USS Thornton, a 1190-ton Clemson class destroyer was built at Squantum, Massachusetts, as part of the World War I warship building program. Commissioned in mid-July 1919, nine months after the "Great War" fighting ended, she served off western Europe and in the Mediterranean Sea from September 1919 until February 1920. Thornton went to the Pacific in the spring of 1920 and was designated DD-270 in July of that year, when the Navy implemented its hull number system. In May 1922, following two years' duty along the West Coast, Thornton was decommissioned and laid up at San Diego, California.
Following eighteen years of inactivity, in June 1940 Thornton was taken to San Francisco, California, for conversion to a seaplane tender. Redesignated AVD-11, she recommissioned in March 1941 and a month later steamed to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The ship served in Hawaiian waters and elsewhere in the east-central Pacific until August 1942. She saw action during the 7 December 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and served in a supporting role during the Battle of Midway six months later. Thornton operated in the north Pacific from late August into October 1942, then went to the south Pacific for service during the later phases of the bitter fight for Guadalcanal and the subsequent drive up the Solomon Islands.
Thornton returned to the U.S. West Coast in February 1944, serving in that area for most of the rest of the year. In December she began a trip back to the war zone, which had by then moved into the western Pacific. On 5 April 1945, while operating at sea in support of the Okinawa campaign, she collided with the oilers Ashtabula (AO-51) and Escalante (AO-70). Badly damaged amidships, Thornton was towed into the Kerama Retto anchorage, decommissioned and abandoned.
USS Thornton was named in honor of James S. Thornton (1826-1875), who performed distinguished service during the Civil War.
This page features all the views we have concerning USS Thornton (Destroyer # 270, later DD-270 and AVD-11).
If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions." |
Click on the small photograph to prompt a larger view of the same image.
Photo #: NH 70864 USS Thornton (Destroyer # 270) Close to shore, circa 1919-1920. Courtesy of Donald M. McPherson, 1970. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Online Image: 80KB; 740 x 525 pixels |
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Photo #: NH 77470 USS Thornton (AVD-11) Photographed in port, circa 1944. Her camouflage is Design 21D of the Measure 31-32-33 series, with the lighter color indicating that the Measure is 32 if the darker color is dull black, or 33 if it is Navy Blue. Courtesy of the U.S. Naval Institute Collection, Annapolis, Maryland. James C. Fahy Collection. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Online Image: 80KB; 740 x 610 pixels |
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Photo #: NH 77471 USS Thornton (AVD-11) Plan view, looking forward from aft, taken at Hunters Point, San Francisco, California, on 14 April 1944. White outlines mark recent alterations to the ship. Courtesy of the U.S. Naval Institute Collection, Annapolis, Maryland. James C. Fahy Collection. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Online Image: 91KB; 450 x 765 pixels |
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Photo #: NH 69516 Destroyer Division THIRTY-ONE Moored together off San Diego, California, circa 1922. Photographed by the Pier Studio, San Diego. These ships are (from left to right): USS Bailey (DD-269); USS Thornton (DD-270); USS Tingey (DD-272); USS Morris (DD-271); USS Swasey (DD-273) and USS Meade (DD-274). Courtesy of ESKC Joseph L. Aguillard, USNR, 1969. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Online Image: 108KB; 740 x 605 pixels |
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Photo #: NH 42539 "Red Lead Row", San Diego Destroyer Base, California Photographed at the end of 1922, with at least 65 destroyers tied up there. Many of the ships present are identified in Photo # NH 42539 (complete caption). U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Online Image: 159KB; 740 x 515 pixels |
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Photo #: 80-G-328469 USS Thornton (AVD-11) In Kerama Retto harbor, Ryukyus, circa mid-April 1945, with a fleet tug (ATF) alongside. Thornton had been heavily damaged on 5 April 1945 in a collision with USS Ashtabula (AO-51) and USS Escalante (AO-70). Note the deep vertical gash in her starboard side, amidships. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Online Image: 52KB; 740 x 610 pixels Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system. |
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Photo #: 80-G-328478 USS Thornton (AVD-11), at left Is towed into Kerama Retto harbor, Ryukyu Islands, by a fleet tug (ATF), circa 14 April 1945. Thornton had been heavily damaged on 5 April 1945 in a collision with USS Ashtabula (AO-51) and USS Escalante (AO-70). Note the deep vertical gash in her starboard side, amidships. LCT-1409 is passing by in the foreground. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Online Image: 49KB; 740 x 615 pixels Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system. |
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Photo #: NH 103822 USS Thornton (AVD-11) Close up view of the ship's starboard side, amidships, showing damage received in a 5 April 1945 collision with USS Ashtabula (AO-51) and USS Escalante (AO-70). Photograph was taken in the Kerama Retto, Ryukyu Islands and is dated 9 April 1945. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center. Online Image: 81KB; 590 x 675 pixels |
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Photo #: NH 103823 USS Thornton (AVD-11) Close up view of the ship's starboard side, amidships, showing damage received in a 5 April 1945 collision with USS Ashtabula (AO-51) and USS Escalante (AO-70). Photograph was taken in the Kerama Retto, Ryukyu Islands and is dated 9 April 1945. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center. Online Image: 81KB; 740 x 510 pixels |
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Photo #: NH 43158 Victory Destroyer Plant, Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation, Squantum, Massachusetts Interior of the wet slips, photographed by Monks & Johnson, Boston, Massachusetts, between 27 April and 3 May 1919. The destroyer fitting out in the foreground is Thornton (Destroyer # 270, builder's # 350). U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Online Image: 118KB; 740 x 610 pixels |
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Photo #: NH 43155 Victory Destroyer Plant, Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation, Squantum, Massachusetts Interior of the wet slips, photographed by Monks & Johnson, Boston, Massachusetts, between 27 April and 3 May 1919. The destroyer fitting out nearest to the camera is Thornton (Destroyer # 270, builder's # 350). Next beyond her is Bailey (Destroyer # 269, builder's # 349). U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Online Image: 141KB; 740 x 610 pixels |
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Photo #: NH 43156 Victory Destroyer Plant, Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation, Squantum, Massachusetts Interior of the wet slips, photographed by Monks & Johnson, Boston, Massachusetts, between 27 April and 3 May 1919. The destroyer fitting out at right is probably Thornton (Destroyer # 270, builder's # 350). Note the fire barrel at left, in front of the nearest pillar. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Online Image: 103KB; 740 x 610 pixels |
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The following chart shows USS Thornton pierside at the Pearl Harbor Submarine Base, in the image's lower right-center:
If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions." |
Page made 21 September 2006