AH-WR-0563

USS Sturtevant

Destroyer · United States · Lost 1942 · The Gulf of Mexico

A WWI-era destroyer sunk in 1942 by an American mine off Key West, a tragic case of friendly minefield miscommunication.

Artistic recreation based on recorded historical documents. See the documented evidence.

Documented Likeness. Drawn from surviving builder's plans or clear photographs of this vessel. See the documented evidence.

The Vessel and Her Loss

Commissioned in 1920, the Clemson-class destroyer USS Sturtevant served on convoy escort duty into World War II. On April 26, 1942, she struck a mine in an American-laid defensive minefield off Key West, Florida; her crew had not been informed the field existed. Fifteen of her crew of 130 were lost with the ship.

Vessel

Built: 1920
Registry: DD-240
Builder: New York Shipbuilding Corp
Yard: Camden, New Jersey
Material: Steel
Length: 314 ft
Beam: 31.7 ft
Tonnage: 1215
Propulsion: Geared steam turbines, twin screw
Owners: United States Navy

Loss

Date: April 26, 1942
Cause: Mechanical failure
Location: Off Key West, Florida
Water: Straits of Florida / Gulf of Mexico
Voyage: Not established
Cargo: Not established
Aboard: 130
Lives lost: 15
Master: Lt. Claude Lee Weigle

The Wreck Today

Depth: Not established
Condition: Not established
Orientation: Not established
Discovered: Not established
Protection: War grave

Position

Coordinates: 24.750° N 82.017° W
Accuracy: Surveyed position
Nearest: Key West, Florida
Region: The Gulf of Mexico

NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson multibeam-sonar survey (H12196, 2010) and multiple wreck registries place the mined destroyer roughly 8 miles north of the Marquesas Keys off Key West.

Evidence

Overall confidence: Documented (80/100)

Precise wreck location, depth, and present condition are not established in the sources reviewed.

NavSource Naval History, USS Sturtevant (DD-240)
Build data, dimensions, loss cause, casualties.
Naval History and Heritage Command / HyperWar, USS Sturtevant
Service history and loss date.
Bathymetric Research, USS Sturtevant (DD-240) (citing NOAA survey H12196)
wreck position
Florida Keys Monroe County Wreck and Reef GPS list
wreck position