USS Chestnut Hill, a 10,150-ton (displacement) fuel tanker, was launched in 1917 at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as the commercial tanker Desdemona. She was acquired by the Navy and placed in commission in mid-March 1918. During the rest of World War I, the ship was mainly employed to escort and refuel gasoline-engined submarine chasers (SC) on voyages from the United States to the Azores, making two such trips during March-June and a third in September and October. Over the summer of 1918 and in the late fall Chestnut Hill was also used to transport fuel along the U.S. East Coast and between Texas and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. In late 1918 and early 1919 she had another SC escort job, this time shepherding her small charges from the Azores to the Caribbean, then carried fuel to Gibraltar. She completed her active Navy career with a fifth submarine chaser escort voyage, from Europe to New York, in July and August. USS Chestnut Hill was decommissioned in early September 1919 and returned to the U.S. Shipping Board.
This page features all the views we have concerning USS Chestnut Hill (ID # 2526).
Related Subjects: For images concerning a USS Chestnut
Hill crewman who was awarded the Medal of Honor for "gallant
conduct and extraordinary heroism" when USS SC-219
burned and sank on 9 October 1919, see:
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.
Additional view: Photo # NH 99633, a view of the sinking of USS SC-219 was taken while USS Chestnut Hill was present, though not visible in this photograph.
Related image: Photo # NH 65096 is a view of USS John M. Connelly (ID #2703), USS Chestnut Hill's sister ship.
Related Subjects: For images concerning a USS Chestnut
Hill crewman who was awarded the Medal of Honor for "gallant
conduct and extraordinary heroism" when USS SC-219
burned and sank on 9 October 1919, see:
If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions." |
Page made 24 October 2004
New images added 5 December 2007