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DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORICAL CENTER
805 KIDDER BREESE SE -- WASHINGTON NAVY YARD
WASHINGTON DC 20374-5060

Photo # NH 64544:  USS Kane leaving the Philadelphia Navy Yard, 9 June 1932

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

USS Kane (DD-235, later APD-18), 1920-1946

USS Kane, a 1190-ton Clemson class destroyer built at Camden, New Jersey, was one of five of that type (DD-231 through DD-235) with a battery of 5"/51 guns in place of the 4"/50 guns carried by the rest of the class. She was commissioned in June 1920 and in August began a Northern European cruise. On 1 October, while in the Baltic Sea near the Gulf of Riga, she was damaged aft by the explosion of a mine left over from the First World War. Following repairs, in May 1921 Kane went to the Mediterranean Sea, where she remained until returning to the U.S. in August. The destroyer was back in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea between October 1921 and May 1923, taking part in relief activities in what was then a very troubled region. For the rest of the decade Kane mainly operated along the U.S. East Coast and in the Caribbean. She also participated in a cruise to California and Hawaii during the first half of 1925 and, in 1927, served off Nicaragua and Honduras.

Out of commission at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, Pennsylvania, between the end of 1930 and April 1932, Kane soon steamed to San Diego, California, and served in the Pacific until 1936. In August of that year, following brief participation in Caribbean exercises, she crossed the Atlantic to begin operations off Spain during that nation's bloody civil war. That mission lasted until November 1937, after which Kane returned to the U.S. and was again decommissioned in April 1938. The outbreak of the Second World War in Europe brought her back into active service in September 1939. From then until the U.S. entered the conflict in December 1941 she served in the North Atlantic, off Panama, and along the West Coast as far north as Alaska. Her operations in Alaskan waters continued in wartime, involving convoy escort and patrol work as the U.S. built up its forces in the area and Japan captured islands in the Aleutians. In June 1942 she rescued survivors of the torpedoed steamer Arcata and in early August escaped damage when attacked by enemy patrol bombers.

In February-April 1943 Kane was converted to a high speed transport, receiving the new designation APD-18 in March. She then took part in the Aleutians campaign, including the reconquest of Attu in May and the seizure of Kiska in August 1943. She left the North Pacific in November and, between January and July 1944, participated in amphibious operations in the Marshall Islands, along the northern shore of New Guinea and at Saipan and Guam. During the Guam landings Kane supported underwater demolition team activities, a function that she also performed during the invasion of Leyte in October 1944. Out of the war zone for overhaul and training from late 1944 until June 1945, she spent the final two months of World War II on escort and patrol duty in the Okinawa area and in the Philippines. After the fighting ceased, Kane assisted with the occupation of southern Korea. She returned to the U.S. late in 1945 and in January 1946 was decommissioned at Philadelphia Navy Yard. USS Kane was sold for scrapping in June 1946.

USS Kane was named in honor of Assistant Surgeon Elisha Kent Kane, USN, (1820-1857), who gained fame as an Arctic explorer during the 1850s.

This page features, and provides links to, all the views we have related to USS Kane (DD-235, later APD-18).

For more views concerning this ship, see:

  • USS Kane (DD-235, later APD-18) -- On Board, Close up and Construction Views.


    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 52226

    USS Kane
    (Destroyer # 235)

    Running trials, circa 1920.
    Photographed by her builder, the New York Shipbuilding Corporation, of Camden, New Jersey.

    U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

    Online Image: 67KB; 740 x 595 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 67573

    USS Kane (DD-235)


    Underway at sea, circa the 1920s.

    Courtesy of Donald M. McPherson, 1969.

    U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

    Online Image: 59KB; 740 x 455 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 64544

    USS Kane (DD-235)


    Leaving the Philadelphia Navy Yard, Pennsylvania, on 9 June 1932.

    Donation of Franklin Moran, 1967.

    U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

    Online Image: 85KB; 740 x 610 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 52420

    USS Bainbridge (DD-246)
    ;
    USS Kane (DD-235);
    and
    USS Hopkins (DD-249)

    Nested together during the 1920s.

    U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

    Online Image: 99KB; 740 x 540 pixels

     
    Photo #: 80-G-466226

    USS Kane (DD-235)


    Underway at 15 knots in Puget Sound, Washington, 8 February 1942.
    Note that she carries a battery of 4"'50 guns and appears to be painted in Measure 1 camouflage.

    Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.

    Online Image: 83KB; 740 x 495 pixels

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

     


    The following view shows what is probably either USS Kane (DD-235) or her sister ship, USS Gilmer (DD-233):

    Photo #: NH 43771

    U.S. Navy Destroyer running trials, circa 1920


    She is flying the New York Shipbuilding Corporation house flag and carries four 5"/51 guns, a battery fitted to only a few ships.
    Based on comparison with other photographs, this destroyer is probably either USS Gilmer (DD-233) or USS Kane (DD-235).

    U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

    Online Image: 76KB; 740 x 510 pixels

    Note:
    This photograph was originally captioned, erroneously, as representing USS Smith Tompson (DD-212).

     


    The following views show USS Kane (DD-235) distantly, either as part of groups of ships or in the background in photographs of other subjects:

    Photo #: NH 61556

    USS Dobbin (AD-3)


    Off Gonaives, Haiti, with seven destroyers alongside, March 1928. The destroyers are (from outboard to inboard):
    USS Kane (DD-235);
    USS King (DD-242);
    unidentified;
    USS James K. Paulding (DD-238);
    USS Sturtevant (DD-240);
    and two unidentified.

    U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

    Online Image: 153KB; 740 x 580 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 64563

    USS William B. Preston (DD-344)


    In San Diego harbor, California, during the 1930s.
    USS Kane (DD-235) is moored in the background.

    Donation of Franklin Moran, 1967.

    U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

    Online Image: 105KB; 740 x 610 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 64552

    USS Williamson (DD-244)


    In San Diego harbor, California, during the early 1930s.
    USS Kane (DD-235) and USS Fox (DD-234) are in the right background.

    Donation of Franklin Moran, 1967.

    U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

    Online Image: 100KB; 740 x 610 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 73277

    USS Barry (DD-248)


    In San Diego harbor, California, about 1930.
    Ships in the right background are USS Kane (DD-235) and USS Fox (DD-234).

    U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

    Online Image: 103KB; 740 x 600 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 64561

    USS Hopkins (DD-249)


    In San Diego harbor, California, during the early 1930s.
    USS Kane (DD-235) and USS Fox (DD-234) are moored in the right center background, with Naval Air Station North Island beyond them.

    Donation of Franklin Moran, 1967.

    U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

    Online Image: 121KB; 740 x 605 pixels

     
    Photo #: 80-G-451164

    Pearl Harbor Navy Yard, Oahu, Hawaii


    Scouting Force ships at, and off, the yard, 2 February 1933.
    Cruisers tied up at 1010 Dock are (from left to left center) Augusta (CA-31), Chicago (CA-29) and Chester (CA-27). USS Northampton (CA-26) is alongside the dock in the center, with USS Kane (DD-235) in the adjacent Marine Railway and USS Fox (DD-234) tied up nearby.
    USS Louisville (CA-28) is in the center distance. Moored off her bow and at the extreme right are USS Salt Lake City (CA-25) and USS Pensacola (CA-24).

    Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.

    Online Image: 120KB; 740 x 600 pixels

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

     


    In addition to the views referenced above, the National Archives appears to hold several other photographs of USS Kane (DD-235). The following listing describes some of these images:

    The images listed below are NOT in the Naval Historical Center's collections.
    DO NOT try to obtain them using the procedures described in our page "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions".


  • Photo #: 80-G-1035943
    USS Kane (DD-235) underway for Spain, 17 August 1936.
    Port broadside surface view, with the ship underway at sea, making fairly high speed.

  • Photo #: 80-G-1035947
    USS Kane (DD-235) underway for Spain, 17 August 1936.
    Port quarter surface view, with the ship in harbor, at rest or underway at low speed.

  • Photo #: 80-G-307730
    USS Kane (APD-18) underway during the invasion of Saipan, June 1944. Photographed by Fifth Amphibious Force, Pacific Fleet. The image was received by the Naval Photographic Science Laboratory on 20 March 1945.
    Port quarter view taken from about a height about mid-way up Kane's foremast. The ship is flying signal flags and has all her boats stowed in their davits.


    Reproductions of these images should be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system for pictures not held by the Naval Historical Center.

    The images listed above are NOT in the Naval Historical Center's collections. DO NOT try to obtain them using the procedures described in our page "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions".


  • For more views concerning this ship, see:

  • USS Kane (DD-235, later APD-18) -- On Board, Close up and Construction Views.


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


    Return to Naval Historical Center home page.

    Page made 5 April 2003
    National Archives' photo references added 20 May 2003