View source for USS Nicholson (DD-52)

{{Short description|O'Brien-class destroyer}}
{{other ships|USS Nicholson}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=[[File:USSNicholsonDD52.jpg|300px|''Nicholson'' during trials in 1915]]
|Ship caption=''Nicholson'' during trials in 1915
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=
|Ship country=United States
|Ship flag={{USN flag|1936}}
|Ship name=''Nicholson''
|Ship namesake=
*Nicholson family:
** [[James Nicholson (naval officer)|James Nicholson]]
** [[Samuel Nicholson]]
** [[John Nicholson (naval officer)|John Nicholson]]
** [[William Nicholson (naval officer)|William Nicholson]]
** [[James W. Nicholson]].

|Ship builder=*[[William Cramp & Sons]], [[Philadelphia]]<ref name=DANFS>{{cite DANFS | author = Naval History & Heritage Command | author-link = Naval History & Heritage Command | url = http://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/n/nicholson-ii.html | title = Nicholson | short = first | access-date = 18 January 2015 }}</ref>
|Ship original cost=$853,845.93  (hull and machinery)<ref>{{cite journal |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=mZEqAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA762 |title= Table 21 - Ships on Navy List June 30, 1919 |journal= Congressional Serial Set |publisher= U.S. Government Printing Office |year= 1921 |page= 762 }}</ref>
|Ship yard number=405<ref name=Miramar>{{csr|register=MSI|id=6104885|shipname=Nicholson |access-date=22 May 2009 }}</ref>
|Ship ordered=March 1913<ref name=Con-123>Gardiner, pp. 122–23.</ref>
|Ship laid down=8 September 1913<ref name=Bauer-171>Bauer and Roberts, p. 171.</ref>
|Ship launched=19 August 1914<ref name=DANFS />
|Ship sponsor=Mrs. Charles T. Taylor<ref name=DANFS />
|Ship commissioned=30 April 1915<ref name=Bauer-171 />
|Ship decommissioned=26 May 1922<ref name=DANFS />
|Ship struck=7 January 1936<ref name=Bauer-171 />
|Ship identification=*[[Hull classification symbol#Surface combatant type|Hull symbol]]:DD-52
*[[International Code of Signals|Code letters]]:NIU
*{{ICS|November}}{{ICS|India}}{{ICS|Uniform}}
|Ship fate= Sold 30 June 1936, scrapped<ref name=DANFS />
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Ship class={{sclass|O'Brien|destroyer}}
|Ship displacement=*{{convert|1050|LT|MT|abbr=on|lk=on}}<ref name=Bauer-171 />
*{{convert|1171|LT|MT|abbr=on}} fully loaded<ref name=DANFS />
|Ship length={{convert|305|ft|3|in|m|abbr=on}}<ref name=Bauer-171 />
|Ship beam={{convert|31|ft|1|in|m|abbr=on}}<ref name=Bauer-171 />
|Ship draft=*{{convert|9|ft|6|in|m|abbr=on}} (mean)<ref name="congress">{{cite journal |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=mZEqAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA762 |title= Table 10 - Ships on Navy List June 30, 1919 |journal= Congressional Serial Set |publisher= U.S. Government Printing Office |year= 1921 |page= 714 }}</ref>
*{{convert|10|ft|7|in|m|abbr=on}} max<ref name=Bauer-171 />
|Ship power=*4 × [[White-Forster boiler]]s
*{{convert|17000|shp|kW|abbr=on}}
|Ship propulsion=*2 × Zoelly direct-drive [[steam turbine]]s
*2 × [[screw propeller]]s<ref name=Con-123 />
|Ship speed=*{{convert|29|kn|mph km/h|abbr=on}}<ref name=DANFS />
*{{convert|29.08|kn|mph km/h|abbr=on}} (Speed on [[Sea trial|Trial]])<ref name="congress" />
|Ship range=
|Ship complement=5 officers 96 enlisted<ref name="comp and arms">{{cite journal |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=mZEqAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA762 |title= Table 16 - Ships on Navy List June 30, 1919 |journal= Congressional Serial Set |publisher= U.S. Government Printing Office |year= 1921 |page= 749 }}</ref>
|Ship armament=*4 × [[4"/50 caliber gun|{{convert|4|in|mm|abbr=on}}/50]] [[caliber (artillery)|caliber]] guns
*8 × [[American 21 inch torpedo|21 inch (533 mm)]] [[torpedo tube]]s (4 × 2)
|Ship motto=
}}
|}

'''USS ''Nicholson'' (Destroyer No. 52/DD-52)''' was an {{sclass|O'Brien|destroyer}} built for the [[United States Navy]] before the [[American entry into World War I]]. The ship was the second U.S. Navy vessel named in honor of five members of the Nicholson family who rendered distinguished service in the [[American Revolutionary War]], the [[War of 1812]], and the [[American Civil War]]: brothers [[James Nicholson (naval officer)|James]], [[Samuel Nicholson|Samuel]], and [[John Nicholson (naval officer)|John Nicholson]]; [[William Nicholson (naval officer)|William Nicholson]], son of John; and [[James W. Nicholson]], grandson of Samuel.

''Nicholson'' was [[keel laying|laid down]] by [[William Cramp & Sons]] of [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|Philadelphia]] in September 1913 and [[launch (ship)|launch]]ed in August 1914. The ship was a little more than {{convert|305|ft|m|abbr=on}} in length, just over {{convert|31|ft|m}} [[beam (nautical)|abeam]], and had a standard [[displace (ship)|displacement]] of {{convert|1050|LT|MT|abbr=on}}. She was armed with four {{convert|4|in|mm|abbr=on}} guns and had eight [[American 21 inch torpedo|21 inch (533 mm)]] [[torpedo tube]]s. ''Nicholson'' was powered by a pair of [[steam turbine]]s that propelled her at up to {{convert|29|kn|mph km/h|abbr=on}}.

After her April 1915 [[commission (ship)|commission]]ing, ''Nicholson'' sailed off the [[East Coast of the United States|east coast]] and in the [[Caribbean]]. After the United States entered World War I in April 1917, ''Nicholson'' was sent overseas to patrol the [[Irish Sea]] out of [[Queenstown, Ireland]]. In October 1917, ''Nicholson'' steamed to the rescue of {{SS|J. L. Luckenbach||2}}, driving off German submarine {{SMU|U-62||2}}, which had shelled the American [[cargo ship]] for over three hours. In November, ''Nicholson'' and another US destroyer, {{USS|Fanning|DD-37|2}}, were responsible for sinking German submarine {{SMU|U-58||2}}, the first submarine taken by US forces during the war. In September 1918, ''Nicholson'' helped drive off {{SMU|U-82||2}} after that U-boat had torpedoed the American troopship {{USS|Mount Vernon|ID-4508|2}} off the coast of France.

Upon returning to the United States after the war, ''Nicholson'' was placed in reduced commission in November 1919. She was [[decommission (ship)|decommission]]ed at Philadelphia in May 1922. She was struck from the [[Naval Vessel Register]] in January 1936 and sold for [[ship breaking|scrapping]] in June.

==Design and construction==
''Nicholson'' was authorized in March 1913 as the second of six ships of the {{sclass|O'Brien|destroyer|4}}, which was an improved version of the {{sclass|Cassin|destroyer|1}}s authorized in 1911. Construction of the vessel was awarded to [[William Cramp & Sons]] of [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|Philadelphia]] which [[keel laying|laid down her keel]] on 8 September 1913, the same date as of [[sister ship]] {{USS|O'Brien|DD-51|2}}. On 19 August 1914, ''Nicholson'' was [[launch (ship)|launch]]ed by sponsor Mrs. Charles T. Taylor. The ship was the second US Navy ship named after five members of the Nicholson family who gave distinguished service in the [[American Revolutionary War]], the [[War of 1812]], and the [[American Civil War]]. They were brothers [[James Nicholson (naval officer)|James Nicholson]], the senior [[Continental Navy]] Captain; [[Samuel Nicholson]], the first captain of {{USS|Constitution}}; and [[John Nicholson (naval officer)|John Nicholson]]; Also honored were [[William Nicholson (naval officer)|William Nicholson]], son of John; and [[James W. Nicholson]], grandson of Samuel.<ref name=DANFS />

As built, the destroyer was {{convert|305|ft|3|in|m|abbr=on}} in length, {{convert|31|ft|1|in|m|abbr=on}} [[beam (nautical)|abeam]], and [[draft (ship)|drew]] {{convert|10|ft|4.5|in|m|abbr=on}}.<ref name=DANFS /><ref name=Con-123 /> The ship had a standard [[displace (ship)|displace]]ment of {{convert|1050|LT|MT|abbr=on}} and displaced {{convert|1171|LT|MT|abbr=on}} when fully loaded.<ref name=Con-123 /><ref name=Bauer-171 />

''Nicholson'' had two Zoelly [[steam turbine]]s that drove her two [[screw propeller]]s, and an additional pair [[triple-expansion steam engine]]s, each connected to one of the [[propeller shaft (ship)|propeller shaft]]s, for cruising purposes. Four oil-burning [[White-Forster boiler]]s powered the engines, which could generate {{convert|17000|shp|kW|abbr=on}}, moving the ship at up to {{convert|29|kn|mph km/h|abbr=on}}.<ref name=DANFS /><ref name=Con-123 /> ''Nicholson'' reached an average speed of {{convert|29.084|kn|mph km/h|abbr=on}} over a 4-hour run during [[sea trials]] on 23 March 1915.<ref>Cochrane pp. 395, 397.</ref>

''Nicholson''{{'}}s main [[artillery battery|battery]] consisted of four [[4"/50 caliber gun|{{convert|4|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}/50]] [[caliber (artillery)|caliber]] Mark 9 guns,<ref name=DANFS /><ref name=NavWeaps-4in>{{cite web | last = DiGiulian | first = Tony | title = United States of America: 4"/50 (10.2 cm) Marks 7, 8, 9 and 10 | url = http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNUS_4-50_mk9.htm | work = Naval Weapons of the World | publisher = Navweaps.com | date = 15 August 2008 | access-date = 22 May 2009 }}</ref><ref group=Note>The ''50'' denotes the length of the gun barrels; in this case, the gun is 50 [[calibers#Caliber as measurement of length|calibers]], meaning that the gun is 50 times as long as its bore, or {{convert|200|in|m}} in this case. The Mark number is the version of the gun; in this case, the ninth US Navy design of the 4-inch/50 gun.</ref> with each gun weighing in excess of {{convert|6100|lb|kg|abbr=on}}.<ref name=NavWeaps-4in /> The guns fired {{convert|33|lb|kg|abbr=on}} [[armor-piercing shot and shell|armor-piercing]] [[projectile]]s at {{convert|2900|ft/s|m/s|abbr=on}}. At an [[elevation (ballistics)|elevation]] of 20°, the guns had a range of {{convert|15920|yd|abbr=on|m}}.<ref name=NavWeaps-4in />

''Nicholson'' was also equipped with eight {{convert|21|in|mm|abbr=on}} [[torpedo tube]]s. The [[General Board of the United States Navy]] had called for two [[anti-aircraft gun]]s for the ''O'Brien''-class ships, as well as provisions for laying up to 36 floating [[mine (naval)|mine]]s.<ref name=Con-123 /> From sources, it is unclear if these recommendations were followed for ''Nicholson'' or any of the other ships of the class.

==World War I==
''Nicholson'' was [[commission (ship)|commission]]ed into the United States Navy on 30 April 1915. After a [[shakedown cruise]] in the North Atlantic, ''Nicholson'' operated in the [[Caribbean]] and along the east coast until early 1917.

After the United States declared war on Germany on 6 April 1917 entering [[World War I]], ''Nicholson'' was put to sea from [[New York City|New York]] on 15 May with {{USS|Cummings|DD-44|2}},<ref name=DANFS /><ref name=DANFS-Cummings>{{cite DANFS | author = Naval History & Heritage Command | url = http://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/c/cummings-destroyer-no-44-i.html | title = Cummings (Destroyer No. 44) i | access-date = 18 January 2015 | short = on | link = off }}</ref> {{USS|Cushing|DD-55|2}},<ref name=DANFS-Cushing>{{cite DANFS | author = Naval History & Heritage Command| url=http://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/c/cushing-destroyer-no-55-ii.html |title=Cushing (Destroyer No. 55) ii |access-date=18 January 2015}}</ref> {{USS|O'Brien|DD-51|2}},<ref name=DANFS-O_Brien>{{cite DANFS | author = Naval History & Heritage Command | url = http://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/o/o-brien-dd-51-ii.html | title = O'Brien (DD-51) ii | access-date = 18 January 2015 | short = on | link = off }}</ref> and {{USS|Sampson|DD-63|2}}.<ref name=DANFS-sampson>{{cite DANFS | author = Naval History & Heritage Command | url = http://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/s/sampson-i.html | title = Sampson | access-date = 18 January 2015 | short = on | link = off }}</ref> The destroyers arrived at [[Queenstown, Ireland]], 24 May for duty in the war zone.<ref name=DANFS />

In mid-October, ''Nicholson'' was part of the destroyer escort, for the eastbound convoy HS 14. At 0850, an [[SOS]] was received from SS ''J. L. Luckenbach'', traveling independently some {{convert|90|nmi|mi km|abbr=on}} ahead of the convoy. [[Commander (United States)|Commander]] Alfred W. Johnson on {{USS|Conyngham|DD-58}}, the commander of the escorting destroyer unit, dispatched ''Nicholson'' to steam ahead to assist ''J. L. Luckenbach'', which was being shelled by a German submarine.<ref name=Sims-148>Sims, p. 148.</ref> ''J. L. Luckenbach'' was equipped with guns of her own, but they were outranged by the pair of {{convert|8.8|cm|in|abbr=on}} [[deck gun]]s on her attacker, ''U-62''.<ref>Luckenbach armed, outranged: Sims, p. 149; ''U-62'' armament: Gardiner, p. 177. Identity of U-boat: {{cite Uboat.net | name = J. L.  Luckenbach | id = 3095 | type = 1ship | access-date = 22 May 2009 }}</ref> By the time ''Nicholson'' arrived on the scene at about 1230, ''U-62'' had been shelling ''J. L. Luckenbach'' for over three hours. Despite many rounds fired, only about a dozen had hit the American steamer; some of the hits, however, had ignited ''J. L. Luckenbach''{{'}}s cargo of cotton.<ref name=Sims-149>Sims, p. 149.</ref><ref group=Note>''J. L. Luckenbach'' had originally been the [[North German Lloyd]] passenger vessel SS ''Saale'', which had burned at [[Hoboken, New Jersey]] in June 1900 with the loss of nearly a hundred persons. Coincidentally, the fire in New Jersey had begun when cotton on the pier next to ''Saale'' had ignited and spread to the ship. See: {{cite Uboat.net | name = J. L.  Luckenbach | id = 3095 | type = 1ship | access-date = 22 May 2009 }}</ref> ''Nicholson'' trained her {{convert|4|in|mm|abbr=on}} guns on the U-boat and, by the time her gunners had fired a second round, ''U-62'' submerged and disappeared. The destroyer transferred a damage control party aboard ''J. L. Luckenbach'' which helped extinguish the fire and repair some of the damages to the ship. A few hours later, ''J. L. Luckenbach'' and ''Nicholson''  joined and rejoined the convoy, respectively.<ref name=Sims-149 />

===Sinking of ''U-58''===
{{main|Action of 17 November 1917}}
The following month, ''Nicholson'' had a more successful encounter with a U-boat. Operating as the destroyer division's flagship, ''Nicholson'' - under the command of Lieutenant Commander [[Frank D. Berrien]]<ref name=Sweetman-124>Sweetman, p. 124.</ref> - and her group had joined the eastbound convoy OQ 20 on the afternoon of 17 November.<ref name=Sims-154-155>Sims, p. 154-55.</ref> At about 1615, ''Fanning'' was steaming to her position at the rear of the eight-ship convoy when her lookouts spotted a periscope just ahead. The periscope belonged to ''U-58'' under the command of ''[[Kapitänleutnant]]'' Gustav Amberger,<ref name=Mess-U-58>Messimer, pp. 78–79.</ref> who was lining up a torpedo shot on the British steamer SS ''Welshman''.<ref name=Sims-154-155 />

While ''Fanning'' circled around and dropped a depth charge on the spot where the periscope had been seen, ''Nicholson'', which had raced through the convoy, dropped another in nearly the same location; both were to good effect.<ref name=Sims-156>Sims, p. 156.</ref> The two depth charges knocked out the  electric motor that powered ''U-58''{{'}}s  diving planes, making the vessel unmanageable. ''U-58'' broached the surface momentarily and ''Fanning'' dropped another trio of depth charges over the submarine. These three knocked out all electrical power and the manual diving plane controls, which caused the submarine to descend through a depth of {{convert|164|ft|m|abbr=on}}. Amberger ordered the [[ballast tank]]s blown and the submarine slowly rose to the surface, stabilizing on the surface with her bow pointing down.<ref name=Mess-U-58 /> The submarines' four officers and 35 men evacuated ''U-58'' and surrendered to ''Fanning'' at 16:28,<ref name=CSM /> but not before opening the sea valves to allow the U-boat to sink. One of ''U-58''{{'}}s crewmen drowned before reaching ''Fanning'', while another died of a heart attack after he was brought aboard the destroyer.<ref name=Mess-U-58 />

An official account of the sinking was released to the press on 29 December,<ref name=CSM>{{cite news | title = Official account of U-boat sinking | work = [[The Christian Science Monitor]] | date = 29 December 1917 | page = 1 }}</ref> and ''Fanning'' and ''Nicholson'' shared credit for what ''[[The Washington Post]]'' in a contemporary news account called the "first U-Boat prize of the U.S." during the war;<ref>{{cite news | title = Helps to take u-boat | newspaper = [[The Washington Post]] | date = 30 December 1917 | page = 3 }}</ref> later works still credit the pair of destroyers with the US Navy's first U-Boat kill.<ref name=Sweetman-124 />

In February 1918, ''Nicholson'' transferred to [[Brest, France|Brest]] where she escorted convoys along the French coast. In early September 1918, ''Nicholson'' was one of six destroyers escorting a westbound pair of US Navy transports, {{USS|Agamemnon|ID-3004|2}} and ''Mount Vernon''.<ref name=DANFS-Winslow>{{cite DANFS | author = Naval History & Heritage Command | url = http://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/w/winslow-ii.html | title = Winslow | short = on | link = off | access-date = 18 January 2015 }}</ref><ref name=Gleaves-143>Gleaves, p. 143.</ref> On the morning of 5 September, about {{convert|250|nmi|mi km|abbr=on}} west of Brest,<ref name=Gleaves-143 /> German submarine ''U-82'' torpedoed ''Mount Vernon'', knocking out half of the troopship's boilers.<ref name=DANFS-Mount_Vernon>{{cite DANFS | author = Naval History & Heritage Command | url = http://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/m/mount-vernon-iii.html | title = Mount Vernon | short = on | link = off | access-date = 18 January 2015 }}</ref> ''Nicholson'', {{USS|Conner|DD-72|2}}, {{USS|Winslow|DD-53|2}}, and {{USS|Wainwright|DD-62|2}}, all depth charged the U-boat without success,<ref name=DANFS-Winslow /> but, combined with defensive efforts from ''Mount Vernon'' herself, helped prevent the submarine from launching a ''[[coup de grâce]]'' against the former German liner.<ref>Gleaves, pp. 144–45.</ref> ''Mount Vernon'' safely made it back to Brest with the loss of 37 crewmen out of the 1,450 passengers and crew on board.<ref name=Gleaves-148>Gleaves, p. 148.</ref>

==Postwar period==
Following the signing of the [[Armistice with Germany|Armistice]] on 11 November, which ended all fighting, ''Nicholson'' remained in French waters. After arriving at [[New York City|New York]] on 10 January 1919, ''Nicholson'' resumed operations along the east coast until placed in reserve at [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|Philadelphia]] on 27 November.

In July 1920, she was assigned the [[hull code]] of ''DD-52'' under the US Navy's alphanumeric classification system. In May 1921, ''Nicholson'' was reactivated with a reduced complement. She remained active for about a year, until she was [[decommission (ship)|decommission]]ed at Philadelphia on 26 May 1922.<ref name=DANFS /> The ship was struck from the [[Naval Vessel Register]] on 7 January 1936,<ref name=Bauer-171 /> and on 30 June was sold for [[ship breaking|scrapping]].<ref name=DANFS />

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

===Notes===
{{Reflist|group=Note}}

===Bibliography===
{{Refbegin}}
*{{cite book | last1 = Bauer | first1 = K. Jack | author-link = K. Jack Bauer | last2 = Roberts | first2 = Stephen S.| title = Register of Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1775–1990: Major Combatants | location = New York | publisher = [[Greenwood Press]] | year = 1991 | isbn = 978-0-313-26202-9 | oclc = 24010356 }}
*{{cite journal|last=Cochrane|first=W. F.|title=Descriptions and Trials of U.S. Torpedo Boat Destroyer Nicholson|journal=Journal of the American Society of Naval Engineers|date=May 1915|volume= XXVII|issue= 2|pages=388–397|url=https://archive.org/details/journalamerican02engigoog}}
* {{cite book | editor1-last=Gardiner | editor1-first=Robert | editor2-last=Gray | editor2-first=Randal | title = Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921 | location = [[Annapolis, Maryland]] | publisher = [[Naval Institute Press]] | year = 1985 | isbn = 978-0-87021-907-8 | oclc = 12119866 }}
*{{Gleaves}}
*{{cite book | last = Messimer | first = Dwight R. | title = Verschollen: World War I U-boat losses | location = Annapolis, Maryland | publisher = Naval Institute Press | year = 2002 | isbn = 978-1-55750-475-3 | oclc = 231973419 }}
*{{cite DANFS | author = Naval History & Heritage Command | author-link = Naval History & Heritage Command | url = http://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/c/cummings-destroyer-no-44-i.html | title = Cummings (Destroyer No. 44) i | access-date = 18 January 2015 }}
*{{cite DANFS | author = Naval History & Heritage Command | url = http://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/c/cushing-destroyer-no-55-ii.html | title = Cushing (Destroyer No. 55) ii | access-date = 18 January 2015 | link = off }}
*{{cite DANFS | author = Naval History & Heritage Command | url = http://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/m/mount-vernon-iii.html | title = Mount Vernon  | access-date = 18 January 2015 | link = off }}
*{{cite DANFS | author = Naval History & Heritage Command | url = http://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/n/nicholson-ii.html | title = Nicholson | access-date = 18 January 2015| link = off }}
*{{cite DANFS | author = Naval History & Heritage Command | url = http://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/o/o-brien-dd-51-ii.html | title = O'Brien | access-date = 18 January 2015 | link = off }}
*{{cite DANFS | author = Naval History & Heritage Command | url = http://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/s/sampson-i.html | title = Sampson | access-date = 18 January 2015 | link = off }}
*{{cite DANFS | author = Naval History & Heritage Command | url = http://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/w/winslow-ii.html | title = Winslow | access-date = 18 January 2015 | link = off }}
*{{cite book | last1 = Sims | first1 = William Sowden | last2 = Hendrick | first2 = Burton Jesse | author-link1 = William Sims | author-link2 = Burton J. Hendrick | title = [[The Victory at Sea]] | location = [[Garden City, New York]] | publisher = [[Doubleday (publisher)|Doubleday, Page & Co.]] | year = 1920 | oclc = 1058119 }}
*{{cite book | last = Sweetman | first = Jack | title = American Naval History: An Illustrated Chronology of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, 1775–Present | location = Annapolis, Maryland | publisher = Naval Institute Press | year = 1984 | isbn = 978-0-87021-290-1 | oclc = 11043081 | url-access = registration | url = https://archive.org/details/americannavalhis0000swee }}
{{Refend}}

==External links==
*{{navsource|05/052|Nicholson}}

{{O'Brien class destroyer}}

{{Good article}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nicholson (DD-52)}}
[[Category:O'Brien-class destroyers]]
[[Category:Ships built by William Cramp & Sons]]
[[Category:1914 ships]]
[[Category:World War I destroyers of the United States]]