USS Stockton

USS Stockton was a Caldwell-class destroyer built in Philadelphia and launched in July 1917. She served in the United States Navy during the First World War, escorting convoys from Ireland and once narrowly avoiding a torpedo fired by a German U-boat. In 1940 the ship was transferred to the Royal Navy under the Destroyers for Bases Agreement and renamed HMS Ludlow. She continued wartime service until 1945 when she was decommissioned and taken to the Firth of Forth. The wreck of HMS Ludlow lies just off Yellowcraigs beach in East Lothian, where it was beached in 1945 and used as a target for Royal Air Force rockets. The first salvo struck below the waterline and sank the destroyer within minutes. Today the remains rest in six metres of water and are visible above the surface at low tide. Visitors to the shore can see the broken-up hull at low water, a reminder of the ship’s final service. The site sits beside a sandy beach popular with walkers and birdwatchers. The Firth of Forth stretches northwards, framed by low hills and the Bass Rock in the distance. The wreck lies close to Fidra and Dirleton, two villages known for their quiet lanes and gardens. The view across the water changes with the tides, revealing more of the wreck when the sea retreats.