USS Niblack

History
United States
Name	Niblack
Namesake	Albert Parker Niblack
Builder	Bath Iron Works
Laid down	8 August 1938
Launched	18 May 1940
Commissioned	1 August 1940
Decommissioned	June 1946
Stricken	31 July 1968
Fate	Sold 16 August 1973 and broken up for scrap
General characteristics
Class and type	Gleaves-class destroyer
Displacement	1,839 tons standard, 2395 tons full load
Length	348 ft 3 in (106.15 m)
Beam	36 ft 1 in (11.00 m)
Draft	13 ft 2 in (4.01 m)
Propulsion	50,000 shp (37,000 kW) 4 boilers; 2 propellers
Speed	35 knots (65 km/h)
Range	6,500 nmi (12,000 km; 7,500 mi) at 12 kn (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Complement	16 officers, 260 enlisted
Armament	4 × 5 in (127 mm) DP guns, 6 × .50 cal (12.7 mm) guns, 5 × 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes, 6 × K-gun depth charge throwers (3 circled in photo), 2 × depth charge tracks[1]

USS Niblack (DD-424), a Gleaves-class destroyer, is the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for Albert Parker Niblack. Niblack became the Director of Naval Intelligence 1 March 1919, and Naval Attache in London 6 August 1920. As vice admiral, he commanded U.S. Naval Forces in European waters from 15 January 1921 to 17 June 1922.

Niblack was laid down 8 August 1938 by the Bath Iron Works Corp. Bath, Maine; launched 18 May 1940; sponsored by Mrs. Albert P. Niblack, widow of Vice Admiral Niblack; and commissioned 1 August 1940. On 10 April 1941 Niblack dropped depth charges aimed at a German U-boat, the first hostile action between American and German forces during World War II.