Destroyers & Frigates

Note: On 8 September 1923, 14 ships of this class (marked by asterisks) were involved in the Point Honda Disaster. The ships comprised Destroyer Squadron 11, which was making a high-speed transit from San Francisco to San Diego. Approaching Santa Barbara Channel, the formation ran into thick fog. The squadron commander, Commodore Edward H. Watson, in the flagship USS Delphy, made an error in navigation and, by dead-reckoning, turned into what he thought was the channel. Unfortunately, they were still several miles north of the assumed position. First Delphy ran onto the rocks at Point Honda, followed by six of the other ships, all of which were destroyed by sinking or grounding. Two other ships sustained minor damage. Amazingly, only 23 sailors were killed in the accident.

More detailed information and photographs are available at Wikipedia , the Naval Historical Center and Haze Gray.

Additional information to identify the ships in the photo at right. From the upper left of the photo:
Nicholas, facing out from the shore and down by the stern; S. P. Lee, close to the shore and listing to port; Delphy, in the small cove, capsized and lying parallel to the shore (barely visible); Young, capsized perpendicular to the shore; Chauncy, hard ashore and down by the stern; Woodbury, on the rocks and listing to port; Fuller, on the rocks and listing to starboard.

Only minimal salvage was attempted on the wrecks and they were eventually torn apart by the surf.

Of the remaining ships of DesRon 11, Farragut and Somers touched the rocks, but escaped serious damage, remaining afloat and under control. Kennedy, Paul Hamilton, Percival, Stottart and Thompson all avoided the rocks completely.