 1942), participating in operations supporting Malta and convoy escorts to the Soviet port of Murmansk.
- Served with the U.S. Atlantic Fleet on convoy and patrol duty, later operating in the Mediterranean, including support for Operation Torch and the Anzio and Southern France invasions.
- Transferred to the Pacific theater in late 1944, performing escort duties and present at the Japanese surrender in Tokyo Bay (2 September 1945).
Decommissioning and fate
- Decommissioned 13 March 1946; struck from the Naval Vessel Register 1 June 1968.
- Sunk as a target on 14 October 1969.
Summary
The name USS Madison thus refers to two distinct naval vessels: an early 19th‑century Lake Ontario sloop‑of‑war that saw action in the War of 1812 and was sold in 1825, and a mid‑20th‑century Benson‑class destroyer that served throughout World War II in both Atlantic and Pacific operations before being retired and used as a target ship. Both ships reflect the U.S. Navy’s tradition of honoring notable national figures through ship naming.
