USS Talbot (DD-114) was a in the United States Navy during World War I and later designated APD-7 in World War II. She was the first ship named in honor of Silas Talbot.
Construction and commissioning
Talbot was laid down on 12 July 1917 at Philadelphia by William Cramp & Sons. The ship was launched on 20 February 1918, sponsored by Miss Elizabeth Major. The destroyer was commissioned on 20 July 1918, Lieutenant Commander Isaac Foote Dortch in command.
Service history
Talbot stood out of New York on 31 July and steamed to the British Isles. She made three more round-trip voyages to England and, in December, called at Brest, France. In 1919, she joined the Pacific Fleet and operated with it until 31 March 1923 when she was decommissioned at San Diego. On 17 July 1920, the ship was designated DD-114 while in reserve.
Talbot was recommissioned on 31 May 1930, and joined Destroyer Squadron (DesRon) 10 of the Battle Force at San Diego. She remained with Battle Force until 1937 when she went to Hawaii to support Submarine Force, Pacific Fleet for a year. In 1939, she served with the Battle Force and the Submarine Force. In 1940 and 1941, the destroyer was based at San Diego.
World War II
The day after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Talbot got underway in the screen of the aircraft carrier and headed for Hawaii. She arrived at Pearl Harbor exactly a week after the Japanese raid, patrolled off the islands for ten days, and returned to San Diego. In February 1942, the ship joined the Patrol Force of the 12th Naval District and escorted convoys along the Pacific coast.
Late in May, Talbot stood out of Puget Sound to escort the submarines , , and to Alaska. They arrived at Dutch Harbor on 2 June and were subjected to a small and unsuccessful air attack the next day. With the exception of three escort trips back to Seattle, the destroyer performed patrol and escort duty in Alaskan waters for the next seven months. On 31 October 1942, the ship was reclassified a high-speed transport and redesignated APD-7. Talbot departed Dutch Harbor on 31 January 1943 to be converted by the Mare Island Navy Yard into a small but fast troopship. The work, enabling Talbot to transport 147 combat troops, was completed on 15 March.
The next day, the high-speed transport got underway for Hawaii, and she arrived at Pearl Harbor the following week. On 2 April, she headed for Espiritu Santo to join Transport Division (TransDiv) 12. For two months, the APD participated in training exercises with her division and also escorted ships to New Caledonia, New Zealand, Australia, and Guadalcanal.
In mid-June, she joined Task Group (TG) 31.1, the Rendova Attack Group, for the invasion of New Georgia. She and were to capture two small islands that controlled the entrance to Roviana Lagoon from Blanche Channel. The two ships embarked troops of the 169th Infantry Regiment at Guadalcanal, and, on 30 June, they were off their assigned beaches when the assault began. Heavy rains obscured the islands, and Zane ran aground at 0230. After landing her troops and supplies without opposition, Talbot attempted to pull the minesweeper free but failed. Then, arrived and pulled Zane free while Talbot provided air protection. During the operation, enemy aircraft could be seen attacking the main landing force. On the night of 4 July, the ship and six other high speed transports arrived off Rice Anchorage. During the landing of assault troops the next morning, a Japanese "long-lance" torpedo sank , one of the destroyers of the bombardment group.
Talbot returned to Guadalcanal to prepare for the occupation of Vella Lavella. On 14 August, she sortied with TG 31.5, the Advance Transport Group of the Northern Landing Force. The assault forces went ashore from the destroyer transports the next morning, unopposed. However, two hours later, the Japanese began air attacks against the ships and kept up the raids throughout the day. Nevertheless, the American fleet suffered no damage and claimed to have shot down 44 of the enemy planes.
The high-speed transport next devoted over a month to escorting smaller ships and carrying supplies to various islands in the Solomons. Late in September, she joined Admiral George H. Fort's Southern Attack Force for the conquest of the Treasury Islands. Eight APDs and 23 smaller landing ships were loaded with troops of the 8th New Zealand Brigade Force. The smaller ships departed Guadalcanal on 23 October and 24 October, and the faster destroyer transports left on 26 October. The following day, the troops landed on Mono and Stirling islands, and the transports had cleared the area by 2000.