USS Underhill (DE-682)

USS "Underhill" (DE-682), a "Buckley"-class destroyer escort, was named in honor of Ensign Samuel Underhill, a naval aviator of the United States Navy who was killed in action during the Battle of the Coral Sea. Her keel was laid down on 16 September 1943 by the Bethlehem Steel Company's Fore River Shipyard at Quincy, Massachusetts. She was launched on 15 October 1943 sponsored by Mrs. David (Bertha) Underhill, aunt and guardian of Ensign Underhill. "Underhill" was commissioned exactly one month later under the command of Lieutenant Commander Sidney R. Jackson.

Atlantic/Mediterranean service

After trial runs and crew training, "Underhill" moved to the Boston Navy Yard for provisioning and loading of ammunition. On 2 December 1943, she was underway to Bermuda for further training and shakedown, returning to Boston Navy Yard on 10 January 1944 for minor repairs. She got underway from Boston on 17 January 1944 and arrived at Guantanamo Bay on 22 January, reporting to Commander, Caribbean Sea Frontier, for duty. She operated out of Trinidad and Guantanamo escorting convoys until late in May when she escorted SS "George Washington" from Kingston, Jamaica, to Miami, Florida.

Returning to Boston Navy Yard on 30 May 1944, "Underhill's" torpedo tubes were removed and replaced with Bofors 40-millimeter antiaircraft guns. Additionally two 20 mm anti-aircraft guns were added on the fantail. Her new area of operations was the Mediterranean Sea, and the Junkers Ju 88 dive bombers flying out of Southern France had been converted to torpedo planes and were taking a toll on British and French convoys.

Following training exercises in Casco Bay, Maine, "Underhill" got underway before dawn on Independence Day and steamed from Hampton Roads to screen UGS 47, a large, slow convoy bound for Mediterranean ports. "Underhill" conducted battle drills and investigated sonar contacts during the long, uneventful Atlantic voyage. In the Mediterranean Sea on 21 July and 22 July, she responded to several air raid warnings, but no enemy action materialized, although the last three convoys to pass along this route had been attacked by German planes.

She escorted convoys between Bizerte, Tunisia and Oran, Algeria. After her first convoy in Bizerte, "Underhill" was ordered out into the Mediterranean Sea where she steamed all night at flank speed, fully illuminated in waters known to be populated with U-boats and overflown by German aircraft. The invasion of southern France was launched a few days later; it is likely "Underhill's" cruise was a diversion or a probe. When returning to Bizerte, she struck a ship sunken in the channel and badly damaged her port propeller and shaft, which was repaired in Oran. After arriving at that port on 27 July, she underwent temporary repairs; then, on 5 August, she departed North Africa. Early on 6 August, she joined the escort of Convoy GUS 47, with which she arrived safely at New York City on 18 August. Six days later, Lieutenant Commander Robert M. Newcomb relieved Jackson as commanding officer; he would holdthe post for the rest of his life.

The next convoy, UGS 54 to Plymouth, England, in September, was uneventfuluntil "Underhill" left Plymouth in October. Upon leaving the harbor, a submarine sonar contact was made in the English Channel. Several hours of depth charging accomplished nothing, but while running the patterns, the ship struck an underwater object (possibly a U-boat) destroying the ship's sonar soundhead. "Underhill" drydocked at Plymouth, but the British were unable to make needed repairs, so "Underhill" returned to Boston with a group of tank landing ships (LSTs) for a new sound head.

She escorted Convoy UGS 60 from Boston to Mers el Kebir in November; then engaged in anti-submarine warfare exercises out of Oran with
French submarine "Doris". She departed that Algerian port on 3 December escorting GUS 60 and reached New York on 21 December. She entered the Brooklyn Navy Yard on 21 December, departing for New London, Connecticut, on 8 January 1945 for a temporary assignment with Submarine Forces, Atlantic. Operating out of New London, she served as a training and escort ship for submarines, took part in exercises in Block Island Sound and Long Island Sound; and trained intensively in anti-submarine warfare.

Pacific service

In late January 1945, "Underhill" was assigned to the Seventh Fleet in the Philippine Islands, departing New London on 8 February 1945, rendezvousing with HMS "Patroller" to escort the British escort carrier to the Panama Canal Zone. "Underhill" then steamed via the Panama Canal, the Galapagos Islands, and Bora Bora to the Admiralty Islands and arrived at Seeadler Harbor on 15 March 1945.

Her first convoy took her to Lingayen Gulf where she remained for four days of radar picket duty. From there she went on to Hollandia (currently known as Jayapura) and Biak. On 5 June 1945, "Underhill" left Hollandia escorting the troopship USS "General M.B. Stewart" (AP-140) to Leyte Gulf.

On 10 June 1945, "Underhill" left Leyte for Hollandia, but in route received a distress call from OA-10 #23, a B-24 Liberator bomber. "Underhill" and "Thadeus Parker" were diverted to the crash site by orders of the Commander, Philippine Sea Frontier. The destroyers and various aircraft patrolled the area until 12 June when the search was abandoned. After "Parker" and the aircraft had left the area, "Underhill"'s lookouts spotted green dye marker and a ration can floating in the water. Investigating further, into a rain squall, the lookouts found three survivors, who had been in the water about 60 hours with life jackets but no life raft. "Underhill" took them aboard at 07:59 and transported them to Hollandia.

"Underhill" escorted shipping between Manus, Bora Bora, and Palau, until she joined a large convoy of supply and troopships. She departed Leyte Gulf on 9 July and arrived at Okinawa on 14 July 1945. There, she was assigned to radar picket duty until relieved to serve as escort commander of Task Unit 99-1-18, a convoy from Buckner Bay, Okinawa back to Leyte Gulf on 21 July 1945. The convoy included one troop ship and six LSTs carrying troops of the 96th Division back to the Philippines for rest and reinforcements. The convoy escorts were patrol craft "PC-1251", "PC-803", "PC-804", and "PC-807", sub chasers "SC-1306" and "SC-1309", and patrol craft escort "PCE-872".

"Underhill" sinking

On the morning of the third day out, 24 July 1945, about 200 to 300miles northeast of Cape Engaño, "Underhill's" radar detected a Japanese "Dinah" reconnaissance plane circling the convoy about ten miles out. Her crew immediately manned their battle stations and ordered other escorts to air defense stations. The Japanese pilot remained out of gun range, determining the convoy's base course and relaying it to Japanese submarines in the area. After some 45 minutes, "Underhill" crew secured from battle stations and ordered the other escorts to resume assigned patrol stations. During this time, an SC had developed mechanical problems and had to be taken in tow by "PCE-872".

Two or three Japanese submarines were in the area. After establishing the convoy's base course, one released a dummy naval mine in the path of the convoy. When sighted by "Underhill" lookouts, the ship's commander ordered a general course change to port. When the last ship had cleared, "Underhill" stood in to sink the mine. After repeated direct hits by the 20-millimeter guns and 30-calibre rifle fire, the convoy realized the mine was a diversionary tactic by the Japanese submarines.

A sonar contact made earlier had been lost during the course changes required by the mine threat, but "Underhill" regained contact and guided "PC-804" into a depth charge attack with no immediate results. A few minutes later, however, a sub was sighted on the surface in the area where "PC-804" had attacked. "Underhill" set course to ram, but the sub dove and the command was changed to drop depth charges. A 13-charge pattern was laid, explosions brought up oil and debris, and "PC-804" reported a kill.

"Underhill" reversed course and passed back through the debris. Sonar picked up another contact. The depth charges had brought to the surface two "kaiten", Japanese midget suicide submarines or manned torpedoes, each with a warhead equivalent to about two standard torpedoes. One was on either side of "Underhill"; the one to starboard was too close for any of "Underhill"'s guns to bear.

At 15:15, the captain ordered flank speed, a turn onto collision course, and all hands to stand by to ram. "Underhill" struck the "kaiten" to port, and two explosions resulted, the first directly under the bridge and magazine area, the second, a few seconds later, forward of the bridge area and more to starboard. "Underhill" broke in half at the forward fire room. The stern section remained upright and afloat; The bow, sticking straight up, began drifting away to starboard. The explosions flung a tremendous quantity of oily water over the aft section, knocking down men and washing some overboard, but also dousing possible fires in that portion of the ship.

Chief Boatswain's Mate Stanley Dace was in the fire room leading a damage control party that was repairing damage from the depth charge attack on the first sub when "Underhill" struck the "kaiten". Chief Dace assumed command, rallied the crew, prevented panic, and directed damage control and self-defense operations. He ordered the survivors to "not" abandon ship, because too many of the seriously wounded would not have survived in the water. At one point, he went below decks forward to check watertight integrity and to evaluate whether the remaining hulk would stay afloat (this was carried out by Norman F. McCarty). While below, he rescued Frank Dougherty, who lost a leg but survived. Frank Dougherty was actually rescued by Norman F. McCarty. Norman was scouring the deck for survivors and he saw what appeared to be a rag doll huddled motionless in a corner of the deck. Looking closer, he recognized that it was Frank Dougherty. Frank was in such bad shape, that Norman thought for sure that he must be gone. As he was moving away, he thought he saw a flicker of movement from Frank's eyelids, and upon a closer inspection, he realized that Frank was indeed still alive. He picked Frank up and carried him to the aft of the ship where the only surviving medical person, Pharmacy Mate Third class Joseph Manory was triaging the wounded.

Chief Dace continued to direct the survivors while the other escort vessels of the convoy lowered motor whaleboats and were picking up survivors in the water. The "walking wounded" manned the remaining guns to fire on any submarine that surfaced. None did, but the survivors were prepared to defend themselves. All medical personnel aboard "Underhill" were killed except Pharmacist's Mate Third Class Joe Manory, who distinguished himself caring for the wounded.

Although hampered in their rescue efforts by the necessity to pursue sound contacts and by alarms over real and imagined periscope sightings, "PC-803" and "PC-804" quickly came to the aid of survivors in the water and on the slowly sinking aft section. On board "Underhill", the wounded were brought to the boat and main decks. The survivors displayed training and discipline as they calmly and efficiently went about their tasks,aiding the injured, and attempting to control the damage.

About an hour later "PC-803" and "PC-804" had returned to rescue survivors. Hampered because of still being under attack by the midget subs, the transfer of many seriously wounded men to the patrol craft was difficult. "PC-804" was the first to reach the combat site to assist with rescue operations and hove-to off the starboard quarter of "Underhill". The "804"'s skipper called to the senior surviving officer, Lieutenant Elwood Rich, "I have a sub contact. Do you want me to come alongside to take your people off, or do you want me to go after the contact?" Before the Lieutenant could answer, over a hundred crewmen yelled as one, "go get that son-of-a-bitch!" The patrol boats and sub chasers alternated between assisting survivors and attacking submarine contacts.

After the last known survivors were aboard "PC-803" and "PC-804", Electrician's Mate First Class Rodger Crum and Electrician's Mate Second Class Paul Adams returned to the hulk to assist Chief Dace in conducting a final search for any remaining survivors. At 18:30, Chief Dace was the last man to leave the hulk. Upon orders from Commander, Philippine Sea Frontier, a firing line was formed by "PC-803", "PC-804", and "PCE-872". The fragments of "Underhill" were sunk by three inch (76.2 mm) and 40 mm gunfire at 19:17.

The remainder of 24 July was spent rejoining the convoy. The survivors were transferred to "LST-768" at about 03:00 on 25 July. Task Unit 99-1-18 proceeded to its destination of Leyte Gulf.

A total of 112 crew members of "Underhill" perished in the explosion, while 122 survived. Ten of the fourteen officers were lost, including the commanding officer, Lieutenant Commander Newcomb. Every crewman was awarded the Purple Heart, and Newcomb also received the Silver Star. CBM Stanley Dace was posthumously awarded the bronze star with combat "V" and citation of merit in August 1998. One other shipmate, Pharmacy Mate Third class Joseph Manory, was awarded the Navy and Marine Commendation Medal with Combat "V" in 1998.

USS "Underhill" was struck from the Naval Vessel Registry on 1 September 1945.

References

The home WebSite for the USS Underhill is:http://www.ussunderhill.org/

External links

* [http://history.navy.mil/danfs/u1/underhill.htm history.navy.mil: USS "Underhill"]
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/06/682.htm navsource.org: USS "Underhill"]