USS Nicholson (DD-52)

Nicholson during trials in 1915
History
United States
Name	Nicholson
Namesake	Nicholson family: James Nicholson Samuel Nicholson John Nicholson William Nicholson James W. Nicholson.
Ordered	March 1913[4]
Builder	William Cramp & Sons, Philadelphia[1]
Cost	$853,845.93 (hull and machinery)[2]
Yard number	405[3]
Laid down	8 September 1913[5]
Launched	19 August 1914[1]
Sponsored by	Mrs. Charles T. Taylor[1]
Commissioned	30 April 1915[5]
Decommissioned	26 May 1922[1]
Stricken	7 January 1936[5]
Identification	Hull symbol:DD-52 Code letters:NIU
Fate	Sold 30 June 1936, scrapped[1]
General characteristics
Class and type	O'Brien-class destroyer
Displacement	1,050 long tons (1,070 t)[5] 1,171 long tons (1,190 t) fully loaded[1]
Length	305 ft 3 in (93.04 m)[5]
Beam	31 ft 1 in (9.47 m)[5]
Draft	9 ft 6 in (2.90 m) (mean)[6] 10 ft 7 in (3.23 m) max[5]
Installed power	4 × White-Forster boilers 17,000 shp (13,000 kW)
Propulsion	2 × Zoelly direct-drive steam turbines 2 × screw propellers[4]
Speed	29 kn (33 mph; 54 km/h)[1] 29.08 kn (33.46 mph; 53.86 km/h) (Speed on Trial)[6]
Complement	5 officers 96 enlisted[7]
Armament	4 × 4 in (100 mm)/50 caliber guns 8 × 21 inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes (4 × 2)

USS Nicholson (Destroyer No. 52/DD-52) was an O'Brien-class destroyer built for the United States Navy before the American entry into World War I. The ship was the second U.S. Navy vessel named in honor of five members of the Nicholson family who rendered distinguished service in the American Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the American Civil War: brothers James, Samuel, and John Nicholson; William Nicholson, son of John; and James W. Nicholson, grandson of Samuel.

Nicholson was laid down by William Cramp & Sons of Philadelphia in September 1913 and launched in August 1914. The ship was a little more than 305 ft (93 m) in length, just over 31 feet (9.4 m) abeam, and had a standard displacement of 1,050 long tons (1,070 t). She was armed with four 4 in (100 mm) guns and had eight 21 inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes. Nicholson was powered by a pair of steam turbines that propelled her at up to 29 kn (33 mph; 54 km/h).

After her April 1915 commissioning, Nicholson sailed off the east coast and in the Caribbean. After the United States entered World War I in April 1917, Nicholson was sent overseas to patrol the Irish Sea out of Queenstown, Ireland. In October 1917, Nicholson steamed to the rescue of J. L. Luckenbach, driving off German submarine U-62, which had shelled the American cargo ship for over three hours. In November, Nicholson and another US destroyer, Fanning, were responsible for sinking German submarine U-58, the first submarine taken by US forces during the war. In September 1918, Nicholson helped drive off U-82 after that U-boat had torpedoed the American troopship Mount Vernon off the coast of France.

Upon returning to the United States after the war, Nicholson was placed in reduced commission in November 1919. She was decommissioned at Philadelphia in May 1922. She was struck from the Naval Vessel Register in January 1936 and sold for scrapping in June.