Matrix Games Forums

Looking for alternate US destroyer names, here are some I have used in my own games. DDs are generally named for naval heroes although a few have been named for other great Americans, the USS Edison being named for Thomas Edison for example.

Tecumseh: Native American chief, there are been previous US Navy ships using this name including a Civil War monitor as well as a tradition at the Naval Academy honoring him. Most recently there was an SSBN using this name. During WW2 it was used by a tugboat but that's not in WITPAE and can be ignored and used for a destroyer.

Ethan Allen: Revolutionary war hero, another name used for an SSBN in the 1960s but no ship by that name served in WW2 as far as I can tell.

Kamehameha: Hawaiian national hero, another name used for an SSBN in the 60s.

Lafayette: Revolutionary war hero from France of course, another SBBN name (sense a pattern?), good for propaganda value during WW2 in relation to US/France relations. There was a transport using this name in WW2 but it was destroyed by fire while at anchor.

Paul Revere:: An obvious one, American hero good for propaganda value but no ship by this name served in WW2.

Henry Clay: 19th century US Senator, no ship by this name served in WW2.

Dorie Miller: Navy Cross winner at Pearl Harbor, did not get a namesake ship until the 70s I believe, killed in action in 1944, would earn a name after that time.

Crispus Attucks : First American killed in the Boston Massacre. Another revolutionary heroic name for propaganda purposes.

I usually name my nameable DDs after old girlfriends.

And Jan Smithers. [8D]

ORIGINAL: FDRLincoln

Looking for alternate US destroyer names, here are some I have used in my own games. DDs are generally named for naval heroes although a few have been named for other great Americans, the USS Edison being named for Thomas Edison for example.

My suggestion would be to name them after World War 1 Navy/Marine Corps Medal of Honor recipients. Quickly going over the list I find the following individuals who would "qualify." By that I mean, they did not serve in WW2 (which a number actually did and are excluded from this list) or did not have ships named after them (which a few did and are also excluded). A few of these were awarded the MOH posthumously and would be particularly good candidates. On to the list:

Tedford H. Cann
Jesse W. Covington
Ora Graves
David E. Hayden
Edouard V.M. Izac
Ernest A. Janson (awarded posthumously)
John J. Kelly
Matej Kocak (awarded posthumously)
John MacKenzie
James J. Madison
Patrick McGunigal
Francis E. Ormsbee, Jr.
Weedon E. Osborne (awarded posthumously)
Orlando H. Petty
Robert G. Robinson
Oscar Schmidt, Jr.
John O. Siegel
Daniel A.J. Sullivan
Frank M. Upton

HTH, Rick

George Rogers Clark...Friend of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, he led an army of Rangers thru ice water to capture Fort Vincennes from the British,(twice), securing the Old Northwest Territory for the Continental Congress.
At the end of the Revolutionary war, Congress was broke, but Clarks' Land Grant allowed Congress to offer veterans land west of the Appalations.

ORIGINAL: FDRLincoln
Looking for alternate US destroyer names,
<snip>.

DDs, back in those days, were named for naval heroes and (sigh..) certain politicians that contributed to the early Navy. There’s a group of real naval heroes that have been overslaughed because of their association with Benedict Arnold. I’m talking about the men of Valcour Island.

They knew they would lose, and probably die. But all they had to do was delay Carleton for a season; and that they did. Time, time, ask me for anything except time – Napoleon. Without Valcour Island, there would have been no Saratoga. These men deserve the honor of their countrymen.

David Hawley – Royal Savage, Schooner
Mathias Primer – Liberty, Schooner
Isaac Seaman – Revenge, schooner
Reuben Dickenson – Enterprise, Sloop
Robert Davis – Lee, Cutter
Seth Warner – Trumbull, Galley
John Thatcher – Washington, Galley
James Arnold – Congress, Galley
John Reed – New York, Gundalow
Moses Grimes – Jersey, Gundalow
Isiah Simmons - Providence, Gundalow
Joshua Grant – Connecticut, Gundalow
Samuel Mansfield – New Haven, Gundalow
Job Sumner – Boston, Gundalow
Benjamin Rue – Philadelphia, Gundalow
Philip Ulmer – Spitfire, Gundalow

ORIGINAL: Symon

ORIGINAL: FDRLincoln
Looking for alternate US destroyer names,
<snip>.

DDs, back in those days, were named for naval heroes and (sigh..) certain politicians that contributed to the early Navy. There’s a group of real naval heroes that have been overslaughed because of their association with Benedict Arnold. I’m talking about the men of Valcour Island.

They knew they would lose, and probably die. But all they had to do was delay Carleton for a season; and that they did. Time, time, ask me for anything except time – Napoleon. Without Valcour Island, there would have been no Saratoga. These men deserve the honor of their countrymen.

David Hawley – Royal Savage, Schooner
Mathias Primer – Liberty, Schooner
Isaac Seaman – Revenge, schooner
Reuben Dickenson – Enterprise, Sloop
Robert Davis – Lee, Cutter
Seth Warner – Trumbull, Galley
John Thatcher – Washington, Galley
James Arnold – Congress, Galley
John Reed – New York, Gundalow
Moses Grimes – Jersey, Gundalow
Isiah Simmons - Providence, Gundalow
Joshua Grant – Connecticut, Gundalow
Samuel Mansfield – New Haven, Gundalow
Job Sumner – Boston, Gundalow
Benjamin Rue – Philadelphia, Gundalow
Philip Ulmer – Spitfire, Gundalow

Speaking of a "can of worms"...Benedict Arnold was a great military asset prior to his defection.
Arnold was very brave in the face of enemy fire, wounded several times, but he was continually passed over for promotions by the political generals in Philly.
Washington was a personal friend and was also one of those continually hamstrung by the same political generals who fought their wars as REMF's, (from the comfort of rear area pubs)..

ORIGINAL: m10bob
Speaking of a "can of worms"...Benedict Arnold was a great military asset prior to his defection.

I'm one of those people who believe Arnold was more afraid of French influence than British, and acted accordingly. Notwithstanding the revulsion at his name, he was indeed a great man, a superior soldier, and to be bold, a great patriot. He just missed the boat. As you can imagine, I like Benedict Arnold. Given the milieu, I can imagine why he did what he did, and understand it. But, he's a PC asshole, for those idiots without a clue about 18th century american thought. But no reason to scar the men who followed him and, to quote David Hawley, would ".. follow him into the mouth of hell itself, though I know I perish .."

A man who can get that sort of respect is not your usual media-driven, weasel-shit, traitor. Let's let Arnold lay, but honor those who served with him and wrote a chapter in the history of American men afloat who did what they must at the expense of their lives.

I am going to add them, thanks for the history lesson.