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| USN Buckley-class Destroyer Escort 1,400 Tons (standard) 1,740 Tons (full load) 306' x 37' x 9' 6" 3 x 3"/50 guns 1 x Quad 1.1" guns 8 x 20mm cannon 1 x Triple 21" torpedoes 1 x Hedgehoge mortar 8 x K-gun depth charge proj 2 x depth charge racks   USN Sept 26, 1943 |
Ship History Built by Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation shipyard in San Francisco. Laid down April 4, 1943 as a Buckley-class Destroyer Escort. Launched September 26, 1943 as USS England (DE-635) in honor of Ensign John C. England, USNR of Harris, Missouri who died December 7, 1941 aboard USS Oklahoma (BB-37) and sponsored by his mother, Mrs. H. B. England. Commissioned December 10, 1943 in the U.S. Navy (USN) with Commander W. B. Pendleton in command and underwent a shakedown cruise off California. Wartime History Departed San Francisco via Pearl Harbor across the Pacific via Funafuti and Guadalcanal then arrives March 12, 1944 at Espiritu Santo. Assigned to Escort Division 40 and performed escort duty between Espiritu Santo and Guadalcanal with occasional voyages to Nouméa and one voyage to Marshall Islands. On May 13, 1944 a Japanese Navy message from from Japanese submarine I-16 was intercepted and decoded by U.S. Navy (USN) Fleet Radio Unit Pacific (FRUPAC) that included their scheduled to deliver rice to Buin on Bougainville. This intercept was used by the Navy to plan a sortie to intercept the submarine. On May 18, 1944 in the afternoon Division 39 including USS George (DE-697), USS Raby (DE-698) and USS England departs from Purvis Bay to intercept the expected submarine. On May 19, 1944 in the morning U.S. aircraft spot I-16 on the surface and made a report while the three destroyer-escorts form a line abreast sonar sweep. At 1:35pm England detects the submarine on sonar and at 1:41 fires a salvo of Mark 10 hedgehog mortars that missed and a second hedgehog attack scored a hit at a depth of 130' / 40m. At 2:10pm a fathometer reading at 325' / 99m a third hedgehog attack was made at a depth of 200' / 61m. A fourth hedgehog attack was made without result. At 2:33pm a fifth attack was made four or six detonations followed by a large underwater explosion that lifted the England's fantail and knocked men off their feet. Within twenty minutes, debris was spotted floating on the surface. The next day, a large oil slick 3 miles by 6 miles was observed on the surface in the sinking location. On May 20, 1944 message was decoded revealing Japanese plans for a submarine trap in a patrol line consisting of Ro-104, Ro-105, Ro-106, Ro-108, Ro-109, Ro-112, and Ro-116 north of the Admiralty Islands to intercept U.S. Navy aircraft carriers on a route they used twice before. At 3:50am, USS George detected Ro-106 on radar and searched with a searchlight and observed it diving and at 4:15am made a Hedgehog attack that missed. At 4:25am England made contact with the same submarine and made a Hedgehog attack that missed. At 5:01am made a second Hedgehog attack that scored at least three hits and caused a large underwater explosion while preparing for a third attack and a heavy oil slick with debris was observed after sunrise. Afterwards, the three destroyer escorts formed a search line with a scouting interval of 16,000 yards during hours of darkness. On May 23, 1944 at 6:00am USS Raby detected Ro-104 on radar and then sonar contact but missed with four Hedgehog attacks. USS George missed with another Hedgehog attack at 07:17, then missed with another four more Hedgehog attacks between 07:30 and 08:10. England missed with a first Hedgehog attack and scored an estimated ten or twelve detonations on a second Hedgehog attack at 08:34. The hits were followed by noises of the submarine breaking up and a large underwater explosion three minutes later followed by debris and oil on the surface at 10:45am. On May 24, 1944 at 1:20am USS George detected Ro-116 on radar. England made sonar contact at 01:50 and scored three to five detonations on the first Hedgehog attack at 02:14 and heard breaking-up noises but no underwater explosion. Only a small quantity of oil and debris was evident after sunrise at 07:02 and the oil slick expanded to cover several square miles the following day. On May 26, 1944 a hunter-killer group including escort carrier USS Hoggatt Bay (CVE-75) escorted by destroyers USS Hazelwood (DD-531), USS Heermann (DD-532), USS Hoel (DD-533), and USS McCord (DD-534), allowing the three destroyer escorts on station to depart to be refueled and rearmed. Although relieved, destroyer escorts maintained an anti-submarine search while en route to Manus. At 11:03pm, USS Raby detected RO-108 on radar. At 11:04pm England also made radar contact and sonar contact at 11:18pm and soon afterwards made a Hedgehog attack that scored four to six detonations. Afterwards, there was no breaking-up noise or explosion. At dawn, a fountain of oil was observed rising to the surface. On May 27, 1944 the three destroyer escorts reached Manus and were quickly resupplied with fuel, provisions and ammunition. On May 28, 1944 at 6:00pm departed with USS Spangler (DE-696) to rejoin the anti-submarine search. Hazelwood detected Ro-105 on radar at 01:56 on 30 May and missed with a depth charge attack. George and Raby joined Hazelwood and made a total of sixteen Hedgehog and depth charge attacks over a period of 25 hours. RO-105 surfaced at 03:10 on 31 May and was immediately detected by George and Raby. RO-105 stayed directly between the two destroyer escorts for five minutes before submerging so neither Raby nor George could fire without endangering the other. Sequential Hedgehog attacks were then made by Raby, George, Raby, and Spangler. All missed. Division Commander Hains then radioed, "Oh, hell. Go ahead, England."[8] England then scored six to ten detonations in a Hedgehog attack at 07:36. A major explosion followed at 07:41 and oil and debris appeared on the surface. During the middle of 1944, patrols the northern Solomons and provides escort. In August 1944 underwent repairs at Manus. On September 24, 1944 departs the Treasury Islands south to Sydney. Afterwards, returns to the Treasury Islands and then covers a convoy to Hollandia arriving October 18, 1944. On October 20, 1944 departs escorting a convoy to Leyte twice then returns to Manus and continues escort duty during December 1944. On January 2, 1945 England escorted convoys between Manus and Ulithi to support staging for U.S. assaults against Iwo Jima and Okinawa. During February 1945 at Kossol Roads then to the Philippines then resumed escort duty operating between Manus and Ulithi. On March 23, 1945 departs Ulithi as part of Task Force 54 (TF 54) and participates in the pre-invasion bombardment of Okinawa then returns Ulithi and screens two cruisers guarding them back to Okinawa to join the 5th Fleet. On April 6, 1945 departs for Saipan screening transports then to Kerama Retto. On May 9, 1945 England was targeted by three Japanese dive bombers that made kamikaze attacks. The first plane was hit by her anti-aircraft fire and set on fire but crashed into her starboard side below the bridge and its bomb exploded causing fires and flooding and resulted in 37 killed or missing with 25 wounded. The other two dive bombers were shot down by U.S. planes flying Combat Air Patrol (CAP). Damaged, England was towed to Kerama Retto for emergency repairs then steamed to Leyte for temporary repairs then departs across the Pacific back to the United States. On July 16, 1945 arrives Philadelphia for permanent repairs and conversion into a high-speed transport. After the surrender of Japan, conversion work ceased because of her extensive damage and a surplus of ships. On October 15, 1945 decommissioned from the Navy. Fate On November 26, 1946 sold for scrap and afterwards broken up. Awards For her World War II service, England earned ten battle stars and the Presidential Unit Citation (PUC) for her May 1944 anti-submarine sinking six submarines, a record never matched by any other warship in World War II. Later, in 1963 USS England DLG-22 was also named in his honor. References Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) - USS England (DE-635) Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) - H-030-1: USS England Sinks Six Japanese Submarines, May 1944 by Samuel J. Cox May 2019 NavSource - USS England (DE 635) American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - John C. England FindAGrave - “Unknowns” USS Oklahoma (grave photos) FindAGrave - John C. England (USS Oklahoma Memorial) FindAGrave - Ens John Charles “J.C.” England (photo, courts of the missing photo) FindAGrave - Ens John Charles “J.C.” England (photo, Evergreen Cemetery) Contribute
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