USS Craven ( DD - 70 ) USS " Craven " ( DD - 70 ) , a , served in the United States Navy , and later in the Royal Navy as HMS " Lewes " . The second US Navy ship named for Commander Tunis Craven ( 1813 – 1864 ) , " Craven " was launched on 29 June 1918 by Norfolk Navy Yard , sponsored by Mrs . F . Learned , daughter of Commander Craven , and commissioned on 19 October 1918 , Lieutenant Commander M . B . McComb in command . Service history . United States Navy . " Craven " cruised on the east coast and in the Caribbean in training , maneuvers , and torpedo practice , until 3 May 1919 when she sailed from New York for Trepassey Bay , Newfoundland . Here she served on a weather station and observed the flight of Navy seaplane s in the historic first aerial crossing of the Atlantic . After overhaul , " Craven " participated in Army gun tests at Fort Story , Virginia , and had recruiting duty at Hampton Roads , Virginia ; Fall River , Massachusetts , and Newport , Rhode Island , until placed in reserve at Philadelphia , Pennsylvania 10 October 1919 . Still in reduced commission , " Craven " arrived at Charleston , South Carolina , 10 February 1921 . She transported liberty parties between Charleston and Jacksonville , Florida , and took part in the fleet maneuvers off Virginia and in Narragansett Bay . Arriving at Philadelphia 29 March 1922 , " Craven " was placed out of commission 15 June 1922 . On 12 November 1939 , she was renamed Conway for William Conway . Royal Navy . Recommissioned 9 August 1940 , " Conway " arrived at Halifax , Nova Scotia , 17 October . Here she was decommissioned 23 October 1940 and turned over to British authorities in the land bases for destroyers exchange . She was commissioned as HMS " Lewes " ( G68 ) ( after Lewes in East Sussex ) the same day . " Lewes " departed Halifax 1 November and arrived at Belfast , Northern Ireland , 9 November , searching for during her passage . She was refitted at Plymouth , England , and ordered to remain there under the command of Commander - in - Chief , Plymouth . Severely damaged in enemy air raids on 21 and 22 April 1941 , she remained out of action until December when she joined the Home Fleet . In February 1942 , she joined Rosyth Escort Force , escorting convoys between the Thames and the Firth of Forth , Scotland . On 9 and 10 November 1942 , she engaged German E - boat s which attacked her convoy off Lowestoft . " Lewes " escorted a troop convoy on its way to the Middle East and arrived at Simonstown , Union of South Africa , 18 May 1943 . As well as serving as target for aircraft during their training , she searched for enemy submarine s reported rounding Cape of Good Hope . In 1944 , she joined the Eastern Fleet as a submarine tender and torpedo target ship . " Lewes " departed Durban 13 August and arrived at Ceylon a month later . She was based at Trincomalee until January 1945 , when she was transferred to the British Pacific Fleet as a target ship for aircraft training . Arriving at Fremantle , Australia , 11 February 1945 , she shifted to Sydney 20 February and remained there until the end of hostilities . On 12 October 1945 , she was reported as no longer necessary to the fleet , and was ordered scrapped . She was stripped of valuable scrap and the hull scuttled off Sydney on 25 May 1946 . References . USS Conway Website http : / / www . ussconway . com