The USS Woolsey (DD-77) was a Wickes-class destroyer constructed for the United States Navy during World War I. Laid down on November 1, 1917, at Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine, she was launched on September 17, 1918, with Mrs. Elise Campau Wells serving as her sponsor. The ship was commissioned shortly thereafter on September 30, 1918, under the command of Lieutenant Commander Frederick V. McNair, Jr. Constructed for speed and agility, Woolsey participated in early transatlantic convoy operations, departing New York on October 13, 1918, as part of Convoy HX 52, en route to Europe. She arrived in Buncrana, Ireland, on October 23, and after fueling at Ponta Delgada in the Azores, she returned to New York by early November, shortly before the end of hostilities in World War I. Post-armistice, Woolsey was assigned to European duties, mainly operating between Brest, France, and southern England, including ports such as Plymouth and Southampton. She played a notable role in escorting the USS George Washington, carrying President Woodrow Wilson, into Brest on March 11, 1919, and later escorted Wilson back to the United States following the Versailles peace conference. In mid-1919, Woolsey transitioned to the Pacific Fleet, arriving at Panama on July 24, 1919, and transiting the Panama Canal to participate in maneuvers near the Hawaiian Islands. After these operations, she returned to San Diego. She was decommissioned at Mare Island Navy Yard on May 31, 1920, likely for overhaul, but was recommissioned on October 20 of the same year. She then operated along the U.S. West Coast and near Panama. Tragically, Woolsey's service ended on February 26, 1921, when she was involved in a collision with the merchant ship SS Steel Inventor off the coast of Panama, resulting in her being cut in half and sinking. Only one body was recovered, with 100 survivors and 17 injuries, rescued by her sister ship, USS Aaron Ward. The USS Woolsey remains a significant example of early 20th-century destroyer design and service during a transformative period in naval history.

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