USS Young
Destroyer · United States · Lost 1923 · Southern California & Catalina
A Clemson-class destroyer that capsized in the surf at Honda Point in 1923, killing twenty of her crew, the heaviest toll of the disaster.
The Vessel and Her Loss
USS Young was among the destroyers that piled onto the rocks at Honda Point on the night of September 8, 1923, following her squadron's flagship in thick fog. She rolled onto her side in the surf before most of her crew could get clear, and twenty sailors died, the highest death toll of any ship in the disaster. Survivors were pulled from the wreckage by crews of nearby stranded destroyers.
Vessel
- 1919
- DD-312
- Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation, Union Iron Works
- San Francisco, California
- Steel
- 314.4 ft
- 31.7 ft
- 1215
- Geared turbines, twin screws
- United States Navy
Loss
- September 8, 1923
- Navigational error
- Honda Point (Point Pedernales), Santa Barbara County, California
- Pacific Ocean
- San Francisco, California → San Diego, California
- Not established
- Not established
- 20
- Not established
The Wreck Today
- Not established
- Capsized and broke up in the surf; wreckage largely destroyed over subsequent years
- Not established
- Not established
- Site lies on active U.S. military property (Vandenberg Space Force Base)
Position
- 34.60° N 120.64° W
- Approximate position
- Honda Point, near Lompoc, California
General position of Honda Point (Point Pedernales) as commonly cited for the disaster site.
Evidence
Overall confidence: Documented (78/100)
Naval History and Heritage Command
Ship specifications, service history, casualty count, and loss circumstances.
