USS Spry (PG-64)/HMS Hibiscus

Figure 1: USS Spry (PG-64) 14 June 1944, in the Cooper River off the U.S. Navy Yard Charleston, South Carolina. This is a starboard broadside view. U.S. Navy photo 1616-44. Click on photograph for larger image.


Figure 2: USS Spry (PG-64) 14 June 1944, in the Cooper River off the U.S. Navy Yard Charleston, South Carolina. This is a starboard quarter view. U.S. Navy photo 1612-44. Click on photograph for larger image.


Figure 3: USS Spry (PG-64) 14 June 1944, in the Cooper River off the U.S. Navy Yard Charleston, South Carolina. This is a stern, down view. U.S. Navy photo 1618-44. Click on photograph for larger image.


Figure 4: USS Spry (PG-64) 14 June 1944, in the Cooper River off the U.S. Navy Yard Charleston, South Carolina. This is a stern view. U.S. Navy photo 1613-44. Click on photograph for larger image.


Figure 5: USS Spry (PG-64) 14 June 1944, in the Cooper River off the U.S. Navy Yard Charleston, South Carolina. This is a port quarter, down view. U.S. Navy photo 1617-44. Click on photograph for larger image.


Figure 6: USS Spry (PG-64) 14 June 1944, in the Cooper River off the U.S. Navy Yard Charleston, South Carolina. This is a port bow view. U.S. Navy photo 1615-44. Click on photograph for larger image.

Originally ordered for the French Navy but taken over by the British Royal Navy after the fall of France, HMS Hibiscus was a 925-ton Flower class corvette that was commissioned on 21 May 1940. The ship was built by Harland and Wolff, Ltd., at Belfast, Northern Ireland, and was approximately 205 feet long and 33 feet wide, with a top speed of 16.5 knots and a crew of 87 officers and men. Hibiscus was armed with one 4-inch gun, one 3-inch gun, two 20-mm cannons, two depth charge racks and four depth charge projectors.

For almost two years, Hibiscus was assigned to convoy duties in the perilous North Atlantic. Although she never sank a German U-boat, she did protect many merchant ships from attack and saved numerous lives. On 30 August 1940, Hibiscus rescued 11 men from the Norwegian merchant ship Norne that was torpedoed and sunk by a German submarine. On 18 October 1940, this small escort rescued 34 men from the sunken British merchant ship Sandsend and on 28 September 1941 Hibiscus saved another 34 men from the British merchant ship Margareta, which was torpedoed and sunk by a German U-boat.

By early 1942, the United States was in the war but was desperately short of ocean-going escorts. On 2 May 1942 at Leith, Scotland, the Royal Navy transferred the HMS Hibiscus to the US Navy as part of a reverse Lend-Lease agreement. Approximately 24 Flower class corvettes were given to the US Navy until newer American escorts could be built. On 2 May Hibiscus was commissioned into the US Navy as the USS Spry (PG-64), with Lieutenant Maxim W. Firth in command. Spry was immediately attached to a convoy that steamed from Londonderry, Northern Ireland, to Argentia, Newfoundland, and then the ship went on to Boston for an overhaul. Once work was completed on Spry, the corvette was sent to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for escort duty and arrived there on 1 August 1942. For several months, Spry escorted convoys between Guantanamo Bay and Trinidad, until it was assigned to the convoy route between Trinidad and Recife, Brazil, in January 1943. After another overhaul in Charleston, South Carolina, Spry went to Boston in June 1944. For the next year, until the war ended, Spry was given convoy escort and weather patrol duty between Newfoundland, Greenland, and Iceland.

Spry was decommissioned in England on 20 August 1945 and was returned to the Royal Navy on 26 August. She was officially stricken from the US Navy list on 17 September 1945 and was sold in 1947 by the British government. Spry was converted into a merchant ship and renamed Madonna and served in this capacity until 1955, when she was sold for scrap in Hong Kong.

Spry was one of those humble warships that performed an incredibly important job during a critical time in the Battle of the Atlantic. The United States was desperately short of escorts and England (who herself was struggling to survive) managed to give us 24 badly needed corvettes until our shipyards could build newer and better ocean escorts. Spry and her sisters helped to “hold the line” until more of our ships could be built, even though these British corvettes are rarely mentioned by today’s historians. However, it is still important to remember that there was a time when the United States was so ill prepared for war that we had to use warships supplied to us by another country until we could build more of our own.

USS Partridge (AM-16/ATO138)

Figure 1: Undated photograph of USS Partridge (AM-16), prior to her conversion to an ocean-going tug. US Navy photograph. Click on photograph for larger image.


Figure 2: USS Partridge (ATO-138) shown here after her conversion into an ocean-going tug. Date unknown. US Navy photograph. Click on photograph for larger image.


Figure 3: Picture taken of USS Partridge (AM-16) on 28 June 1919. Courtesy Ric Hedman. Click on photograph for larger image.

Named after a bird found in North America, USS Partridge (AM-16) was a 950-ton Lapwing class minesweeper that was built by the Chester Shipbuilding Company at Chester, Pennsylvania. Partridge was commissioned on 17 June 1919 and was approximately 187 feet long and 35 feet wide, with a top speed of 14 knots and a crew of 72 officers and men. She was modestly armed with two 3-inch guns and two machine guns.

Completed after the end of World War I, Partridge was assigned to the Pacific Fleet as a minesweeper until she was transferred to the Atlantic Fleet in June 1941. Partridge was then converted into an ocean-going tug and was reclassified AT-138 on 1 June 1942. For almost two years, she participated in salvage, towing, and rescue operations along the East Coast of the United States and in the Caribbean, saving numerous lives and ships in distress. On 15 May 1944, Partridge was reclassified ATO-138 (ATO standing for Ocean Tug, Old) and was ordered to England to assist in the preparation for the invasion of Normandy. Partridge arrived in England and stayed there until 10 June, when she was ordered to steam toward the Normandy beachhead to assist in a major towing operation. While nearing Normandy in the early morning hours of 11 June, Partridge was suddenly attacked by a German E-Boat. The E-Boat fired a torpedo and scored a direct hit on the tug. Partridge sank shortly after she was hit, taking with her 32 officers and men, almost half her crew.

Many ships were lost during the invasion of Normandy. Few (if any) are remembered today. What makes the loss of Partridge tragic is the fact that she was not a large ship, or a famous ship, or even a heavily armed ship. She was just a humble tug doing her job with no glamour and even less fanfare. Yet this small ship was sunk and the 32 men who died that night had families, friends, wives and sweethearts who would never see them again. World War II proved that being on a ship, any ship, in hostile waters could be an extremely dangerous proposition.

USS Seminole (AT-65)

Figure 1: USS Seminole (AT-65), photograph taken by her builder, the Bethlehem Steel Company shipyard, Staten Island, New York, at the time of her completion, circa early 1940. This photograph has been heavily retouched from the mainmast area to the stern. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center. Click on photograph for larger image.


Figure 2: USS Seminole (AT-65), photograph taken in 1940, probably early in the year at the time of her completion. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center. Click on photograph for larger image.


Figure 3: USS Seminole (AT-65), photograph taken in 1940, probably early in the year at the time of her completion. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center. Click on photograph for larger image.

Named after an American Indian tribe from Florida, the USS Seminole (AT-65) was a 1,500-ton Navajo class ocean-going tug that was built by the Bethlehem Steel Company at Staten Island, New York. Commissioned on 8 March 1940, Seminole was approximately 205 feet long and 38 feet wide, with a top speed of 16 knots and a crew of 80 officers and men. Seminole was armed with one 3-inch gun, two twin 40-mm gun mounts and two single 20-mm guns.

Following her shakedown cruise along America’s East Coast, Seminole was transferred to the Pacific fleet. For more than a year, this tug performed towing and salvage operations along America’s West Coast, around Hawaii, and off the coasts of Wake Island and Panama. Seminole was sailing to San Diego when Pearl Harbor was attacked on 7 December 1941. Upon hearing the news of the Japanese attack, Seminole immediately reversed course and returned to Pearl Harbor, arriving there on 12 December. During the busy days that followed, when tugs of all sizes were desperately needed for salvage and towing operations, Seminole assisted many ships, including the Army Transport President Taylor, US Navy patrol craft YP-108 and USS Vireo (AT-144).

In October 1942, Seminole was assigned to the south Pacific and sent to Guadalcanal to assist in escort, salvage, and towing operations there. Seminole arrived off Tulagi on 18 October and began ferrying ammunition, gasoline, and troops to shore from larger merchant ships. On the morning of 25 October 1942, while unloading some Marines, aviation gasoline, and howitzers approximately three and one-half miles east of Lunga Point, three Japanese destroyers spotted Seminole and the ship next to it, the small American patrol craft YP-284. The Japanese destroyers immediately opened fire on the two small American warships, hitting them repeatedly. Approximately three salvos hit the Seminole and the tug burst into flames. The order to “Abandon Ship” was given and soon both Seminole and YP-284 sank beneath the waves. Ironically, since the tug possessed no armor protection and was extremely thin-skinned, the majority of the shells fired from the Japanese destroyers went right through Seminole without exploding. As a result of this, only one man was killed on board the tug and the rest of the crew was rescued after the ship went down.

Seminole was an ordinary tug doing routine work in a very dangerous part of the Pacific during World War II. Her fate showed that ships can be sunk and people can get killed while doing such ordinary work and that any ship, regardless of its size, is fair game in wartime. Seminole received one battle star for its service in World War II.

USS England (DE-635)

Figure 1: USS England (DE-635) off San Francisco, California, on 9 February 1944. Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives. Click on photograph for larger image.


Figure 2: USS England (DE-635) is christened by Mrs. Harry B. England, mother of Ensign John C. England, the ship's namesake, during launching ceremonies at the Bethlehem Steel Company shipyard, San Francisco, California, 26 September 1943. Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives. Click on photograph for larger image.


Figure 3: USS England (DE-635) slides down the building ways at the Bethlehem Steel Company shipyard, San Francisco, California, during launching ceremonies on 26 September 1943. Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives. Click on photograph for larger image.


Figure 4: USS England (DE-635) off San Francisco, California, on 9 February 1944. Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives. Click on photograph for larger image.


Figure 5: USS England (DE-635) off San Francisco, California, on 9 February 1944. Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives. Click on photograph for larger image.


Figure 6: USS England (DE-635) off the Philadelphia Navy Yard, Pennsylvania, on 21 July 1945. She was there for repairs after being hit by a "Kamikaze" off Okinawa on 9 May 1945. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Click on photograph for larger image.


Figure 7: USS England (DE-635) damage from a "Kamikaze" hit received off Okinawa on 9 May 1945. This view, taken at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, Pennsylvania, on 24 July 1945, shows the port side of the forward superstructure, near where the suicide plane struck. Note scoreboard painted on the bridge face, showing her Presidential Unit Citation pennant and symbols for the six Japanese submarines and three aircraft credited to England. Also note fully provisioned life raft at right. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Click on photograph for larger image.


Figure 8: USS England (DE-635) fire damage in the pilothouse, near where a Japanese "Kamikaze" struck England while she was off Okinawa on 9 May 1945. This view was taken at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, Pennsylvania, on 24 July 1945. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Click on photograph for larger image.


Figure 9: USS England (DE-635) burned-out officers' stateroom in the forward superstructure, from a "Kamikaze" that hit near her bridge while she was off Okinawa on 9 May 1945. This view was taken at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, Pennsylvania, on 24 July 1945. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Click on photograph for larger image.


Figure 10: Commander Walton B. Pendleton, USN, in a late World War II photograph, taken at Adak, Alaska, showing him wearing the Navy Cross. The medal was presented to him for his role in sinking six Japanese submarines in May 1944, while he was Commanding Officer of USS England (DE-635). U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Click on photograph for larger image.

Named after John Charles England, a US Navy ensign killed on board the USS Oklahoma (BB-37) on 7 December 1941, the USS England (DE-635) was a 1,400-ton Buckley class destroyer escort that was built by the Bethlehem Steel Company at San Francisco, California. The ship was commissioned on 10 December 1943 with Lieutenant Commander Walton B. Pendleton in command. England was approximately 306 feet long and 37 feet wide, with a top speed of 24 knots and a crew of 186 officers and men. She was armed with three 3-inch guns, three 21-inch torpedo tubes, two depth charge racks, eight K-guns, one Hedgehog launcher and numerous antiaircraft guns.

England was sent to Espiritu Santo in the New Hebrides and arrived there on 12 March 1944. She immediately began escort duties between Espiritu Santo and Guadalcanal, with an occasional stop at Noumea, New Caledonia. On 18 May 1944, England (along with two destroyers) began a submarine patrol on its way to Bougainville in the Solomon Islands. During the next eight days, England was to achieve an astonishing record that, to this day, has not been equaled by any US warship. On 19 May, England sank the Japanese submarine I-16; on 22 May she sank submarine RO-106; on 23 May she sank submarine RO-104; on 24 May she sank submarine RO-116; and on 26 May she sank submarine RO-108. In three of these attacks, the two American destroyers helped initiate contact with the submarines. But the actual destruction of each submarine was achieved by England. After quickly going to an Allied port at Manus, New Guinea, to obtain more depth charges, England went back on patrol and on 31 May and, with the assistance of four other ships, sank Japanese submarine RO-105. USS England had sunk six enemy submarines, a record that has never been matched by any other warship in the US Navy.

Throughout the rest of 1944 and into 1945, England was assigned to escort duties in the south and central Pacific. In late March 1945, England took part in the invasion of Okinawa, escorting warships and cargo ships. On 9 May 1945, while on picket duty off Okinawa, three Japanese Kamikaze dive-bombers attacked England. The ship’s antiaircraft guns managed to hit one of the planes, but the damaged aircraft headed straight for the destroyer escort and smashed into her starboard side, just below the bridge. The bomb the plane was carrying exploded right after impact and started a massive fire on board the ship. Fortunately, what was left of the crew managed to get the fire under control. The blast and the fire killed 37 crewmen and wounded 25 others. England was eventually towed to Kerama Retto near Okinawa for temporary repairs.

England was sent to the US East Coast for more permanent repairs and arrived at the Philadelphia Navy Yard on 16 July 1945. She was going to be converted into a fast transport and a new hull number (APD-41) was assigned to her in July. But soon the war ended and the partially rebuilt ship was decommissioned on 15 October 1945. On 26 November 1946, USS England was sold for scrapping.

England received the Presidential Unit Citation for her destruction of six enemy submarines and her skipper, Lieutenant Commander Pendleton, was promoted to full Commander and awarded the Navy Cross. Pendleton retired from the Navy in January 1947 at the rank of Captain. England also received 10 battle stars for her service in World War II.

If ever there was a ship that deserved to be preserved as a floating museum for future generations of Americans, it was the USS England. Unfortunately, in the mad rush to forget about the horrors of World War II, England was scrapped and a very significant part of our naval heritage was lost forever.