By Stephen Sherman, April, 2010. A. Bush; transferred to the Navy 1 May 1952; converted. Copyright 2011-2022 Naval Historical Foundation. USS Greer (DD-145) was attacked on September 4, 1941, by German U-boat, U-652, while she was tracking the submarine southeast of Iceland. USS Iowa BB-61 Battleship. USN Commanding. It was built and launched by the Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation on May 9, 1944, and completed on May 29, 1944. Liberty ships were designed to be used just for World War II. North Carolina, U.S.S. The first series of posts will concentrate primarily on the afloat activities that took place during the war years. Kearny, She made Is there any information available on personnel, and/or ships participating in local defense during the war? Additionally, many of the ships that served in the Atlantic were transferred to the Pacific in 1945. , by Acepilots.com. A photo of the salvo can be seen on the Cruise Book website. There are 223 ships on the list that visited the bay between 1944 and 1945. First are the events leading up to the war, which include the Neutrality Patrol that operated off the East Coast between 1939 and 1941. The U.S. Navy oiler, USS Salinas (AO-19) was torpedoed off Newfoundland on September 30, 1941, by German U-boat, U-106. But at the beginning of 1939, the bulk of U.S. naval strength was in the Pacific. The first action between the U.S. and German navies occured on April 10, 1941, when USS Niblack (DD-424) neared the Icelandic coast to pick-up three boatloads of survivors from the Dutch freighter Saleier, which was sunk the previous day. WWII German Cloth Insignia. On Her crew was eligible for the following medals and commendations: Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! It appears that virtually every East Coast built DE visited the bay for shakedown or ASW training at one time or another. It is located in close proximity to the city of Portland, which offered good logistics and support facilities. Note that the US Army also had coastal defense installations on several of the islands. The ship's US Maritime Commission designation was VC2-S-AP3, hull number116 (V-116). I do, of course, remember the incident of your troubles with Crepeau and was glad to have been of help in straightening them out How long ago it seems now." She was built in just 86 days under the Emergency Shipbuilding program. Got my 3rd grade rate as soon as I returned to the Ship. He also sailed to the Pacific in 1945. She was named after the city of Elmira, New York. It also contained shipyards specializing in the construction of Liberty Ships. The Royal Navy neutralized the German surface fleet before the United States actually entered the war. The navy ships normally entered and departed the bay through Hussey Sound between Peaks and Long Island where they had to pass through a submarine net which could be opened and closed. She was built as SS Hibbing Victory as a type VC2-S-AP2 Victory ship built by Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation of Portland, Oregon, under a Maritime Commission. Iowa saw active service in the Atlantic from 1984-1990. Ste. PARTS of HulNumber are UNDER REVISION. Regina Elina. along the Atlantic Seaboard, and for convoys to Newfoundland and I have photos of the area. The steamer was coal fired. Not a member of the Naval Institute? We lived at 15 Oak Ave., about 60-80 yards away from you on Greenwood. (Again, there are more details of the whole story I have left out.) She became For RATING SHIRTS - Click on your Rating Abbreviation below: AB. In February 1941 the Denebola made a cruise to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The majority of these ships served in the Atlantic on convoy escort, ASW patrols, and as members of hunter-killer groups. Your email address will not be published. The list includes two aircraft carriers, USS Yorktown (CV5) and USS Wasp (CV 7), and four battleships, USS New Mexico (BB 40), USS North Carolina (BB 55), USS Texas (BB55), and USS Arkansas (BB 33). I thought it was USS Missouri but couldnt find him listed on it. I do not have the USS Reliefs Deck Log from that month which could explain the circumstances of how or why he came aboard. Every demand was met if A first magnitude star in the northern constellation Leo. training of our new destroyers being readied for duty in the Pacific Duane was based in Portland from 1978-1985. November 28, 1921, Commander J. F. Daniels. 62'; dr. 28'6"; s. 16 k.; cpl. AD. All this is simple enough. She entered service in 1934. The maps of Casco Bay in both presentations have been updated to make them more clearly readable. That would change. Ryan, ordered a depth charge attack, driving off the U-boat. Denebola was decommissioned in April 1976 and struck from the Naval Register, 30 April 1976. Victory ships were designed to last longer and serve the US Navy after the war. Stewart are great. modernized, at the Naval Operating Base, Norfolk, Virginia. From the completion of her shakedown through June 1960 Denebola alternated eight tours of duty with the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean with local operations out of Norfolk. She was placed into commission on Of these, forty-seven 47 were Four Pipers (also referred to as Flush Deckers) of the Wickes and Clemson classes. My dads paperwork was in another family members possession and just reached me. Ranger returned in 1943 prior to supporting the invasion of North Africa. Would like to have contact with Don Kennedy if he is OK with it. But in all my Google searches I couldnt come up with any U-Boat capture or surrender story which matched the details of this one. 1) If the story is true, then why isnt there any evidence or accounts of this remarkable story? (AF-56: dp. It also encompassed a much wider area and lacked advance bases. HullNumber.com does not retain your payment information if you make a purchase. Good luck. The ships United States Maritime Commission designation was VC2- S- AP3, hull number 2. The ships United States Maritime Commission designation was VC2-S-AP3, hull number 93 (1009). The second Denebola (AF-56) was launched 10 June 1944 as Hibbing Victory by Oregon Shipbuilding Co., Portland, Oreg. I am looking for a sailor stationed in Portland Maine in 1944. 2023 Wall Calendar - CLICK HERE. In 1950 she was put back in service for Korean War and was chartered to American Foreign SS Co. SS Hibbing Victory served as merchant marine naval supplying goods for the Korean War. Iceland. carried out out operations as the ComDesLantF1t Flagship and those She relieved the Compared to Liberty ships, Victory ships were faster, longer, wider, taller, and had a thinner stack which was set further forward on the superstructure. Atlantis # aan369. Naval Academy, The Sullivan Brothers and the Assignment of Family Members, Historic Former U.S. Navy Bases and Stations, The African American Experience in the U.S. Navy, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the U.S. Navy, Contributions of Native Americans to the U.S. Navy, The World Cruise of the Great White Fleet, Navy Underwater Archaeology Return Program, Annual Navy History and Heritage Awards - Main, Research Permits for Sunken & Terrestrial Military Craft, Scanning, Copyright & Citation Information, Obtain Duplications of Records and Photos. our Denebola shipmates. We also spend a lot of time on the beach between Peaks Island and Cushing Island and seem to remember a submarine net between the islands that on occasion was opened by a small boat. The following pages feature about 20 pictures from each of these destinations: The Breeches Buoy - how to get from one ship to another without a boat, Guard Mail - the duties and perils of being a Guard Mail Petty Officer, Steamboats of Casco Bay - the small wooden ferries of the era. For other uses, see, World War II Maritime Commission ship designs, United States naval ship classes of World War II, Small United States and United Nations Warships in the Korean War, page 191, By Paul M. Edwards, capture and occupation of Southern Palau Islands, Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service, Korean War Educator, Merchant Marine, Accounts of the Korean War, MARINERS, THE WEBSITE OF THE MARINERS MAILING LIST. The Denebola then proceeded to the Boston Navy Second is the Battle of the Atlantic, which was primarily a war against the U-Boats. She was The basic scenario of the Battle of the Atlantic is shown in the following illustration: In order to fulfill its new responsibilities in the North Atlantic, it was necessary to establish an inner and outer North Atlantic bases. every musician knew the importance of their assignments. A large number of these shipmates settled For much of the war, this was the only large carrier assigned to the Atlantic Fleet. He left behind a wealth of pictures and stories about the "Denny" and places like Hawaii, Maine's Casco Bay, Naples, Pompeii, etc.. If you have questions, please contact the Naval Institute via email at member@usni.org or by phone at 800-233-8764. Later I served as a Sonarman on destroyers out of Newport. that many lost their lives in service to their Country. ; sponsored by Miss J. In addition she participated in NATO exercises in 1957 and 1958 and carried stores to the Caribbean. The The database includes records of 56 ships that visited Casco Bay during 1941. and on September 1, 1940 she joined company with Destroyer Division She was built as SS Hibbing Victory as a type VC2-S-AP2 Victory ship built by Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation of Portland, Oregon, under a Maritime Commission. a shakedown cruise in the Chesapeake Bay. My friend Donald Gary Kennedy who I am still in touch with remembers you quite well. COAST GUARD During World War II, the Coast Guard served as an integral part of the Navy. Originally built in 1919 as SS Edgewood by Skinner and Eddy of Seattle, Washington, then transferred from the Shipping Board on 4 November 1921 and converted for naval use at Philadelphia Navy Yard. My grandparents, Harry & May Wallace lived on Greenwood Street in the big house on your right as you went up the hill. There was less need for large carriers in the Atlantic because Great Britain could be used as a staging base for air operations against Continental Europe. The second Denebola (AF-56) was launched 10 June 1954 as Hibbing Victory by Oregon Shipbuilding Co.' Portland, Oreg. Clarence W. Becker-perhaps he was also injured in the same accident? MINESWEEPERS There are thirty-six minesweepers in the database. Final Disposition: sold for scrapping, 1 December 1976, by the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service . Idaho, U.S.S. She operated as a tender and repair ship until November 6, 1945. This was her last voyage. They were generally of obsolescent types built between 1918 and 1926. USS Kearney (DD 432) was a Gleaves Class destroyer that entered service in 1940. The S-25 was built in 1923 and transferred to Great Britain and later to Poland. of the Denebola men served in the combat ships of the fleet and A. Bush; transferred to the Navy 1 May 1952; converted at New York Naval Shipyard; and commissioned 20 January 1954. Wichita, U.S.S. For other uses, see, World War II Maritime Commission ship designs, United States naval ship classes of World War II, Small United States and United Nations Warships in the Korean War, page 191, By Paul M. Edwards, capture and occupation of Southern Palau Islands, Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service, Korean War Educator, Merchant Marine, Accounts of the Korean War, MARINERS, THE WEBSITE OF THE MARINERS MAILING LIST. I have a picnic photo of you and me. She The 10,500-ton Victory ships were designed to replace the earlier Liberty Ships. The source for this information was the account of a crew member on the USS Boyd. The ship was built as part of the Emergency Shipbuilding program by Permanente Metals Corporation in Yard2 of the Richmond Shipyards in Richmond, California. For more on this, you can read the official US Navy description of Enlisted Rates. It was Have good memories of the time there. While on Neutrality Patrolnear the Equator, USS Omaha (CL-4) and USS Somer (DD-381) intercepted the German blockade runner Odenwald on November 4, 1941, disguised as U.S. freighter and boarded her after the German crew abandoned the ship. DENEBOLA IS A FIRST MAGNITUDE STAR IN THE NORTHERN CONSTELLATION LEO. Victory ships were designed to replace the earlier Liberty Ships. Maryland for overhaul and refitting. Navy than the City of Portland provided. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. She entered service in 1943 and underwent shakedown training in Casco Bay. HMS Catterick, and anchored in the harbor of Cagliari, Sardinia She was built in the Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation shipyard in 1944. Artwork Griffiths Bailey Cole. SERVER UPGRADE IN PROGRESS. Her keel was laid on December 27, 1944. & USS DeLong Plastic Model Military Ship Kit by Lindberg. departed, Updated February 16, 2012. USS Denebola AF-45 Zippo Lighter 1957 Item: PW8 Price: $39.99. USS Denebola was launched in June 1944 as the 7612 gross ton civilian cargo ship Hibbing Victory. The other two ships in her class were USSRegulus and USNSPerseus. 1999- The Denebola departed NOB, Norfolk during May 1941 enroute to In May 1942, U-568 was sunk by depth charges dropped by Royal Navy destroyer HMS Hero and destroyer escorts HMS Eridge and HMS Hurworth. [3] [4] [5] [6], From the completion of her shakedown through June 1960 Denebola alternated eight tours of duty with the U.S. 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean with local operations out of Norfolk, Virginia. SS Clarksdale Victory was 80th of the new 10,500-ton class ship known as Victory ships. It was transferred to the Pacific in 1945. He had the responsibility of organizing the actual convoy escort groups. Two of them were captured Italian subs used for training purposes during the latter part of the war. Kearney was torpedoed while on neutrality patrol prior to outbreak of war in October 1941. The ship's United States Maritime Commission designation was VC2-S-AP3 and hull number 104 (1020). The ship was christened on 30 June 1944. My mother and myself as an infant were also there (somewhere). FAQ | Privacy Policy | Sources | Site Map | What's New | About | Contact, A Sailor's Everyday life on the Denny in WW2, The Denebola's cruise to the Mediterranean. However, it was too far from the convoy routes. HullNumber.com's mission is to provide a means for shipmates to keep in touch with one another. Judy Balsanek or in your records Lou Balsanek 1241 Pine Valley Dr. New Bern, NC 28562, Pingback: Going Ashore: Naval Operations in Casco Bay During World War II (Part II) | Naval Historical Foundation, Pingback: Going Ashore: Naval Operations in Casco Bay During World War II | Naval Historical Foundation, Pingback: Going Ashore: Naval Operations in Casco Bay During World War II (Part IV) | Naval Historical Foundation. It was there for repairs. Click to read Parts I, II, and III of George Stewarts blog series about Casco Bay during WWII. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. his "rating," into his title. After commissioning, she sailed to the Norfolk, Virginia area for and upon arrival joined Convoy GUS 49, whose destination was the The ship was the USS Capronia which may have been a converted private yacht. The USS Denebola (AD-12) was a destroyer tender in the US Navy. USS Vulcan (AR 5) - First USN ship with female crewmembers in 1978. Attended Navy Signal School for 7 weeks in Casco Bay. U-652 would later be scuttled by U-81 after being badly damaged by depth charges from a British "Swordfish" aircraft in the Mediterrean Sea on June 2, 1942. Casco Bay between 1941 and 1945, including the following, just to Some historic ships on the list include: USS Reuben James (DD 245) was a Clemson Class destroyer built in 1920. USS Ranger (CV 4) was the first ship designed from the keel up as a carrier. Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive - AF-56 Denebola, List of auxiliaries of the United States Navy, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=USS_Denebola_(AF-56)&oldid=1148637887, World War II merchant ships of the United States, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 7 April 2023, at 11:47. The Maritime Administration cargo ship was the 113th ship built. The U.S. Navy considered making further use of the bay after the war. By Stephen Sherman, April, 2010. Briefly, a "rate" is the rank: 3rd Class Petty Officer, 2nd Class Petty Officer, 1st Class Petty Officer and Chief Petty Officer; these NCOs are equivalent to Army Sergeants. I rode it to and from Peaks Island a number of times in the post war era. The Maritime Commission turned her over to a civilian contractor, the Alaska SS Company, for operation. My father, Milton W. Sherman (1919-2010), served in the U.S. Navy during WW2, on board the USS Denebola, AD-12, when he was in his mid-twenties. The USS DENEBOLA was 455' 3" long and had a beam of 62'. PE 56 was one of only seven of the vessels that saw service in World War II. SS Clarksdale Victory served in the Pacific Ocean during WW2. Its keel was laid on 2 May 1944. 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