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52k | Eugene Hale was born at Turner, Maine, 6 June 1836. He was admitted to the bar in 1857 and served for nine years as prosecuting attorney for Hancock County. He was elected to the Maine legislature 1867-68, to the House of Representatives 1869-79, and succeeded Hannibal Hamlin in the Senate, serving from 1881 to 1911. Although he declined the post of Secretary of the Navy in the Hayes administration, Senator Hale performed constructive work of the greatest importance in the area of naval appropriations, especially during the early fights for the "new Navy." "I hope", he said in 1884, "that I shall not live many years before I shall see the American Navy what it ought to be, the pet of the American people." Much later in his career, he opposed the building of large numbers of capital ships, which he regarded as less effective in proportion to cost and subject to rapid obsolescence. Senator Hale retired from politics in 1911 and spent the remainder of his life in Ellsworth, Maine, and in Washington, D.C., where he died 27 October 1918. | Bill Gonyo |
USS Hale (DD-133)
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106k | Undated, location unknown. | Tom Ludka, Waukesha County Veterans Services |
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79k | Undated postcard, location unknown. | Tommy Trampp |
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125k | Undated, location unknown. | Richard Miller BMCS USNR RET. |
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207k | USS Hale (Destroyer # 133), At Spalato (Split), Dalmatia, circa 1919. Naval History and Heritage Command photo NH 61489. | Robert Hurst |
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46k | Venice, Italy 1919. | Russ Padden |
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63k | In Venice harbor, 1919 | Robert Hurst |
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109k | Another postcard view at Venice, 1919. | Dave Wright |
Taken during Hale's transit of the Panama Canal in March 1931, The tanker is California Standard (1929-1961). From the collection of CQM Carl Werner.
Chief Quartermaster Carl Werner in Port au Prince, Haiti in January 1931.
| Mary Stone |
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110k | Panoramic photograph of the ship's Officers and Crew, posed on her foredeck, circa 1931-1932. Officer marked by arrow in the left center of the first row is Commander Frank J. Lowry, Hale's Commanding Officer. The First Class Petty Officer at far left (marked "Me") is presumably the initial owner of the original print, which was found (without provenance) in 2003. Naval History & Heritage Command photo NH 105155 | Michael Mohl |
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878k | Balboa Harbor, Panama Canal Zone. Aerial photograph taken 23 April 1934, with U.S. Fleet cruisers and destroyers moored together. Ships present include (left to right in lower left): USS Elliot (DD-146); USS Roper (DD-147); USS Hale (DD-133); USS Dorsey (DD-117); USS Lea (DD-118); USS Rathburne (DD-113); USS Talbot (DD-114); USS Waters (DD-115); USS Dent (DD-116); USS Aaron Ward (DD-132); USS Buchanan (DD-131); USS Crowninshield (DD-134); USS Preble (DD-345); and USS William B. Preston (DD-344). (left to right in center): USS Yarnall (DD-143); USS Sands (DD-243); USS Lawrence (DD-250); (unidentified destroyer); USS Detroit (CL-8), Flagship, Destroyers Battle Force; USS Fox (DD-234); USS Greer (DD-145); USS Barney (DD-149); USS Tarbell (DD-142); and USS Chicago (CA-29), Flagship, Cruisers Scouting Force. (left to right across the top): USS Southard (DD-207); USS Chandler (DD-206); USS Farenholt (DD-332); USS Perry (DD-340); USS Wasmuth (DD-338); USS Trever (DD-339); USS Melville (AD-2); USS Truxtun (DD-229); USS McCormick (DD-223); USS MacLeish (DD-220); USS Simpson (DD-221); USS Hovey (DD-208); USS Long (DD-209); USS Litchfield (DD-336); USS Tracy (DD-214); USS Dahlgren (DD-187); USS Medusa (AR-1); USS Raleigh (CL-7), Flagship, Destroyers Scouting Force; USS Pruitt (DD-347); and USS J. Fred Talbott (DD-156); USS Dallas (DD-199); (four unidentified destroyers); and USS Indianapolis (CA-35), Flagship, Cruisers Scouting Force. National Archives photo 80-G-455906 | Fabio Peņa |
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163k | At Balboa, Canal Zone, May, 1936. National Archives 80-G-1025101 | Robert Hurst/Darryl Baker/Ed Zajkowski |
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265k | USS Crowninshield (DD-134) and USS Hale (DD-133) moored at a San Francisco pier, late 1930s. | Darryl Baker |
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162k | USS Aaron Ward (DD-132) and USS Hale (DD-133) at the Port of Stockton, California, circa 1939. | Darryl Baker |
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622k | San Francisco Bay, 1930s. Naval History & Heritage Command photo NH 67680 | Richard Miller BMCS USNR RET. |
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78k | Hale (DD-133) and Abel P. Upshur (DD-193) departing Boston for Halifax to transfer to the Royal Navy, 04 September 1940. "The ships sailed with skeleton crews and their names painted out" per the press photo caption.
Acme Newsphoto B 572332 | Dave Wright |
On British Service
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| HMS Caldwell commissioned at Halifax, NS, on 9 September 1940 and had a very brief refit at Devonport from 28 September to 12 October 1940. Further repairs were needed at Liverpool prior to her joining 17th Flotilla of Western Approaches Command; nevertheless, she was still among the first Town class to become operational and sailed with convoy OB233 on 23 October 1940. Transferred to 5th Escort Group in December 1940, weather damage necessitated repair at Liverpool throughout January 1941, and it seems that she may also have had major crew changes at this time as she then worked up at Tobermory before departing with convoy OB284 on 10 February 1941.
Caldwell continued with 5th EG (despite a long refit at Cardiff 6 June 1941 to 28 August 1941) until February 1942. Caldwell was one of the ships sent to reinforce the RCN to form Western Local Escort Force, arriving at St John's, Newfoundland, on 21 February 1942. After a brief spell on the Halifax/St John's route, she transferred to escorting tankers between Halifax and Aruba, until sent to Boston for refit 3 June 1942. On completion, the Halifax/St John's route was resumed, Caldwell being fortunate enough to sustain only minhor damage when in collision with the Aquitania on 14 August 1942. She was not so lucky on 18 January 1943 when she sustained weather damage so severe on that date that Caldwell drifted for three days before being taken in tow by the destroyer HMS Wanderer, and did not make St John's until Christmas Eve. The sight of that small port must have been a Christmas gift for her company. Unable to be repaired by St John's limited facilities, Caldwell was then towed south to Boston, arriving on 28 January 1943 via Halifax, and remained under repair until 1 May 1943. WLEF service then recommenced until December 1943 when, in company with other class mates, Caldwell returned to the UK via the Azores, arriving on the Tyne 29 December 1943 to go into reserve. Surplus even to auxiliary needs, she laid there until listed for disposal on 20 March 1945, finally arriving at Granton on 7 June 1945 to be broken up. (History thanks to Robert Hurst.) |
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97k | The 'Town' class destroyer HMS Caldwell in Plymouth Sound (The Hoe can be seen in the
background) showing her initial RN state immediately after completing her first refit at Devonport on 12 October 1940. Photo taken by Lt. C. J. Clare, Royal Navy official photographer. Imperial War Museum photo A 1445. | Robert Hurst |
Decommissioned and transferred to Britain September 9 1940, renamed HMS Caldwell (I20).
