- USS James E. Craig (DE-201)
USS "James E. Craig " (DE-201), a "Buckley"-class
destroyer escort of theUnited States Navy , was named in honor ofLieutenant Commander James Edwin Craig (1901-1941), who was killed in action aboard the USS "Pennsylvania" during theJapan eseattack on Pearl Harbor 7 December 1941 ."James E. Craig" was launched
22 July 1943 , byCharleston Navy Yard ; sponsored by Mrs. J. E. Craig, widow of Lieutenant Commander Craig; and commissioned 1 November 1943, Lieutenant Commander Hampton M. Ericson in command.The new destroyer escort departed
Charleston, South Carolina 23 November for shakedown offBermuda and returned to Charleston25 December for alterations. She sailed4 January 1944 forPanama via theWindward Passage . In theCaribbean she joined sister ships USS "Lovelace" and USS "Samuel S. Miles"7 January to escort twotroop transport s. She transited thePanama Canal 8 January .In company with other destroyer escorts, "James E. Craig" steamed from
Balboa, Panama ,14 January escorting SS "Azalea City" toNoumea ,New Caledonia . Stopping atBora Bora 27 January , "James E. Craig" and Azalea City departed the 28th and 2 days later encountered atyphoon which pounded the ships with convert|50|ft|m|0|sing=on waves. They passed through a second typhoon4 February with winds of convert|80|kn|mph km/h|0. On5 February they were ordered toEspiritu Santo , and arrived the following day."James E. Craig" departed Espiritu Santo
13 February with three other escorts and seven merchant ships bound forGuadalcanal . Upon arrival the 16th, she begananti-submarine patrol offLunga Point . She departed for Espiritu Santo23 February , escorting two merchant ships and continued her escort duty between Guadalcanal and Espiritu Santo for several weeks. On15 March , she escorted the oiler USS "Cacapon" from Espiritu Santo to a fueling rendezvous withTask Force 36 , which was engaged in operations againstKavieng , New Ireland, andEmirau Island , “the last link in the ring aroundRabaul .” Refueling completed the 25th, "James E. Craig" and "Cacapon" joined other escorts and tankers and returned to Espirito Santo.On 31 March, "James E. Craig" departed Espiritu Santo in company with
Escort Division 37 , including "Lovelace", "Manning", "Neuendorf" and "Eichenberger". Stopping atTulagi in theSolomons , 2 to 4 April, they sailed the 5th forNew Guinea , where "James E. Craig" was to see action for 5 months.On 26 April, "James E. Craig" joined a
convoy of escorts and transports bound fromCape Sudest to Humboldt Bay to support the invasion ofHollandia , underway since the 22nd. The convoy arrived3 May ; and after discharging the transports, the escorts returned to Cape Sudest the 5th. "James E. Craig", now under the command of Lieutenant Commander Edward F. Andrews, steamed13 May on escort duty to Humboldt Bay viaAitape Roads , arrived the 17th, and immediately joined an attack convoy bound forWakde-Sarmi , west of Hollandia. She returned the same day to Humboldt Bay, where she continued her patrols and escort duty. She bombarded enemy troop concentrations at Wakde-Sarmi on the 27th and returned to Cape Cretin via Humboldt Bay on the 31st."James E. Craig" returned to Humboldt Bay
6 June to prepare for the bitter conquest ofBiak Island . With six other escorts, she accompanied the convoy and supported the landing operations12 June . Departing the same day, the convoy returned to Humboldt Bay the 14th; and "James E. Craig" continued as escort toCape Cretin , where she arrived 3 days later.During the remainder of June and through July, "James E. Craig" continued escort and anti-submarine duties along the northern coast of New Guinea. While on ASW operations off Wakde, she conducted prolonged, successful bombardments of enemy supply depots at
Sawar , 11-12 July, expending some 3,300 rounds of 3" and 1.1" shellfire. A week later, she arrived atNoemfoor Island , southwest of Biak, and escorted convoys 18 to23 July on a triangular route from Noemfoor to Humboldt Bay via Biak. Arriving atMadang ,Astrolabe Bay ,23 July for overhaul, "James E. Craig" returned to Humboldt Bay to resume her escort and ASW operations.During August, she plied the coastal waters off New Guinea from Cape Cretin to Wakde; then devoted the 6 weeks to escort and anti-submarine patrol between Cape Cretin,
Manus Island , and Humboldt Bay. On11 October , she joined a convoy atUlithi , then sailed for thePalaus on the 18th and arrivedPeleliu 2 days later for ASW operations. She returned to Manus the 25th for repairs.Back at Humboldt Bay on 14 November, she joined a large convoy of transports, amphibious craft, and escorts underway on the 17th for the
Philippine Islands , to support the vital, Allied foothold on Leyte, established some 4 weeks earlier. The convoy of 75 ships and 9 escorts steamed northwestward and by dusk of the 23rd approachedLeyte Gulf . "James E. Craig", returning from radar picket patrol to her assigned ASW station, made radar contact with six low-flying unidentified planes approaching from the south at approximately convert|190|kn|mph km/h|0. Soon her spotters observed “Jill” torpedo planes convert|7|mi|km|0 out, closing at high speed. As the enemy planes broke into three groups in an attempt to "box the target," "James E. Craig" turned left full rudder to meet the attackers; and all guns which could bear commenced firing at the planes, still more than convert|2|mi|km|0 out. Four of the attackers began a run and launched theirtorpedo es at a range of 1,000-1,500 yards to port; as the ship turned, three torpedoes passed “close aboard to port” and almost parallel to her. Meanwhile, two planes commenced a run from the starboard side. Approaching almost directly from out of the sunset, one plane dropped a torpedo within a thousand yards which broached once before settling down on its run. As "James E. Craig" turned hard to starboard, the torpedo passed within convert|5|yd|m|0 astern. One of the attackers passed within convert|200|yd|m|-2 of the ship, was hit by starboard 20 mm gunfire, and splashed after passing over frigate USS "El Paso".The convoy stood into San Pedro Bay, Leyte, the following day, and remained at battle stations a greater part of the day to repel enemy aircraft which attempted to bomb the convoy. That night, the convoy and escorts reformed and departed for Humboldt Bay via the Palaus.
Upon arrival, "James E. Craig" received general maintenance and overhaul from
destroyer tender USS "Dobbin" through10 December . She spent the remainder of the month escorting fleet tankers and practicing antiaircraft and night torpedo firing drills atPadaido ,Dutch East Indies , and Humboldt Bay. On28 December , Escort Division 37 departed Humboldt Bay with a convoy of tankers and merchant ships bound for Leyte, where they arrived1 January 1945 .The following day, "James E. Craig" stood out for
Mindoro Island to join Task Group 77.2, ordered to support landing operations on northern Luzon. Enemy reconnaissance planes maintained close surveillance; and late afternoon4 January an enemy suicide plane penetrated defenses and struck the USS "Ommaney Bay", causing her to burst into flame. After the conflagration got out of hand, the escort carrier’s commander ordered abandon ship. "James E. Craig" assisted in rescue operations and, later that evening, proceeded with other escorts and tankers to Mindoro.Standing into Mangarin Bay the following morning, "James E. Craig" commenced picket and ASW operations, which continued through the day and into the night, as the convoy departed Mangarin to maneuver off Mindoro during darkness. Designed to prevent enemy attack at night, the night maneuvers continued until the 10th, when the convoy remained at Mangarin Bay through the night.
"James E. Craig" resumed ASW operations at the harbor entrance for several days until troublesome submarine detection equipment forced her to retire to Mangarin Harbor
14 January . She commenced antiaircraft patrol for ships in anchorage and on5 February returned to San Pedro Bay, Leyte, for repairs, thence to Humboldt Bay, New Guinea, arriving2 March .Getting underway the following day, she returned to San Pedro Bay via Kossol Roads, Palaus. Upon arriving Leyte
10 March , "James E. Craig" prepared for continued escort duties between San Pedro Bay andManila , Manus, Humboldt Bay, and Kossol Roads. From14 March to21 May , she operated almost continuously on escort duty, and on the 21st she departed Leyte forLingayen Gulf . Standing intoSan Fernando Harbor 4 days later, she commenced anti-submarine and escort patrols along the coast of Luzon that continued to 13 August when she departed for Manila. Once at Manila, she resumed ASW operations to the 27th; then, as escort in company with "Eichenberger", she convoyed tugs and tows en route Okinawa. An impending typhoon disrupted the convoy1 September ; high seas and convert|70|kn|mph km/h|0|sing=on winds scattered the ships and separated tugs from their tows. After the storm abated 2 September, "James E. Craig" began search and rescue operations which continued to the 9th. Further typhoon warnings caused the ships to return toSubic Bay , Luzon, where the convoy anchored the following day."James E. Craig" remained at Subic Bay until
1 October , when she steamed for theUnited States viaEniwetok andPearl Harbor . She arrivedSan Diego 5 November and decommissioned there2 July 1946 . She was struck from the Navy List on30 June 1968 ."James E. Craig" received four
battle star s forWorld War II service.References
*DANFS|http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/j1/james_e_craig.htm
External links
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/06/201.htm navsource.org: USS "James E. Craig"]
* [http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/escorts/de201.txt hazegray.org: USS "James E. Craig"]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.