- USS Erben (DD-631)
USS "Erben" (DD-631), a "Fletcher"-class
destroyer , was a ship of theUnited States Navy named for Rear AdmiralHenry Erben (1832–1909)."Erben" (DD-631) was launched
21 March 1943 byBath Iron Works Corp.,Bath, Maine ; sponsored by Mrs. C. B. G. Gaillard, daughter of Rear Admiral "Erben"; and commissioned28 May 1943 , Commander J. H. Nevins, Jr., in command.World War II
1943: Gilbert Islands
Arriving at
Pearl Harbor 2 October 1943 from Boston, "Erben" joined the 5th Fleet and trained in theHawaiian Islands , on1 November . She rescued a downed aviator during exercises with anaircraft carrier . She sailed from Pearl Harbor8 November , rendezvoused with a carrier task group on15 November , and screened it during preinvasion air attacks on the Gilberts, several times rescuing aviators whose planes had crashed or run out of fuel. As the invasion waves of marines were landed on Tarawa on20 November , "Erben" continued to screen the carriers launching supporting strikes, providing protection with her antiaircraft fire when 13Japan esetorpedo plane s attacked late in the afternoon. She again effectively fired against Japanese planes that attacked the task group as it retired from strikes in the Marshalls on4 December .1944: Marshalls, New Guinea, Philippines
"Erben" replenished at Pearl Harbor, and put to sea
21 December 1943 forFunafuti to exercise with the support group organized for the Marshalls invasion. She sailed23 January 1944 , and on29 January saw action in the bombardment ofTaroa andWotje . The next day she hunted Japanese shipping offMaloelap , firing on a beached fishing ship, and on the 31st, as the assault landings took place, gave fire support to the troops ashore. Five times she appeared off Taroa for night bombardment and harassing fire, and from2 February operated out ofMajuro on patrol in the Marshalls.The destroyer returned to
Guadalcanal 17 March 1944 , and after escorting troop transports toCape Torokina , prepared atMilne Bay for theHollandia operation , during which she screened carriers giving air support to the landings atAitape andHollandia through April. Through much of May, she trained in the New Hebrides and Russells, and on8 June arrived atKwajalein to stage for the Marianas operation. From12 June , when she sortied with the carriers, until4 August , when she returned toEniwetok , she was almost constantly at sea to screen the carriers as they launched preinvasion air strikes, covered the landings, won a most significant victory in theBattle of the Philippine Sea , and furnished antisubmarine and air protection to assault shipping.From Eniwetok, "Erben" returned to a month of brief overhaul and training in the Hawaiian Islands, then put out for Manus, from which she sailed
14 October 1944 to escort transports to the Leyte landings of20 October . She patrolled and furnished antiaircraft fire to protect the transports until24 October , then as theBattle for Leyte Gulf raged, sailed for Humboldt Bay to guard the retirement of LSTs. She returned to Leyte14 November with aconvoy of reinforcements, and sailed the same day for Manus, Majuro, Pearl Harbor, and a west coast overhaul.1945: Okinawa, Japan
"Erben" was back in action
15 March 1945 when she rendezvoused one day out ofUlithi with thefast carrier task force for air strikes onKyūshū andOkinawa . During two of these, on 26 and30 March , she rescued a total of four downed aviators. The pounding of Okinawa reached its height for the invasion landings of1 April , and "Erben" continued to screen the carriers as they operated off the island through the next 2 months. She fired with success to drive off suicide attacks, rescued survivors of damaged ships, bombarded shore targets, and saved many downed aviators. On 3 and23 May , she rescued the same three-man plane crew from the carrier "Randolph" (CV-15).Through June 1945, "Erben" was in
Leyte Gulf for repairs to her sonar equipment and exercises, and on1 July sailed to screen air strikes and join in bombardments on Japan, patrolling in advance of the main body to insure that planes returning from strikes were not leading Japanese aircraft to the carriers. On9 August , during the bombardment of steel works atKamaishi , she sank two enemylugger s by gunfire. She continued to cruise off Japan with the carrier until15 September , when she enteredTokyo Bay to replenish. On1 October she sailed to take on passengers at Okinawa, with whom she arrived at Long Beach21 October 1945 . She was decommissioned and placed in reserve31 May 1946 .Korean War
With the expansion of the fleet in the
Korean War , "Erben" (DD-631) was recommissioned19 May 1951 , and sailed from Long Beach, her home port,27 August for Yokosuka. At once she joined the destroyer screen protecting carriers of Task Force 77 fromsubmarine attack. In late September and October, she bombarded shore targets in theSongjin -Chongjin area, disrupting enemy communications and supply routes, and on9 October , rescuing aNorth Korea n fleeing the Communists in a small boat. After joining in antisubmarine warfare exercises off Okinawa, she returned to screening duty, rescuing a downed pilot2 December . She accompanied "Manchester" (CL-83) in a bombardment on Korea's west coast, then sailed to the east coast to provide close fire support for the fighting men ashore. She returned to San Diego21 March 1952 for overhaul, and on1 November sailed again for duty offKorea .In addition to carrying out duties similar to those of her first Korean war tour, "Erben" visited
Taiwan andHong Kong , and operated with ships of theRoyal Navy . She returned to San Diego1 June 1953 , and during the remaining 5 years of her active service made four more cruises to the Far East, serving on theTaiwan Patrol and operating with the carriers of the 7th Fleet. She was again decommissioned and placed in reserve27 June 1958 ."Erben" received six
battle star s forWorld War II service, and four for Korean War service.ROKS "Chung Mu" (DD-911)
"Erben" was transferred to
South Korea 16 May 1963 , where she was renamed ROKS "Chung Mu" (DD-911).In 1979, theRepublic of Korea Navy changed her Hull Number to 91. Since 1983, she served as a stationary training vessel. The ex-"Erben" is reported to have been broken up.References
*DANFS|http://history.navy.mil/danfs/e4/erben.htm
External links
* [http://history.navy.mil/danfs/e4/erben.htm history.navy.mil: USS "Erben"]
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/631.htm navsource.org: USS "Erben"]
* [http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/destroy/dd631txt.htm hazegray.org: USS "Erben"]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.