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DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORICAL CENTER
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WASHINGTON DC 20374-5060

Photo # NH 63482:  USS Crosby underway, circa 1920

Online Library of Selected Images:
-- U.S. NAVY SHIPS --

USS Crosby (Destroyer # 164, later DD-164 and APD-17), 1919-1946

USS Crosby, a 1060-ton Little class destroyer built at Quincy, Massachusetts, was commissioned on 24 January 1919. In her first half-year of service she took part in exercises in the Caribbean Sea region, served as a plane guard during the trans-Atlantic flight attempt of the NC flying boats, and transited the Panama Canal to join the Pacific Fleet. Crosby spent the next six months operating along the Pacific Coast, then was in reserve status until June 1922, when she was formally decommissioned.

Laid up for over seventeen years, Crosby was brought back into commissioned service in December 1939 as part of the Nation's response to the outbreak of World War II in Europe. She had patrol and Naval Reserve training duties off the West Coast until December 1941, when the United States was abruptly brought into the war, and remained employed on patrol and escort work for the next fourteen months.

In February 1943 Crosby was converted to a fast transport and redesignated APD-17. She then steamed to the south Pacific, where she took part in landing operations at New Georgia, the Treasury Islands, Bougainville and Cape Gloucester between late June and the end of 1943. Her amphibious service continued through the next year with participation in assaults in the Bismarck Islands, along the northern shore of New Guinea, at Morotai, and at Leyte. On 7 December 1944, during the landings at Ormoc Bay, Leyte, she helped recover survivors of USS Ward after that ship was fatally damaged by a Kamikaze.

During 1945 Crosby put troops ashore at Lingayen Gulf in January and carried out further landings as the Luzon campaign closed in on Manila. Following an overhaul she conducted patrol and picket missions off Okinawa, beginning in mid-April. A month later the now very elderly ship left the war zone to return to the United States. USS Crosby was decommissioned in late September 1945, several weeks after the Second World War's end. She was sold for scrapping in May 1946.

USS Crosby was named in honor of Rear Admiral Peirce Crosby, USN (1824-1899), an important figure in the Naval history of the Civil War.

This page features all the views we have related to USS Crosby (Destroyer # 164, later DD-164 and APD-17).


If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."

Click on the small photograph to prompt a larger view of the same image.

Photo #: NH 99229

USS Crosby
(Destroyer # 164)

At the Boston Navy Yard, Massachusetts, 25 January 1919.
Panogramic photograph by J. Crosby, Naval Photographer, # 11 Portland Street, Boston.

Courtesy of the Naval Historical Foundation, Washington, D.C.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Online Image: 70KB; 900 x 355 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 95204

USS Crosby
(Destroyer # 164)

At New York City, 8 July 1919, just prior to departing for the West Coast.

Courtesy of Jack L. Howland, 1983.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Online Image: 35KB; 740 x 500 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 63482

USS Crosby
(DD-164)

Underway, circa 1920.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Online Image: 115KB; 740 x 595 pixels

 
Photo #: 19-N-41557

USS Crosby
(APD-17)

Off the Mare Island Navy Yard, California, 24 February 1943, following conversion to a high-speed transport.

Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives.

Online Image: 62KB; 740 x 610 pixels

Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system.

 
Photo #: NH 85033

USS Cuyama
(Oiler # 3)

At Acapulco, Mexico, circa 1919, with several destroyers alongside.
Destroyers off Cuyama's starboard side are (from left to center:
USS Walker (Destroyer # 163);
USS Crosby (Destroyer # 164); and
USS Thatcher (Destroyer # 162).
USS Gamble (Destroyer # 123) is moored along Cuyama's port side.

Courtesy of Donald M. McPherson, 1976.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Online Image: 78KB; 740 x 510 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 42528

USS Birmingham
(Scout Cruiser # 2, later CL-2), center foreground

At San Pedro, California, circa 1919-1921, with a group of destroyers. Among the latter are USS Crosby (Destroyer # 164, later DD-164), at right, and USS Wickes (Destroyer # 75, later DD-75), which is the outboard ship in the nest immediately ahead of Crosby.
Note the rail lines in the foreground, with many passenger cars on the tracks.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Online Image: 94KB; 740 x 455 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 95792

Trans-Atlantic Flight of the "NC" Aircraft, May 1919


Diagram of the third leg of the flight of the NC-1, NC-3 and NC-4 aircraft, between Trepassy Bay, Newfoundland, and the Azores, during 16 May to 20 May 1919. It also shows the positions of the 21 U.S. Navy destroyers stationed along the way.
Printed by the Matthews-Northrup Works, Buffalo, New York.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Online Image: 109KB; 900 x 605 pixels

 


USS Crosby (DD-164) is seen in the background of the following photograph of another ship:

Photo #: NH 41952

USS Thatcher
(DD-162)

Leading other destroyers into a harbor, circa 1919-1921.
The next ship astern is USS Crosby (DD-164).

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Online Image: 82KB; 740 x 550 pixels

 


The photograph listed below was taken from USS Crosby (APD-17), but does not show any of her structure:

  • Photo # 80-G-335685: USS Ward (APD-16) burning in Ormoc Bay, Leyte, Philippine Islands, after she was hit by a Kamikaze on 7 December 1944. USS O'Brien (DD-725) is fighting fires from alongside, as landing craft circle to rescue survivors.


    If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."


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    Page made 2 April 2004
    Name source information corrected 1 May 2007