USS Paul Jones (DD-10)
The USS Paul Jones (DD-10) was a Bainbridge-class destroyer in the U.S. Navy during World War I. She was the second ship named in honor of renowned Revolutionary War naval commander John Paul Jones (1747-1792).
Construction
In April 1899, Paul Jones was laid down at San Francisco, California, by the Union Iron Works. The completed vessel was launched in June 1902 and commissioned one month later under the command of Lieutenant R. F. Gross.
Naval History
Preceding World War I, Paul Jones operated out of San Francisco as a unit of the Pacific Fleet but with the onset of World War I she reported to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. By mid-August 1917, she had joined eight other destroyers to escort the Battleship Force Atlantic safely to Bermuda and New York. During September, Paul Jones conducted a number of convoy patrols along the east coast from her base at Newport, Rhode Island. She devoted the following several months to maneuvers and training exercises off Norfolk, Virginia, before reporting to Philadelphia.
In January 1918, Paul Jones was dispatched to the Azores but had to turn back due to a severe leak in her portside. Struggling in stormy seas, Paul Jones’ crew managed to keep the ship afloat despite a flooded fired room and lack of water pumps. She received assistance and made it back to Bermuda were she underwent makeshift fixes, making her continued voyage to the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard for permanent repairs possible.
In April, Paul Jones reported to Fort Monroe in Hampton, Virginia, where she carried out an assortment of tasks throughout the Chesapeake Bay area through the first week in August.
The apex of her career came the following July when she rescued 1,250 men from the Henderson which had caught fire between Bermuda and Virginia. The following day, Paul Jones escorted the Henderson to Delaware Breakwater.
That August, along with several other ships in her convoy, Paul Jones mistook a U.S. sub for an enemy and fired upon her, causing some damage. Once the mistake was realized, Paul Jones escorted the damaged submarine to Delaware Bay.
She returned to Chesapeake Bay and spent her remaining time manning mine patrols, serving convoy duties and various other services. She was decommissioned in July, and struck from the Naval Vessel Register the following September, 1919. She was sold to Joseph G. Hitner in Philadelphia for scrap.
Asbestos Risk on the USS Paul Jones (DD-10)
Paul Jones was built before stringent fire safety regulations required asbestos fireproofing in many areas. She still used the mineral in a wide variety of applications, particularly below decks in engineering space. Most crewmen aboard Paul Jones faced a moderate risk of exposure during their service. Inhaling asbestos fibers can cause pleural mesothelioma and other serious illnesses. If your loved one served on this vessel and later suffered from an asbestos-related disease, a mesothelioma lawyer can explain your legal rights.
Sources
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.
http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/p3/paul_jones-ii.htm
