USS Jacob Jones DD-130 (1/2)

Shipwreck USS Jacob Jones
In the Panama Canal locks, 1920.
Type:
shipwreck, destroyer, Wickes / Tattnall class, U.S. Navy
Built:
1919, Camden NJ USA
Specs:
( 314 x 31 ft ) 1211 gross tons, 145 crew
Sunk:
Saturday February 28, 1942
torpedoed by U-578 - 134 casualties
Depth:
120 ft
Shipwreck USS Jacob Jones
Newly commissioned, circa 1919
Shipwreck USS Jacob Jones
Note the fine, yacht-like lines of the Wickes class
The approximate locations of the torpedo strikes are indicated

The Wickes class destroyer was an ambitious design for its day, combining high speed with heavy armament, but at a cost of range, handling, and sea-keeping. Nonetheless, they were generally considered satisfactory, and a great improvement over previous ships. Commonly known as "Flush Deckers" or "Four Stackers", most were mothballed after World War I, only to be brought out again in the 1930s to replace newer ships of the derived Clemson class that had worn out prematurely. At this time, much of the armament was changed to give them better anti-aircraft and anti-submarine capabilities.

"Flush deck" refers to the main deck running in an uninterrupted straight line from bow to stern, unlike later designs that had raised bows or forecastles. The low bow made them very wet in rough seas. The narrow V-shaped stern and long narrow hull gave them a large turning radius. At least half of the internal space must have been dedicated to propulsion machinery to achieve the design speed of 35 knots, leaving little room for fuel, ammunition, stores, and crew.

50 of these vessels were famously traded to England in the early stages of World War II in exchange for 99-year leases on military bases. Although they were used for convoy duty, their trans-Atlantic range was marginal, something that was eventually solved by at-sea replenishment. Many were converted to other uses, such as training, seaplane tenders, mine-laying, and fast transport. Another famous incident involving "Flush Deckers" took place on September 8, 1928, when seven destroyers ran at high speed onto the rocky coast near Santa Barbara California. Bad weather and bad navigation are blamed. All seven ships remain where they struck; the area is now part of Vandenberg AFB. Several other Wickes-class ships are divable off Southern California, sunk as targets or for filmmaking.

While the Jacob Jones may have an interesting history, it is a good example that this does not always translate into a good dive. In fact, after a long boat ride, all you are likely to find is some low unidentifiable wreckage that could easily be an old barge, or anything. The ship was quite small and lightly constructed, and was devastated by multiple explosions during the sinking, breaking into two or more separated pieces. Nothing stands more than 3 or 4 feet above the bottom, although this could change with shifting sands.

Shipwreck USS Jacob Jones
Some protruding ribs are all that remains of the hull. These near the stern are part of a curved pattern that might be a fantail.
Shipwreck USS Jacob Jones
A diver swims near the largest piece of wreckage. I think this may be a main reduction gear, with the core of the turbine in front of it, and a single long driveshaft behind. However, there should be two of these assemblies next to each other, not just one.
Shipwreck USS Jacob Jones
The reduction gear again, from the side
Shipwreck USS Jacob Jones
Cross-section of a Yarrow-type water tube boiler, with water tanks at each lower corner and steam tank at the top, interconnected by water tubes. The Jacob Jones was built with four boilers like this, but one was later removed, along with the corresponding stack. In addition, most of the heavy guns were removed, as were half of the torpedo tubes.
Shipwreck USS Jacob Jones
All three boilers have collapsed. The steam tanks appear as big drums strewn in the sand, while the water tanks lie buried nearby, marked by bundles of water tubes. Each boiler trunked directly up into its own stack.
Shipwreck USS Jacob Jones
This is an interesting object that might be a gun mount, or a searchlight, or maybe a driveshaft packing gland. Or something else entirely.
Shipwreck USS Jacob Jones
A four-inch shell. The brass casing is crushed from the pressure. It could still explode, even after all these years.

Gary Gentile gives a picturesque description of the wreck in his book Shipwrecks of Maryland and Delaware, including torpedo tubes, triangular swim-through boilers, and other highlights. Nothing like that remains. Except for the odd artillery shell, the Jacob Jones today is completely unremarkable. Visibility is generally very good, sometimes in excess of 100 ft, averaging 30 ft or so.

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