The USS Allen (DD-66) was a Sampson-class destroyer constructed for the United States Navy, launched in 1916 and commissioned in January 1917. Measuring approximately 315 feet 3 inches in overall length and with a beam of 30 feet 6 inches, she displaced 920 long tons at standard load and up to 1,330 long tons at full load. Her propulsion system comprised four Normand three-drum water tube boilers feeding two Parsons steam turbines rated at 17,500 shaft horsepower, enabling her to reach a maximum sea trial speed of approximately 30.3 knots. Her armament initially included four 4-inch (102 mm) guns, two 1-pounder autocannons for anti-aircraft defense, and four triple torpedo tube mounts for 21-inch torpedoes. By 1930, her anti-aircraft armament was upgraded with a single 3-inch gun, and during World War II, she was rearmed further with two triple torpedo mounts removed to install depth charge projectors and six Oerlikon 20 mm cannons, reflecting her shift to escort and anti-submarine roles. Constructed at Bath Iron Works in Maine, Allen was funded at a cost of approximately $816,185.43 for her hull and machinery. Her early service saw patrol and escort duties along the U.S. East Coast and in the West Indies, especially after the U.S. entered World War I. Notably, she participated in convoy escort missions across the Atlantic, guiding troop transports and merchant ships, and was present during the escort of the George Washington into Brest with President Woodrow Wilson aboard in December 1918. Following World War I, Allen was decommissioned in 1922 but was reactivated in 1925 and again in 1940, serving in the Atlantic and later in the Pacific. During World War II, she was stationed in Hawaii, where she was moored during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. During the attack, she reportedly assisted in downing three enemy planes. Throughout the war, Allen performed escort duties, patrolled for submarines, and supported operations around Midway. Remarkably, USS Allen served continuously from her commissioning in 1917 through the end of World War II, making her the longest-serving destroyer on the U.S. Navy’s Naval Vessel Register until her decommissioning and sale for scrapping in 1946. Her extensive service history underscores her maritime significance as a resilient and versatile vessel spanning both World Wars.

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