USS Swearer (DE-186)

USS "Swearer" (DE-186) was a "Cannon"-class destroyer escort in the United States Navy during World War II. She was later transferred to the French Navy as "Bambara".

"Swearer" was laid down on August 12 1943, launched on October 31 1943, and commissioned on November 23, 1943. "Swearer" was named for Lt. Walter John Swearer who was killed in action aboard USS|Enterprise|CV-6 during the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands in October 1942.

From commissioning until mid-January 1944, "Swearer" was attached to the Operational Training Command, Atlantic Fleet for shakedown training and post-shakedown availability. On January 19, 1944, she put to sea from New York City in the screen of a convoy of troop transports bound for the Panama Canal. She transited the canal at the end of January and continued on to Hawaii. "Swearer" arrived in Pearl Harbor on February 15 and remained there until the 29th, conducting training and undergoing repairs. On the 29th, she set sail for Eniwetok Atoll in the screen of a convoy and, after a stop at Kwajalein, reached her destination on March 8.

For a little more than 10 months, "Swearer" contributed to America's war effort in the Pacific by shepherding the logistics groups which supported the fighting. During the bulk of the time, she operated from Eniwetok and Ulithi atolls, screening the fueling group of the 3d/5th fleet to and from fueling rendezvous. In being so engaged, the destroyer escort participated in the raids on Palau, Yap, Woleai, Truk, Sata-wan, and Ponape in March and April 1944. In early April, she also screened escort carriers from Manus to resupply rendezvous with the larger carriers then engaged in operations in western New Guinea. After a month at Pearl Harbor in repairs, she returned to the central Pacific and to screening duty with the fueling group. She participated in the capture and occupation of the Mariana Islands between June and August, then moved south to Manus to screen escort carriers during the western Carolines and Leyte operations. In November, "Swearer" resumed duty with the fueling group. During these last three months with the fueling groups, she supported the fast carriers as they struck Luzon in the Philippines and as they made their sweep of Formosa, the China coast, and of the Nansei Shoto.

After repairs and upkeep at Ulithi in the western Carolines, from January 21 to February 6, 1945, "Swearer" joined a convoy of cargo and troopships bound for the invasion of Iwo Jima. The convoy stopped at Guam for a week, then headed for Iwo Jima on February 16. "Swearer" and her convoy arrived off on February 19, the date of the assault. For five days, she patrolled the transport area and helped fight off Japanese air attacks, before departing on the 23rd for Leyte Gulf in the Philippines. The destroyer escort remained in San Pedro Bay until March 19, preparing for the invasion of Okinawa. Between the 19th and the 26th of March, she screened a convoy of cargo, troop, and amphibious warfare ships to the Okinawa staging area at Kerama Retto. "Swearer" remained in the vicinity of Okinawa for three months, patrolling, screening, escorting, and fighting off kamikaze attacks. She was attacked by a "Zeke" on the day of the invasion, but her gunners brought him down before he could crash her. On 16 April, a "Val" tried to crash-dive "Swearer", but again her gunners brought him down. The destroyer escort continued to patrol Kerama Retto until 5 July. She suffered two more air attacks during that time, one by a bomber on 13 May and another by a torpedo bomber on 27 June. In both cases, however, neither plane nor ship inflicted damage upon the other.

For the duration of the war the "Swearer" was under the command of Captains John M. Trent and Kenneth H. Hannan. During her long tour of duty the "Swearer" received a total of 9 battle stars, 7 for the Philippine liberation and 2 for surviving without injury or damage following actions of aerial strafing, aerial torpedo, dive-bombing, two kamikaze attacks, and typhoon COBRA.

"Swearer" returned to Eniwetok on July 12, and headed for the United States on the following day. After a stop at Pearl Harbor, she entered San Diego on July 27, and commenced overhaul. Three months later, she headed south to the Panama Canal, transited it on November 4, and headed north to Norfolk, where she arrived on November 10. On February 25, 1946, "Swearer" was placed out of commission and berthed at Green Cove Springs, Florida. She remained there until the spring of 1950, when she was moved to Philadelphia to repair for turnover to the Republic of France. On September 16, 1950, she joined the French Navy as "Bambara" (F-719), and her name was struck from the Naval Register on October 20, 1950. "Bambara" was stricken by the French Navy and broken up in 1959.

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