USS Robinson ( DD - 88 ) USS " Robinson " ( DD - 88 ) was a " Wickes " - class destroyer in the United States Navy , later transferred to the Royal Navy , as HMS " Newmarket " . She was the first ship named for Isaiah Robinson . Named for Isaiah Robinson , she was laid down 31 October 1917 by the Union Iron Works , San Francisco , California , launched 28 March 1918 , sponsored by Miss Evelyn Tingey Selfridge , and commissioned at the Mare Island Navy Yard 19 October 1918 , Commander George Wirth Simpson in command . Service history . United States Navy . " Robinson " cleared San Francisco Bay 24 October 1918 for the east coast of the United States . Transiting the Panama Canal 3 November 1918 , she set course by way of Guantanamo Bay for Norfolk where she arrived on 8 November . On 10 January 1919 , " Robinson " put to sea from Norfolk to conduct winter training out of Guantanamo Bay , which ended at New York Harbor 14 April 1919 . She then prepared for lifeguard duty supporting the first transatlantic flight from America to Europe to be attempted by Navy Seaplane Division Number 1 . " Robinson " got underway from Norfolk on 30 April , arrived at Halifax , Nova Scotia , 4 May 1919 , and stood out toward the entrance of the harbor on the afternoon of 8 May . At 1944 , she sighted the first of the Navy seaplanes , the NC - 3 , approach the harbor on the first leg of the transatlantic flight . Two days later , " Robinson " took station at sea to assist in guarding the flight of the two seaplanes to Trepassey Bay , Newfoundland , then returned to Halifax 11 May and got underway on the 14th to act as plane guard for seaplane NC - 4 which had been delayed by repairs at Chatham Naval Air Station , and passed overhead at 1645 , on 15 May , to join the other two seaplanes at Trepassey Bay . After NC - 4 faded from view , " Robinson " set course for station on the Azores route to be followed by the seaplanes from Trepassey Bay , 16 May 1919 . These seaplanes would be guided on their 1 , 380 - mile flight to the Azores , by " Robinson " and other destroyers who poured smoke from their funnels in daylight and fired starshells or turned on searchlights during the night . The first seaplane passed " Robinson " abeam an hour before midnight of 16 May 1919 , and the two others also passed within the next 20 minutes . The NC - 4 covered the flight in 15 hours and 13 minutes setting down at Horta , the emergency stop in the Azores Islands . This seaplane had found its way above the dense fog which completely blinded the pilots of the others . An hour before the NC - 4 landed , the NC - 1 was forced to the water about 45 miles off Flores Island and the NC - 3 had also descended about 35 miles from Fayal . The NC - 1 sank in the heavy seas and Robinson joined in the search for the NC - 3 which refused all assistance and finally taxied to Ponta Delgada under its own power . " Robinson " anchored at Horta , Fayal Island , the afternoon of 19 May and stood out of the harbor the next morning to transport newspaper reports to Ponta Delgada where she arrived that afternoon . On 25 May 1919 , she was en route to Station Number Seven ( ) to cover the fourth leg of the transoceanic flight of the lone NC - 4 . She sighted the seaplane at 1330 on the afternoon of 26 May and the NC - 4 faded from view on its way to a royal welcome by the Portuguese at Lisbon on 25 May and at Plymouth , England , on the 31st , terminating the historic 4 , 500 - mile flight . " Robinson " returned to Ponta Delgada on 28 May 1919 and put to sea on 2 June to arrive at Newport on the 8th . She underwent overhaul in the Norfolk Navy Yard and conducted operations in local areas of Newport until her arrival at New York on 30 September 1919 . She joined five other destroyers off Sandy Hook on the afternoon of 1 October , then made rendezvous off Fire Island with to act as honor escort for the King of Belgium . She cleared port on 6 October for operations off Key West and Pensacola , Florida , visiting Beaufort , South Carolina , on her return voyage to New York where she arrived 5 November 1919 . On 22 November 1919 , " Robinson " stood out of New York Harbor , leading the second section of the honor detachment on the port quarter of , flying the standard of the Prince of Wales , in company with . She was relieved of her royal escort duty off Nantucket Shoals and returned to New York on 25 November . After a visit to Savannah , and voyage repairs in the Portsmouth Navy Yard , she cleared Boston Harbor on 14 January 1920 for fleet maneuvers off Guantanamo Bay and near the Panama Canal . She returned to New York on 1 May 1920 and entered the Portsmouth Navy Yard on 25 May 1920 for a year of inactivity . She shifted from the yard to Newport on 25 May 1921 for local operations until 10 October , and then visited New York before her arrival at Charleston , South Carolina , on 19 November 1921 . After several months in local waters off Charleston , she entered the Philadelphia Navy Yard where she decommissioned 3 August 1922 . " Robinson " remained inactive until 23 August 1940 when she recommissioned for transfer to the British Government under terms of the destroyers - in - exchange - for - bases agreement . The transfer was effected at Halifax , Nova Scotia , on 26 November 1940 when " Robinson " was renamed HMS " Newmarket " and taken over by a care and maintenance party of the Royal Canadian Navy . She was commissioned in the Royal Navy on 5 December 1940 , and struck from the U . S . Navy list 8 January 1941 . Royal Navy . " Newmarket " departed Halifax on 15 January for the United Kingdom , calling at St . John ' s and arriving at Belfast on the 26th and at Plymouth , England , on the 30th . After a short refit in the Humber , she began convoy escort work in the Western Approaches Command and on 2 June 1941 , was unsuccessfully attacked by an aircraft in the northwestern approaches . Later that month she proceeded to Sheerness , and was in dockyard hands until November when she joined the 8th Escort Group , at Derry . " Newmarket " was modified for trade convoy escort service by removal of three of the original 4 " / 50 caliber gun s and one of the triple torpedo tube mounts to reduce topside weight for additional depth charge stowage and installation of hedgehog . On 3 January 1942 , " Newmarket " had to leave Convoy HX - 166 because of boiler trouble , and proceeded to Lough Foyle . On the 30th she arrived at Liverpool , and was under refit until the end of March . In April 1942 , she escorted the Russian convoy PQ - 14 , but a month later , she was allocated for duty as an aircraft target ship in the Firth of Forth . She refitted at Leith between December 1942 and February 1943 , and later in the year , refitted again at Rosyth , Scotland . In September 1943 , " Newmarket " was reduced to care and maintenance status at Rosyth but resumed duty as an aircraft target ship from the spring of 1944 , until after the end of the war in Europe . She was scrapped at Llanelli in September 1945 .