The USS Bell (DD-95) was a Wickes-class destroyer constructed for the United States Navy during World War I. Launched on April 20, 1918, by Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation at the Fore River Shipyard in Quincy, Massachusetts, she was sponsored by Mrs. Josephus Daniels, wife of the Secretary of the Navy. She was officially commissioned on July 31, 1918. The Wickes class represented an improved and faster iteration of earlier destroyers, with a standard displacement of approximately 1,202 to 1,208 long tons and a deep load displacement of about 1,295 to 1,322 long tons. She measured 314 feet 4 inches in length, with a beam of 30 feet 11 inches and a draught of 9 feet 10 inches. The crew complement consisted of 6 officers and 108 enlisted men. Powered by two steam turbines driving twin propellers, with steam supplied by four water-tube boilers, the USS Bell was designed to reach speeds of up to 35 knots, with a total shaft horsepower of 27,000. She carried approximately 225 long tons of fuel oil, enabling a range of 2,500 nautical miles at 20 knots. Her armament included four single 4-inch guns, two 1-pounder anti-aircraft guns (often replaced by 3-inch AA guns due to shortages), and a formidable torpedo battery of twelve 21-inch torpedo tubes arranged in four triple mounts. Additionally, she was equipped with depth charge rails and a Y-gun depth charge thrower for anti-submarine warfare. During her service, USS Bell participated in convoy duties across the North Atlantic from August to November 1918, and notably escorted President Woodrow Wilson aboard the USS George Washington from New York to Brest, France, in December 1918. Her service with the Atlantic Fleet continued until she was placed in reserve in June 1920. She was decommissioned at Portsmouth Navy Yard on June 21, 1922. The vessel remained out of commission until 1936, when she was declared excess under the terms of the London Naval Treaty and reduced to a hulk before being sold. The USS Bell’s operational history reflects her role in World War I naval operations and early 20th-century naval diplomacy.

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