USS Osmond Ingram DD 255

The USS Osmond Ingram (DD 255), a Clemson-class destroyer, was built by Bethlehem Shipbuilding Co., Quincy, Massachusetts. Launch date on February 23, 1919, she was commissioned on June 28, 1919 in Boston. Her commander was Lt. Comdr. M. B. DeMott.

The Osmond Ingram served on the Atlantic fleet until taken out of commission June 24, 1922, placed in reserve. While out of commission at Philadelphia she was converted for service as a seaplane tender and placed back in commission on November 22, 1940. She was reassigned on January 15, 1941 to San Juan, Puerto Rico. Through June 1942 she served tending patrol planes in the Caribbean between Puerto Rico, Trinidad, and the Panama Canal.

Action in World War II

Later in 1942, the Osmond Ingram was assigned to escort duties between Recife, Trinidad, and Belem. She then deployed to Newfoundland, joining the Bogue (CVE-9) as part of a hunter-killer detail formed to protect the carrier. They were one of the most successful anti-submarine groups in the Atlantic. Her first victorious encounter with a German U-boat, U-172, was on December 13, 1943. Her sister ships also performed with distinction, which earned them the Presidential Unit Citation.

In early 1944, after convoy duty to Gibraltar, she was assigned as an escort between Trinidad and New York through June, then, entering Charleston Navy Yard, was converted for high speed transport duty. She deployed to the Mediterranean joining amphibious assault forces along the coast of France on August 14, 1944 for pre-invasion attacks of nearby islands, then to convoy duties until late December, returning to Norfolk.

Reassigned to the Pacific, she served escorting ships between New York and San Diego, Eniwetok, Ulithi, and Pearl Harbor. On April 2, 1945 she deployed to Okinawa to assist with occupation duties, also acting as escort for fast convoys bound for Guam and Saipan and patrolling the Hagushi Anchorage defense lines. Her escort duties took her to Leyte, New Guinea and Hollandia in July. In August, she patrolled the Philippines and Borneo, then assisted on occupation duty in Japan until returning to the U.S.

Decommissioned on January 8, 1946 at Philadelphia, the Osmond Ingram was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register January 21, 1946 and sold for scrap.

For service performed in World War II, the Osmond Ingram was awarded 6 battle stars. She also received the Presidential Unit Citation.

Asbestos in Navy Ships

Although an essential component of the naval fleet, especially during World War II, naval destroyers also pose a lasting health risk to soldiers serving on them. Unfortunately, products containing asbestos were common, especially on older ships, because of the material’s high resistance to heat and fire. Despite its value as an insulator, asbestos fiber intake can lead to several serious health consequences, including mesothelioma, a devastating cancer without cure. Current and former military personnel who came into contact with these ships should seek immediate medical attention in order to detect possible health consequences associated with asbestos exposure.