USS Conner (DD-72)
The USS Conner (DD-72) is one of six Caldwell-class destroyers to serve in the United States Navy, though she also sailed with the Royal Navy as the HMS Leeds. She was the first US Navy ship to be named after Commodore David Conner.
Construction
The USS Conner (DD-72) was sponsored by Miss E. Diederich and was launched on August 21, 1927 by William Cramp & Sons Ship and Engine Building Company in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was commissioned on January 12, 1918 with Commander A. G. Howe taking command.
Naval History
Conner (DD-72) performed her first duty on May 12, 1918, at which time she put to sea from New York in order to escort a convoy to the Azores and to Brest, France. While in Brest, she escorted inbound convoys to French and English ports as well as outbound convoys heading to Bermuda. Conner was also frequently called upon to provide aid to those ships that sighted submarines and, in July 1918, she rescued survivors from sea in two separate incidents.
As the war came to an end, the duties of Conner changed to performing regular mail and passenger runs between Brest, France and Plymouth, England. On May 8, 1919, she escorted the ships that were transporting President Woodrow Wilson and Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels to the peace conference that took place in Brest that year. Upon returning to the United States, she joined in fleet maneuvers that took place in Narragansett Bay in 1919 before entering the Philadelphia Navy Yard on October 4. She was decommissioned in Philadelphia on June 21, 1922.
On August 23, 1940, the USS Conner (DD-72) was recommissioned and fitted out in order to be sent to the Royal Navy as part of Lend-Lease. She then sailed to Halifax in Nova Scotia. While in Nova Scotia, she was decommissioned, transferred to Britain and commissioned all on the same day. She officially became the HMS Leeds on October 23, 1940, at which time Lieutenant Commander W.M.I. Astwood, RN, took command.
On November 1, 1940, Leeds cleared Halifax and headed for Belfast in Northern Ireland. After arriving on November 10, she escorted convoys between the Firth of Forth and the Thames while serving under Rosyth Command. During the time she sailed the North Sea, she was the target of numerous air attacks. On April 20, 1942, she towed Cotswold into Harwich after coming to her aid. She also drove German E-boats away on the night of February 24, 1944. In April 1945, she was placed in reserve at Grangemouth in the Firth of Forth.
Asbestos Risk on the USS Conner (DD-72)
The Conner made frequent use of asbestos insulation in boilers and engine compartments, as well as for insulation throughout the vessel. The close quarters of Caldwell class destroyers and high concentration of asbestos products aboard put her crew at significantly higher-than-normal risk for exposure to dangerous asbestos fibers. Inhaling or ingesting asbestos can lead to a variety of serious illnesses, including mesothelioma.
If you or a family member developed mesothelioma after serving aboard the Conner, understand that there are legal remedies available to you. Choosing an experienced mesothelioma lawyer can help you with your next course of action. Our mesothelioma information kit has up-to-date information concerning legal options and choices for medical treatment, along with a list of clinical trials in the United States. Simply complete the form on this page and we'll get you this valuable kit, at no charge.
Sources
Dictionary of American Naval Fight Ships.
http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/c12/conner-i.htm Retrieved 14 December 2010
