USS Ericsson

USS Ericsson has been the name of three warships in the United States Navy. They are all named for John Ericsson, the inventor of the USS Monitor and a torpedo that was cable-powered by an external source. More recently, a support ship in the Military Sealift Command has been designated by his full name.

USS Ericsson (DD-440)

USS Ericsson (DD-440), a Gleaves-class destroyer, was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named after John Ericsson, who is best known for devising and building the Civil War ironclad USS Monitor.

Ericsson was launched 23 November 1940 by Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., Kearny, New Jersey; sponsored by Mrs. Ruth E. Wallgren, great-great-grandniece of John Ericsson; and commissioned 13 March 1941, Lieutenant Commander G. E. Sage in command.

1941-1942

After shakedown, Ericsson arrived at Norfolk, Virginia, her home port, on 2 May 1941. Immediately the Ericsson began operations along the East Coast and Bermuda, training Naval Reserve midshipmen, exercising with submarines, making tests of her equipment and machinery, and joining in battle practice. In the fall of 1941, she twice voyaged to Newfoundland and Iceland, escorting convoys, continuing this service after the United States entered World War II. Patrolling off NS Argentia, Newfoundland on 15 January 1942, she sighted the life rafts of sunken SS Dagrose, from which she rescued two survivors. Her rescue work also includes patrol service during the rescue of survivors from the torpedoed Coast Guard cutter USCGC Hamilton (WPG-34) on 30 January 1942.

USS Ericsson (DD-56)

USS Ericsson (Destroyer No. 56/DD-56) was an O'Brien-class destroyer built for the United States Navy prior to the American entry into World War I. The ship was the second U.S. Navy vessel named in honor of John Ericsson, the Swedish-born builder of the ironclad warship USS Monitor during the American Civil War.

Ericsson was laid down by the New York Shipbuilding of Camden, New Jersey, in November 1913 and launched in August of the following year. The ship was a little more than 305 feet (93 m) in length, just over 31 feet (9.4 m) abeam, and had a standard displacement of 1,090 long tons (1,110 t). She was armed with four 4-inch (102 mm) guns and had eight 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes. Ericsson was powered by a pair of steam turbines that propelled her at up to 29 knots (54 km/h).

After her May 1916 commissioning, Ericsson sailed off the east coast and in the Caribbean. She was one of seventeen destroyers sent out to rescue survivors from five victims of German submarine U-53 off the Lightship Nantucket in October 1916, and carried 81 passengers from a sunken British ocean liner to Newport, Rhode Island. After the United States entered World War I in April 1917, Ericsson was part of the first U.S. destroyer squadron sent overseas. Patrolling the Irish Sea out of Queenstown, Ireland, Ericsson made several unsuccessful attacks on U-boats, and rescued survivors of several ships sunk by the German craft.