The USS Belknap (DD-251/AVD-8/DD-251/APD-34) was a Clemson-class destroyer commissioned by the United States Navy shortly after World War I. Launched on January 14, 1919, by Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation and sponsored by Miss Frances Georgiana Belknap, the vessel was named in honor of Rear Admiral George Belknap. After her commissioning on April 28, 1919, she conducted her shakedown cruise and subsequently joined U.S. naval forces in the eastern Mediterranean. Following several months of service, she returned to the United States and operated with Division 28 of the Atlantic Fleet until she was placed in reserve at Charleston Navy Yard in 1920. She was decommissioned on June 28, 1922, at Philadelphia Navy Yard and remained inactive until 1940. In 1940, Belknap was converted into a seaplane tender (reclassified AVD-8 on August 2, 1940) and recommissioned on November 22, 1940. She was assigned to Patrol Wing 5 at Bermuda’s Hamilton and later returned to Newport, Rhode Island. During 1941, she undertook three voyages to Newfoundland and Iceland, staying in Reykjavík from September 1941 to May 1942. After an overhaul at Charleston Navy Yard, she patrolled the Caribbean from August 1942 to January 1943 and then served with escort carrier groups in the Atlantic from February 1943 to January 1944. Her distinguished service with Task Group 21.12 earned her the Presidential Unit Citation. Reclassified as DD-251 in November 1943, she was later converted into a high-speed transport (reclassified APD-34) in June 1944. Arriving in the Pacific Theater in September 1944, Belknap participated in key operations including the Leyte invasion (October 1944) and the Lingayen Gulf landings (January 1945). During the latter, she was struck by a kamikaze on January 11, 1945, which caused severe damage, killed 38 crew members, wounded 49, and resulted in the loss of UDT 9 personnel onboard. She was forced to remain at Lingayen for emergency repairs before being towed to Manus and eventually returning to Philadelphia for permanent repairs. Decommissioned on August 4, 1945, and sold for scrap on November 30, 1945, the USS Belknap earned three battle stars for her World War II service and was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for her exceptional efforts in anti-submarine warfare and convoy escort duties. Her service reflects the versatility and resilience of Clemson-class destroyers during the tumult of World War II.

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