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.
