The USS Thompson (DD-305) was a Clemson-class destroyer constructed for the United States Navy, embodying the typical design features of early 20th-century fleet destroyers. Her keel was laid down on September 25, 1918, by the Bethlehem Steel Corporation in San Francisco. The vessel was launched on January 15, 1919, and commissioned at Mare Island Naval Shipyard on August 16, 1920. Thompson measured approximately 314 feet in length, with a beam of around 31 feet, and a draft of about 10 feet. She displaced roughly 1,200 tons standard and up to 1,308 tons at full load. Powered by geared turbines driving twin propellers, she was capable of reaching speeds up to 35 knots, making her a swift asset in fleet operations. Her armament typically included four 4-inch guns, torpedo tubes, and other anti-aircraft weapons, consistent with Clemson-class specifications. Her early service involved shakedown training off California and fleet operations with the Battle Fleet, including maneuvers off Panama and the Chilean coast. Notably, in 1926, Thompson participated in fleet problems in Hawaiian waters and undertook a goodwill cruise to Australia and New Zealand, visiting ports such as Melbourne, Dunedin, and Wellington before returning to San Diego. Thompson remained active along the U.S. West Coast, conducting exercises and maneuvers into the late 1920s. Under the 1930 London Naval Treaty, her service was terminated; she was decommissioned on April 4, 1930, struck from the Naval Vessel Register on June 22, and subsequently sold for scrap on June 10. During the 1930s, she served as a floating restaurant in San Francisco Bay. In 1944, the Navy reacquired her, partly sank her in San Francisco Bay, and used her as a target for bombing practice with dummy bombs. Portions of the wreck still remain above water today, known locally as the "South Bay Wreck," serving as a navigational reference point in the area.

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