Farenholt DD- 332

Farenholt

Oscar Walter Farenholt, born 2 May 1843 in San Antonio, Tex., entered the Navy as a seaman 24 April 1861, after 3 years in the merchant service. Distinguished service led to his appointment as acting ensign 19 August 1864, and command of the mortar schooner Henry Janes in the sounds of North Carolina later that year. His last of many important billets at sea was in command of Monocacy, who acted as base of procurement at Shanghai for Dewey's fleet in the Spanish-American War. Rear Admiral Farenholt retired 1 September 1901, and died 30 June 1920 at Mare Island, Calif.

(DD-332: dp. 1,190; 1. 314'5", b. 31'8", dr. 9'4"
s. 35 k.; cpl. 95; a. 4 4", 12 21" tt.; cl. Clemson)

Farenholt (DD-332) was launched 9 March 1921 by Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp., San Francisco, Calif.sponsored by Mrs. Richard H. Fairweather, and commissioned 10 May 1921, Commander N. W. Post in command.

Farenholt first arrived at San Diego, her home port, 28 May 1921, and joined the Pacific Fleet in its yearly schedule of exercises and maneuvers along the west coast from the Pacific Northwest to the Canal Zone. Gunnery drills, proving torpedoes, acting as plane guard for seaplane-carrying battleships and cruisers, fleet problems, and practice war maneuvers with the Army kept Farenholt almost constantly at sea, playing a part in the development of naval warfare which was to make possible the great victories of World War II.

In 1924 and 1927, Farenholt passed through the Panama Canal for fleet concentrations in the Caribbean, and during the second cruise, sailed north to visit Norfolk, New York, and Newport before returning to San Diego. Between May and August 1925, the destroyer sailed to the Hawaiian Islands for a fleet problem and joint exercises, then sailed on with the Battle Fleet to visit Pago Pago, Samoa, and ports in Australia and New Zealand, returning to the west coast by way of Honolulu. Ag&in in 1928 she sailed to Pearl Harbor for large scale exercises in Hawaiian waters.

During the summer of 1929, in her last year of service, Farenholt cruised the west coast with Naval Reserve members embarked for training, visiting Victoria, B.C., as well as United States ports. She was decommissioned 20 February 1930, and after scrapping, was sold as a hulk 10 June 1931, in accordance with the terms of the London Treaty limiting naval armament.