Career
Ordered:
Laid down:	8 September 1913
Launched:	19 August 1914
Commissioned:	30 April 1915
Decommissioned:	26 May 1922
Fate:	Scraped, 30 June 1936
Struck:	7 January 1936
General Characteristics
Displacement:	1,050 tons
Length:	305 ft 3 in
Beam:	29 ft 10 in
Draught:	9 ft 3 in
Propulsion:
Speed:	29 kts
Complement:	112 officers and enlisted
Armament:	4 4”, 13”, 4 21” tt.

The second USS Nicholson (DD-52) was an O'Brien-class destroyer in the United States Navy. She was named in honor of the Nicholson family, five members of which were prominent in early American naval history: James Nicholson, the senior Continental Navy Captain; Samuel Nicholson, the first captain of USS Constitution; John Nicholson; William Nicholson; and James W. Nicholson.

Nicholson was laid down 8 September 1913 by William Cramp and Sons Shipyard, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; launched 19 August 1914; sponsored by Mrs. Charles T. Taylor; and commissioned 30 April 1915, Lieutenant Commander A. E. Watson in command.

After shakedown in the North Atlantic, Nicholson operated in the Caribbean and along the east coast until the United States entered World War I. Nicholson sailed from New York 15 May 1917, arrived Queenstown, Ireland, 24 May, and began escorting convoys in the Irish Sea. Her aid to SS J. L. Luckenbach after the merchantman had been shelled by a U-boat enabled the damaged ship to rejoin the convoy and enter port safely.

From February to November 1918, Nicholson escorted convoys along the French coast from her base at Brest. She arrived New York 10 January 1919 for east coast operations until going into reserve at Philadelphia 27 November 1919.

From May 1921 to 26 May 1922, Nicholson was reactivated with a reduced complement, then decommissioned at Philadelphia. Struck from the Navy List 7 January 1936, she was sold for scrapping 30 June 1936.

See USS Nicholson for other ships of this name.

External links

• Photo of USS Nicholson