The USS Trippe (DD-33) was a Paulding-class destroyer built in the early 20th century for the United States Navy. Laid down on 12 April 1910 at Bath, Maine, by Bath Iron Works, she was launched on 20 December 1910 and commissioned on 23 March 1911 with Lieutenant Frank D. Berrien in command. Constructed as part of the Paulding class, she measured typical specifications for her class, with a length of approximately 294 feet and a displacement of around 1,020 tons, designed for speed and maneuverability essential for fleet screening and patrol duties. Initially, Trippe operated along the U.S. East Coast, participating in routine exercises, fleet maneuvers, and training cruises, including deployments to the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. Her early service included involvement in operations off Newport, Boston, and Norfolk, and she played a role in patrolling during the Tampico Affair in April 1914, supporting American interests in Veracruz. After an overhaul in late 1914, she continued training and operational duties on the U.S. coast, with periodic deployments to the Caribbean. With the advent of World War I, Trippe was fully commissioned again in July 1916 and was soon deployed overseas following the U.S. entry into the war in April 1917. She was based at Queenstown, Ireland, serving as an escort for Allied convoys and patrolling the war zone around the British Isles. Her notable combat engagement occurred on 18 September 1917, when she and USS Jacob Jones engaged a German U-boat, although without sinking it. She also was involved in a friendly fire incident in February 1918, mistakenly firing upon the British submarine HMS L2, but no serious damage resulted. After the war, Trippe returned to the U.S., decommissioned in 1919, and was later transferred to the Coast Guard in 1924 as USCGC Trippe (CG-20). During her Coast Guard service, she operated primarily along the northeastern U.S. coast as part of the “Rum Patrol,” enforcing Prohibition-era liquor laws until her decommissioning in 1931. Ultimately, she was struck from the naval register in 1934 and sold for scrapping. The USS Trippe played a significant role during World War I and exemplified the early 20th-century destroyer design and versatility, serving both military and law enforcement roles across her career.

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