USS Abel P . Upshur ( DD - 193 ) USS " Abel P . Upshur " ( DD - 193 ) was a " Clemson " - class destroyer in the service of the United States Navy until traded to Britain at the beginning of World War II where she served as HMS " Clare " . As USS " Abel P . Upshur " . Named after Secretary of the Navy , Abel Parker Upshur , she was laid down on 20 August 1918 at Newport News , Virginia by the Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry - dock Co . , launched on 14 February 1920 , sponsored by Mrs . George J . Benson , great - great niece of Secretary Upshur , and commissioned at the Norfolk Navy Yard on 23 November 1920 , Lt . Vincent H . Godfrey in command . Following her commissioning , the destroyer was assigned to Destroyer Division 37 , Squadron 3 , Atlantic Fleet . She cruised along the east coast , taking part in fleet exercises and maneuvers . The ship was placed out of commission at the Philadelphia Navy Yard on 7 August 1922 . " Abel P . Upshur " assumed duties at the Washington Navy Yard in March 1928 as a training ship for Naval Reserve personnel from the District of Columbia and continued this routine until 5 November 1930 , when the ship was transferred to the U . S . Treasury Department . Her name was then struck from the Navy list . The ship served the Coast Guard attempting to prevent the smuggling of liquor into the United States . " Abel P . Upshur " was returned to Navy custody on 21 May 1934 but was laid up at Philadelphia until 4 December 1939 , when she was again placed in commission and assigned to the Atlantic Squadron . The ship operated along the east coast on neutrality enforcement patrols . On 9 September 1940 , " Abel P . Upshur " was decommissioned at Halifax , Nova Scotia . The vessel was transferred to Britain under an agreement by which , the United States exchanged 50 overage destroyers for bases on British colonial territory in the Atlantic . Her name was again struck from the Navy list on 8 January 1941 . As HMS " Clare " . As HMS " Clare " , she was assigned to the 1st " Town - class " Flotilla and arrived at Belfast , Northern Ireland , on 26 September 1940 . " Clare " joined Escort Group 7 and escorted transatlantic convoys . On 20 February 1941 , she rescued the crew of the sinking British steamship " Rigmor " . In the early hours of the 21st , the destroyer collided with the motor vessel " Petertoum " and suffered some damage . After undergoing repairs at Plymouth , England , between March and October , " Clare " resumed convoy duty with Escort Group 41 , Western Approaches Command . " Clare " was modified for long range trade convoy escort service by removal of the two forward boilers and substitution of additional fuel tanks . This modification improved endurance but reduced top speed to 25 knots . Three of the original 4 " / 50 caliber gun s and one of the triple torpedo tube mounts were removed to reduce topside weight for additional depth charge stowage and installation of hedgehog . In the fall of 1942 , the destroyer took part in the landings of the invasion of North Africa Operation " Torch . " As a member of the Eastern Naval Task Force , she covered landings near Algiers . On 12 November 1942 , the destroyer attacked a German U - boat in waters north of Oran , Algeria , and claimed to have sunk the enemy vessel . " Clare " left Gibraltar on 17 November 1942 , returned to Britain , and resumed transatlantic convoy duty . In July 1943 , the ship participated in the invasion of Sicily . She entered drydock at Cardiff , Wales in September of that year , returned to action in May 1944 , and served as a target ship for aircraft in the Western Approaches Command . In August 1945 , " Clare " was reduced to reserve at Greenock , Scotland .