Abbot DD- 184

Abbot I

(DD–184: dp. 1,306, 1. 314'4 1/2", b. 30'11'A", dr. 9'3 5/8", s.33.2 k.; cpl. 122; a. 4 4", 2 3", 12 21" tt.; el. Wickes)

Abbot (DD–184) was laid down on 5 April 1918 by the Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co., Newport News, Va. Iaunched on 4 July 1918 sponsored by Miss Louise Abbot, great granddaughter of Commodore Abbot, and commissioned on 19 July 1919, Lt. Comdr. W. N. Richardson, Jr., in command.

Based at Norfolk, Va., the destroyer operated along the east coast and in the Gulf of Mexieo and the Caribbean, especially in Cuban waters. The destroyer was placed out of commission at the Philadelphia Navy Yard on 5 July 1922.

After being laid up for almost two decades, Abbot was recommissioned on 17 June 1940 and patrolled alone the east coast until going out of commission onee more at Halifax, in Nova Scotia, on 23 September 1940 to be transferred to England under terms of the agreement by which the United States exchanged 50 overage destroyers for bases on British colonial territory in the Atlantie. Abbot was struck from the Navy list on 3 January 1941.

Renamed Charlestown, the destroyer was assigned to the 17th Destroyer Division and arrived at Belfast, Ireland, on 8 October. She took part in several minelaying operations along the west coast of Seotland. In September 1943 Charlestown was allocated to the Rosyth Escort force to escort convoys along the east coast of Great Britain.

Charlestown was damaged in a collision with steamer Florizel off Harwich, England, in December 1944. Due to her age, it was decided not to repair her, and the destroyer was placed in reserve at Grangemouth, Firth of Forth. Charlestown was decommissioned on 15 January 1945 and was eventually scrapped.