Photos and the story

Pope

Class	Clemson class
Type	Destroyer (DD)
Hull	DD-225
Builder	William Cramp and Sons, Philadelphia
Launched	1920-03-23
Commissioned	1920-10-27
Fate	Sunk. Not sunk at Balikpapan. Sunk 1 March 1942 in the Java Sea. NavSource says gunfire from Japanese warships and aircraft. DANFS says dive-bombers. Other accounts add cruiser gunfire after the crew left. Not credited to one plane or one ship. One man was killed. Twenty-seven died later as prisoners. Struck from the Navy List 8 May 1942.
Armament (class)	Flush-deck four-piper, the same pattern as the Wickes class.
Command	Wray, Henry Theodore Captain, 20 July 1940 to 23 January 1941 Antrim, Richard Nott (Medal of Honor) Officer in charge, 23 January 1941 to 10 February 1941; Not her captain. On 25 January 1942 he signed her Balikpapan report as executive officer. Blinn, Welford Charles Captain from 10 February 1941; In command when she was lost, 1 March 1942. He survived.

Laid down, displacement, length, beam, draft, speed, and complement are not stored for each hull, so this table leaves them out.

The armament line is the class drawing, not a measurement of this hull.

USS Pope (DD-225) was a Clemson-class destroyer of the United States Navy. William Cramp and Sons of Philadelphia laid her down on 9 September 1919, launched her on 23 March 1920, and the ship was commissioned on 27 October 1920.

Henry Theodore Wray was captain from 20 July 1940 to 23 January 1941. Richard Nott Antrim was officer in charge from 23 January 1941 to 10 February 1941. Welford Charles Blinn took command on 10 February 1941 and still held it on 1 March 1942, the day Pope was lost. Blinn survived.

At the Battle of Balikpapan on 24 January 1942, Lieutenant Commander Blinn had the ship. Pope fired twelve torpedoes and remained afloat. The hits entered in her report are not a settled credit. The next day, 25 January 1942, Antrim signed that report as executive officer.

Pope was sunk on 1 March 1942 in the Java Sea. Aircraft and Japanese warships sank her. The loss is not credited to one plane or to one ship.

The accounts of the end do not agree in every detail. One gives gunfire from Japanese warships and from aircraft. Another gives dive-bombers. A further account adds cruiser gunfire after the crew had left.

One man was killed. Twenty-seven men died later as prisoners. The Navy struck Pope from the Navy List on 8 May 1942.

The pictures on this page are the originals.