 After her January 1916 commissioning , Conyngham sailed off the east coast and in the Caribbean . After the United States entered World War I in April 1917 , Conyngham was part of the first U.S. destroyer squadron sent overseas . Patrolling the Irish Sea out of Queenstown , Ireland , Conyngham made several rescues of passengers and crew from ships sunk by U @-@ boats . Conyngham 's commander was commended for actions related to what was thought at the time to be a " probable " kill of a German submarine . 
