About this Unit
USS Ramsay (DD-124) was a Wickes-class destroyer commissioned by the United States Navy in 1918. Initially serving during the final months of World War I, Ramsay primarily performed convoy escort and patrol duties along the Atlantic coast. In World War II, she was converted into a minelayer (DM-16) and participated in the defense of Pearl Harbor during the Japanese attack on December 7, 1941. Throughout the war, USS Ramsay conducted minesweeping, escort, and patrol operations in the Pacific until she was decommissioned in 1945.
Historical Facts
• Namesake: USS Ramsay (DD-124) was named after Rear Admiral Francis Munroe Ramsay, a notable officer in the United States Navy who served with distinction during the American Civil War.
• Class and Type: Ramsay was a Wickes-class destroyer, a class known for its speed and built during World War I to combat the threat of German U-boats.
• Launched in 1918: USS Ramsay was launched on 8 June 1918 by the Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company in Virginia, just months before the end of World War I.
• Post-WWI Service: After a brief period of service, she was decommissioned in 1922 as part of the post-war reduction in naval forces.
• Recommissioned for WWII: With tensions rising before World War II, Ramsay was recommissioned in 1930 and later converted to a minelayer (DM-16) in 1937.
• Pearl Harbor Attack: During the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, Ramsay was present and engaged Japanese aircraft, contributing to the defense of the harbor.
• Minelaying Operations: As a fast minelayer, Ramsay carried out numerous minelaying missions in the Pacific, helping to protect Allied ships and disrupt Japanese operations.
• Anti-Submarine Warfare: Ramsay conducted anti-submarine patrols and was credited with assisting in the sinking of Japanese submarines near the Hawaiian Islands.
• Rescue Missions: The ship participated in several rescue operations, including saving survivors from sunken vessels during wartime operations in the Pacific.
• Decommissioning and Fate: After distinguished service in both World Wars, USS Ramsay was decommissioned on 19 October 1945 and sold for scrap in 1946, ending her nearly three-decade-long naval career.
