LAWRENCE DD 250

Ship Name and Designation History

This section lists the names and designations that the ship had during its lifetime. The list is in chronological order.

Clemson Class Destroyer Keel Laid 14 August 1919 - Launched 10 July 1920 USS LAWRENCE DD-250 Commissioned 18 April 1921 - Decommissioned 6 January 1931 Recommissioned 13 June 1932 - Decommissioned 13 September 1938 Recommissioned 26 September 1939 - Decommissioned 24 October 1945 Struck from Naval Register 13 August 1945 Sold 1 October 1946 to Boston Metals, Baltimore for scrap

Captain James Lawrence, USN

 

Naval Covers

This section lists active links to the pages displaying covers associated with the ship. There should be a separate set of pages for each incarnation of the ship (ie, for each entry in the "Ship Name and Designation History" section). Covers should be presented in chronological order (or as best as can be determined).

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1. USS Lawrence DD-250 Covers Page 1    (1929-1943)

 

Postmarks

This section lists examples of the postmarks used by the ship. There should be a separate set of postmarks for each incarnation of the ship (ie, for each entry in the "Ship Name and Designation History" section). Within each set, the postmarks should be listed in order of their classification type. If more than one postmark has the same classification, then they should be further sorted by date of earliest known usage.

A postmark should not be included unless accompanied by a close-up image and/or an image of a cover showing that postmark. Date ranges MUST be based ONLY ON COVERS IN THE MUSEUM and are expected to change as more covers are added.
 
>>> If you have a better example for any of the postmarks, please feel free to replace the existing example.

 

Postmark Type --- Killer Bar Text	Postmark Date	Thumbnail Link To Postmark Image	Thumbnail Link To Cover Image

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1st Commissioning 18 April 1921 to 6 January 1931

 

Locy Type 3

1929-05-22

Note:

 

Locy Type 9

1929-06-21

Sailors mail

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2nd Commissioning 13 June 1932 to 13 September 1938

 

Locy Type FDR 5hks "NAVY YARD / PHILA PA"

1932-06-13

First Day of Commissioning
"FDC covers actually postmarked on June 13, 1932 all have "RECOM./TODAY" in the killers. Later the mail clerk backdated some covers but used "NAVY YARD/PHILA. PA" in the killers." USCS Postmark Catalog.

 

Locy Type 3 (B-BTT) "TRENTON NJ / LABOR DAY"

1934-09-03

Port Visit on Labor Day
CDR. John Barry Chapter No. 19, USCS

 

Locy Type 5hks

1938-02-20

Note:

 

Locy Type LDC 5hks "LAST DAY / COMMISSION"

1938-09-13

Last Day of Commissioning. Cachet by USS San Diego Chapter No. 27, USCS
Different configuration in the dial - Month/Day/Year/PM

 

Locy Type LDC 5hks "LAST DAY / COMMISSION"

1938-09-13

Last Day of Commissioning. Different configuration in the dial - Month/Day/PM/Year

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3rd Commissioning 26 September 1939 to 24 October 1945

 

Locy Type FDPS 3 (A-BBT) "BALBOA / CANAL ZONE"

1939-11-24

First Day of Postal Service, cachet by Dr. S. E. Hutnick

 

Locy Type 3 (A-BBT) "ARUBA / NWI"

1940-01-27

Note:

 

Locy Type 3 (A-BBB)

1941-03-25

Note:

 

Locy Type 3z

1942-08-04

Add-on cachet by Michael Brock

 

Locy Type FAKE USCS Postmark Catalog Illus. CD-3

1941-07-10

Hobby Shop fake cancel

 

Other Information

NAMESAKE - Captain James Lawrence, USN (1 October 1781 – 4 June 1813)
        James Lawrence was born in Burlington, New Jersey, on 1 October 1781. Though educated in the field of law, he joined the infant United States Navy in September 1798 as a Midshipman and served in the ship USS Ganges and frigate USS Adams during the undeclared war with France. Commissioned in the rank of Lieutenant in 1802, he served in the schooner USS Enterprise during the War with Tripoli, taking part in a successful attack that burned enemy craft ashore on 2 June 1803. In February 1804 he was second in command of ketch USS Intrepid during the daring expedition to destroy the captured frigate USS Philadelphia in Tripoli harbor. Later in the conflict he commanded USS Enterprise and a gunboat in battles with the Tripolitans. He was also First Lieutenant of the frigate USS John Adams and, in 1805, commanded the small Gunboat Number 6 during a voyage across the Atlantic to Italy.
        Subsequently, Lieutenant Lawrence commanded the warships USS Vixen, USS Wasp and USS Argus. In 1810 he also took part in trials of an experimental spar-torpedo. Promoted to the rank of Master Commandant in November 1810, he took command of the sloop of war USS Hornet a year later and sailed her to Europe on a diplomatic mission. From the beginning of the War of 1812, Lawrence and USS Hornet cruised actively, capturing the privateer Dolphin on 9 July 1812. Later in the year USS Hornet blockaded the British sloop HMS Bonne Citoyenne at Bahia, Brazil, and on 24 February 1813 captured HMS Peacock.
         Upon his return to the United States in March, Lawrence learned of his promotion to Captain. Two months later he took command of the frigate USS Chesapeake, then preparing for sea at Boston, MA. She left port on 1 June 1813 and immediately engaged the Royal Navy frigate HMS Shannon in a fierce battle. Captain Lawrence, mortally wounded by small arms fire, ordered "Don't give up the ship" as he was carried below. However, his crew was overwhelmed by British boarders shortly afterwards. James Lawrence died of his wounds on 4 June, while USS Chesapeake was being taken to Halifax, Nova Scotia, by her captors. His body was later repatriated to New York for burial.

The ships sponsor was Miss Ruth Lawrence.

Five US Naval ships have borne the name LAWRENCE in his honor - USS Lawrence (1813 Brig), USS Lawrence (1843 Brig), USS Lawrence DD-8, USS Lawrence DD-250
and USS Lawrence DDG-4.

 

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