The USS Roper (DD-147) was a Wickes-class destroyer constructed for the United States Navy, later converted into a high-speed transport designated APD-20. Laid down on 19 March 1918 by William Cramp & Sons in Philadelphia, she was launched on 17 August 1918 and commissioned on 15 February 1919. Named after Lieutenant Commander Jesse M. Roper, who died in 1901 during a rescue attempt, the ship holds the distinction of being the first U.S. warship to sink a German submarine during World War II. Constructed with the typical features of a Wickes-class destroyer, Roper supported various operations from her commissioning through her service life. After initial shakedown off New England, she operated in the Black Sea supporting Peace Commission efforts, carrying mail and passengers to ports such as Constantinople, Novorossisk, Batum, Samsun, and Trebizond. She then deployed to the Pacific, operating out of the Philippines and Chinese waters into 1922, before returning to the U.S. and being decommissioned in December 1922. Recommissioned in 1930, Roper resumed Pacific operations, including fleet problems and maneuvers in the Caribbean, Hawaii, and Alaskan waters. With the outbreak of World War II, Roper transitioned to Atlantic patrols and convoy escort duties along the East Coast and the Caribbean. Notably, she rescued survivors from the SS City of New York and participated in sinking the German U-boat U-85 on 13 April 1942, marking the first U.S. naval victory over a German submarine in WWII. Her actions earned her crew the Navy Cross and several other commendations. In late 1943, Roper was reclassified as APD-20 and underwent conversion to a high-speed transport. She supported Allied operations in the Mediterranean, landing troops in Italy and Southern France, and later transferred to the Pacific Theater. In May 1945, while off Okinawa, she was struck by a kamikaze attack, which led to her return to the U.S. for repairs. She was decommissioned on 15 September 1945, struck from the Naval Register shortly afterward, and sold for scrap in 1946. Her legacy includes being one of the few U.S. ships to receive battle stars across all three WWII theaters, underscoring her maritime significance.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.