USS Reuben James (DD-245)

Casualty List

Navy US Navy
Type Destroyer
Class Clemson 
Pennant DD 245 
Built by New York Shipbuilding Corp. (Camden, New Jersey, U.S.A.) 
Laid down 2 Apr 1919 
Launched 4 Oct 1919 
Commissioned 24 Sep 1920 
Lost 31 Oct 1941 
Loss position 51.59N, 27.05W
History  
  Reuben James was decommissioned at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on 20 January 1931 and recommissioned there on 9 March 1932.

USS Reuben James (Lt.Cdr. Heywood Lane Edwards, USN) was escorting convoy HX-156 with four other destroyers of the US Escort Group 4.1.3. and at 0834 hours was hit by a torpedo in position 51º59'N, 27º05'W, which ignited the ammunition in the forward magazine. The explosion split the ship in two, the forward section sank immediately taking all hands on that part of the ship with her. As the stern sank the depth charges exploded and killed some survivors in the water. The destroyer USS Niblack (DD 424) rescued 36 men (one of them died of wounds on 2. November) and USS Hilary P. Jones (DD 427) picked up 10 more. 115 of the crew were killed including all the officers.

Hit by U-boat
Sunk on 31 Oct 1941 by U-552 (Topp).