It is located in close proximity to the city of Portland, which offered good logistics and support facilities. No city has ever provided more enthusiastic support to our Washington, U.S.S. The steamer was coal fired. USS Denebola (AF-56), was launched 10 June 1944 as Hibbing Victory by Oregon Shipbuilding Co., Portland, Oregon and commissioned in . Still looking for any information on the USS Capronia C-21336 Guardship off of Portland Maine 1944-45. An obvious place to start is uboat.net. USS Tills (DE 748) was mentioned in the first part of the blog series. Interesting information. She served as plane guard for President Dwight D. Eisenhower's plane and on his return from the NATO conference at Paris, in 1957, and during her 1958 Mediterranean tour she replenished ships patrolling off Beirut in the aftermath of the Lebanon crisis. The second ship to be named Denebola by the Navy, AF-56 was launched 10 June 1944 as Hibbing Victory by Oregon Shipbuilding Co., Portland, Oregon; sponsored by Miss J. document.write(d.getFullYear()) NHF members are being converted to members of the Naval Institute. Two remain on display as museum ships. Two of them were captured Italian subs used for training purposes during the latter part of the war. The ship entered service in 1943. USS Denebola is a name used more than once by the U.S. Navy: . These ships were carryovers from the World War I era having entered service right after the end of the war. To make a long story, short, one of those U-boat flags has passed into our family and we still have it. Commander Destroyers, U.S. Atlantic Fleet, broke his flag in the She was built at . USS Yosemite (AD 19) All were lost at sea. USS Denebola (AF-56) USS Don Marquis (IX-215) USS Dorothea L. Dix (AP-67) SS Drexel Victory SS Durham Victory USNS Dutton E SS E.M. Clark SS El Capitan (1917) USS Elizabeth C. Stanton SS Elmira Victory SS Elwood Mead HMS Empire Battleaxe SS Empire Dabchick SS Empire Javelin HMS Empire Spearhead HMS Engadine (1911) SS Enid Victory in the Ordinary on January 16, 1940 with a skeleton crew under the Free shipping. On board the Denebola, he sailed to the Mediterranean in late 1944, where he bought the vintage postcards from street vendors and the photos from the ship's photographer. The SS Minot Victory was a Victory ship built during World War II under the Emergency Shipbuilding program. She was built as a merchant cargo ship in Seattle, Washington by Her first port of call was Mers-el-Kebir, Going Ashore: Naval Operations in Casco Bay During World War II (Part I). Hi Peter. USN. I am searching for any information on a Navy ship stationed in Portland Maine 1943-44. She was launched by the Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation on February28, 1944, and was completed on April5, 1944. This class of ship was used mainly to transport supplies, mostly refrigerated, to ships, staging areas, and remote stations. NHF members are being converted to members of the Naval Institute. by the French Sloop Commandant Borie and the U.S.S. 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. at the time, get possession of the flag? She was named after Pierre, South Dakota, the capital of the US state of South Dakota. No division Her crew was eligible for the following medals and commendations: Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! There are 223 ships on the list that visited the bay between 1944 and 1945. A first magnitude star in the northern constellation Leo. Please e-mail any information to me at jjkcgrahams@gmail.com Thankyou Jim Graham, Looking for a Navy ship in Portland in April or March of 1943 and may have traveled to Boston as well. Read the whole story. Iowa is now serving as a museum ship in San Pedro, California. USS Kearney (DD 432) was a Gleaves Class destroyer that entered service in 1940. At least 770 U.S. AD. Final Disposition: sold for scrapping, 1 December 1976, by the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service. operations involving the preparation of navy ships for decommission- The 10,600-ton ship was constructed for the Maritime Commission. I found 7 subs on their list that surrendered in Portsmouth but no details are provided on the circumstances leading up to their surrender. Juneau, Memoirs and photographs of Milton W. Sherman (1919-2010). The ship's US Maritime Commission designation was VC2-S-AP3, hull number116 (V-116). Nay photos you would allow me to use I would appreciate. Casco Bay offered plenty of space, protected anchorages, and nearby convoy routes. After the war on 4 August 1948 she was laid up at Wilmington, North Carolina as part of the National Defense Reserve Fleet. Victory ships were designed to supersede the earlier Liberty ships. He also sailed to the Pacific in 1945. of a regular destroyer tender. She was assigned to USS Yosemite (AD 19) was a Dixie Class destroyer tender built in Tampa, Florida. Some were lost before Pearl usmm.org, "Battle Stars" in World War II. The Sea Frontier commanders were responsible for coastal defense in their respective areas. USNS Perseus (T-AF-64) was a Denebola-class stores ship acquired by the U.S. Navy. 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. My uncle was an enlisted man on board a Destroyer Escort (name unknown) stationed off Casco Bay. Would like to have contact with Don Kennedy if he is OK with it. Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive - AF-56 Denebola, List of auxiliaries of the United States Navy. The sponsor and christening of the SS Pierre Victory on Dec. 6, 1944 was Mrs. Emma S. Jassmann of Pierre, she had five sons who served during World War II,. REFERENCES: The following references were used in preparation for the presentations delivered at museums in the Portland area in 2006 and 2009. The source for this information was the account of a crew member on the USS Boyd. NHF has decommissioned and is no longer accepting new members or donations. If you could help me solve this mystery, Id be much appreciative. The Maritime Commission turned it over for merchant navy operation to a civilian contractor, the United States Lines under the United States Merchant Marine act for the War Shipping Administration. The other two ships in her class were USSRegulus and USNSPerseus. $3.50. My mother and myself as an infant were also there (somewhere). Rear Admiral O.M. A torpedo off Guadalcanal sank her on 13 November 1942. 2 days after V-E day, about 3 miles off Outer Green Island, they got a sonar contact and proceeded to put 2 depth charges into the water. RADM Jones shifted his flag from the Denebola All rights reserved. We would also see them when taking the boat to Portland. She had served her country well as the Flagship of and tend destroyers. Final Disposition: sold for scrapping, 1 December 1976, by the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service. SS Hibbing Victory made trip between 18 November 1950 and 23 December 1952 helping American forces engaged against in South Korea. Many ships that served during the war were decommissioned, although a significant number of these would return to service for the Korean War in 1951. Steps were being taken to increase naval strength in that area. DENEBOLA earned 1 Battle Star for WWII service * Invasion of Southern France August 15 to September 25 1944 Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons. So here are the questions I have. Good luck. On My cousin tells a similar story with just a few of the details being different. (Again, there are more details of the whole story I have left out.) American Defense Medal - American Campaign Medal - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal (1) - Asian-Pacific Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal Her task was to carry stores, refrigerated items, and equipment to ships in the fleet, and to remote stations and staging areas. However, it was too far from the convoy routes. I can remember my mother taking me to see the Navy ships, sometimes from the island and sometimes from the Eastern Promenade where my Grandfather lived. Unlike Liberty ships, Victory ships were designed to serve the US Navy after the war and to last longer. Heres how to join! I was there later as I was born January 1944. She was also in the Mediterranean during the June 1967 Arab-Israeli Six Day War, and replenished U.S. Navy ships on standby alert during that conflict.[7]. I am not sure if he was on a destroyer or escort? Final Disposition: sold for scrapping, 1 December 1976, by the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service. USS Denebola was launched in June 1944 as the 7612 gross ton civilian cargo ship Hibbing Victory. ), I can see that my Dad's high estimation of Mr. Trainer's character was entirely accurate. You might enjoy reading a fuller version of his life aboard the Denebola. During the October 1987 Iceland. anchored and on September 30, 1944, she moored to Pier Avanporto- Also, to be remembered, are the many navy ships that operated out Copyright 2011-2022 Naval Historical Foundation. That is where my mother grew up and I spent my summers when I was a kid. SUBMARINES Thirty-three submarines appear on the list. A trip down the bay covered distances up to six miles from Portland and included multiple stops, often under unpleasant weather conditions. USS Denebola (AF-56) was a Denebola-class stores ship acquired by the U.S. Navy. The Maritime Commission turned it over for Merchant navy operation to a civilian contractor, the United States Lines. HullNumber.com takes your privacy seriously. Atlantic Fleet. The ship's United States Maritime Commission designation was VC2-S-AP3 and hull number 149 (1203). The U.S. Navy considered making further use of the bay after the war. Battery Steele on Peaks Island included a pair of 16 battleship style guns pointing to seaward. She was built in 101 days under the Emergency Shipbuilding program. Liberty ships were designed to be used just for WW2. I still have my connections to the island and we actually rented my grandparents house on Greenwood Street for a week last year. One flag (supposedly) went to an Admiral from Portland, a second to an Admiral from Boston and a third went somewhere else. These ships can be recognized by their raised forecastles and in the pre-war classes, portholes in the sides. Is there any such truth to these tales, and if so is there any record of vessels thus commandeered? I cant believe it. Yosemite was initially assigned to wartime duties in the Pacific. I do not know which Island? He currently holds the title of Chief Marine Engineer at Marine Design Dynamics. That would change. The second Denebola (AF-56) was launched 10 June 1954 as Hibbing Victory by Oregon Shipbuilding Co.' Portland, Oreg. Unlike their post war counterparts that were (and are) of wooden hull construction, World War II minesweepers had steel hulls. Sank her on 13 November 1942 crew member on the circumstances leading up six... Wartime duties in the pre-war classes, portholes in the Pacific, South Dakota Commandant Borie the! 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