USS England (DE-635)

USS "England" (DE-635), a "Buckley" class destroyer escort of the United States Navy, was named in honor of Ensign John C. England (1920–1941), who was killed in action aboard the battleship USS "Oklahoma" during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor 7 December 1941.

"England" was launched on 26 September 1943 at the Bethlehem Steel Company shipyard in San Francisco, California, sponsored by Mrs. H. B. England, mother of Ensign England; and commissioned on 10 December 1943, with Commander W. B. Pendleton in command.

"England" arrived at Espiritu Santo 12 March 1944 from San Francisco, Pearl Harbor, Funafuti, and Guadalcanal. She took up escort duty between Espiritu Santo and Guadalcanal, occasionally sailing to Noumea, and once to the Marshalls.

Anti-Submarine Record

I-16

United States Pacific Fleet Military intelligence decoded a 13 May 1944 message from "I-16" including a scheduled delivery of rice for Japanese troops at Buin on the southern tip of Bougainville Island. "England", USS "George" and USS "Raby" were ordered to intercept "I-16". "England" detected "I-16" during calm, sunny weather on the early afternoon of 18 May 1944. The first hedgehog attack at 1341 was a miss. A second hedgehog attack scored one hit at a depth of 130 feet. A third hedgehog attack at 1410 missed because depth was assumed to be 200 feet rather than the 325 feet revealed by the fathometer following the attack. "I-16" outmaneuvered a fourth hedgehog attack. The fifth hedgehog attack at 1433 scored four to six detonations and was followed by a large underwater explosion which lifted "England"s fantail and knocked men off their feet. Debris began floating to the surface twenty minutes later. The following day, a three by six-mile (5 by 10-kilometer) oil slick marked the location on the calm surface of the Pacific.Lanier, William D. and Williamson, John A., CAPT USN "The Twelve Days of the England" "United States Naval Institute Proceedings" March 1980 pp. 76-77]

RO-106

A 20 May 1944 message was decoded revealing Japanese plans for a submarine trap north of the Admiralty Islands to intercept an anticipated movement of United States aircraft carriers. "RO-104", "RO-105", "RO-106", "RO-108", "RO-109", "RO-112", and "RO-116" of the Japanese seventh submarine squadron formed a patrol line across a route Admiral Halsey had used twice before. "George" detected "RO-106" on RADAR at 0350 22 May, saw the submarine dive when located by searchlight, and missed with a hedgehog attack at 0415. "England" regained contact at 0425, missed with one hedgehog attack, and scored at least three detonations on a second attack at 0501. A large underwater explosion was detected as "England" prepared to conduct a third attack, and a heavy oil slick with debris was evident after sunrise.Lanier, William D. and Williamson, John A., CAPT USN "The Twelve Days of the England" "United States Naval Institute Proceedings" March 1980 pp. 78-79]

RO-104

The three destroyer escorts formed a RADAR search line with a scouting interval of 16000 yards during hours of darkness. "Raby" detected "RO-104" on RADAR at 0600 23 May, made SONAR contact at 0610, and missed with four hedgehog attacks beginning at 0617. "George" missed with a hedgehog attack at 0717. "George" then missed with four more hedgehog attacks between 0730 and 0810. "England" then missed with a first hedgehog attack and scored an estimated ten or twelve detonations on a second hedgehog attack at 0834. The hits were followed by noises of the submarine breaking up and a large underwater explosion three minutes later. Debris and oil appeared on the surface at 1045.Lanier, William D. and Williamson, John A., CAPT USN "The Twelve Days of the England" "United States Naval Institute Proceedings" March 1980 pp. 79-80]

RO-116

"George" detected "RO-116" on RADAR at 0120 24 May. "England" made SONAR contact at 0150, and scored three to five detonations on the first hedgehog attack at 0214. Breaking-up noises were not followed by the major explosions noted on earlier sinkings. A small quantity of oil and debris was evident after sunrise at 0702 and the oil slick had expanded to cover several square miles the following day.Lanier, William D. and Williamson, John A., CAPT USN "The Twelve Days of the England" "United States Naval Institute Proceedings" March 1980 pp. 80-81]

RO-108

A hunter-killer group consisting of the escort carrier USS "Hoggatt Bay" with destroyers USS "Hazelwood", USS "Heermann", USS "Hoel", and USS "McCord" arrived on 26 May so the three destroyer escorts could leave to refuel and rearm. The destroyer escorts maintained their search formation en route to Manus. "Raby" detected "RO-108" on RADAR at 2303 26 May. "England" made RADAR contact at 2304, SONAR contact at 2318, and scored four to six detonations with the first hedgehog attack. There was no major explosion following the breaking-up noises, but a fountain of oil was observed rising to the surface at dawn.Lanier, William D. and Williamson, John A., CAPT USN "The Twelve Days of the England" "United States Naval Institute Proceedings" March 1980 pp. 81-82]

RO-105

The three destroyer escorts reached Manus at 1500 27 May. After taking on fuel, provisions, and ammunition, they sailed at 1800 28 May with USS "Spangler" to rejoin the search. "Hazelwood" detected "RO-105" on RADAR at 0156 30 May and missed with a depth charge attack. "George" and "Raby" joined "Hazelwood" and made sixteen hedgehog and depth charge attacks over a period of 25 hours. "RO-105" came up for air at 0310 31 May and was immediately detected by "George" and "Raby". "RO-105" stayed directly between the two destroyer escorts for five minutes before submerging so neither "Raby" not "George" could fire without endangering the other. Sequential hedgehog attacks were then made by "Raby", "George", "Raby", and "Spangler". All missed. "England" then scored six to ten detonations in a hedgehog attack at 0736. A major explosion followed at 0741 and a fountain of oil and debris appeared on the surface.Lanier, William D. and Williamson, John A., CAPT USN "The Twelve Days of the England" "United States Naval Institute Proceedings" March 1980 pp. 82-83]

This anti-submarine warfare performance was never matched in World War II, and won for "England" a Presidential Unit Citation, and the assurance from the Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral E. J. King, "There'll always be an England in the United States Navy." His pledge was fulfilled 6 October 1960, when DLG-22 was assigned the name "England".

Subsequent Service

Through the summer of 1944, "England" sailed throughout the northern Solomons, providing the escort services necessary for the building up of bases, preparations for the renewed assaults on Japanese territories to the north, and provision of supplies to garrison forces on the islands of the southwest Pacific. In August, she underwent repairs at Manus, and between 24 September and 15 October voyaged from the Treasury Islands to Sydney, Australia. From the Treasuries, she sailed guarding a convoy to Hollandia, where she arrived 18 October, and on the 26th got underway on the first of two voyages to escort reinforcement convoys to newly invaded Leyte. She returned to Manus and local escort duty 2 December.

From 2 January 1945, "England" escorted convoys between Manus and Ulithi, the major base for operations of the carrier task forces, and later to be the staging point for the assaults on Iwo Jima and Okinawa. The escort vessel sailed to Kossol Roads in February, bringing in a convoy later routed on to the Philippines, then resumed her duty on the Manus-Ulithi sealanes. She sailed from Ulithi 23 March for the preinvasion bombardment of Okinawa, returned to Ulithi to join the screen of two cruisers, guarding them back to Okinawa to join the 5th Fleet just after the initial assault on 1 April. Between 6 and 17 April, she voyaged to Saipan screening unladen transports, then took up a screening and patrol station north of the Kerama Retto.

On 9 May 1945, while on station, "England" was attacked by three Japanese dive bombers. Her anti-aircraft fire set the first of these flaming, but the plane crashed "England" on her starboard side, just below the bridge. The kamikaze pilot had remembered his instructions to knock out the ship's nerve center and kill as many as possible of her officers. With the bomb of the plane exploding just after the crash, "England" 's men began a dangerous race against time, to quench the fires and save their ship, while the combat air patrol shot down the two other attackers. She was able to make Kerama Retto under tow, with 37 of her men killed or missing and 25 wounded.

"England" sailed on to Leyte, where she received temporary repairs to put her in shape for the long voyage home. On 16 July 1945 she arrived at Philadelphia for permanent repairs and conversion to a High speed transport. The end of the war, however, halted this work. Because of her extensive damage and a surplus of ships of her type, it was decided not to repair her. She was decommissioned on 15 October 1945 and sold for scrapping on 26 November 1946.

In addition to the Presidential Unit Citation, "England" received 10 battle stars for World War II service.

Notes

References

*DANFS|http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/e4/england.htm

External links

* [http://www.ussengland.org/ USS "England" website]
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/06/635.htm USS "England" pictures] at navsource.org