uss pope ww2

$12000.00. Naval Base San Diego, transporting elements of the U.S. Army 244th Aviation Company (aerial surveillance), elements of D Company, 2nd Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, and elements of the 3rd Battalion, 9th Marines. When the stern of the ship was completely under water, and the bow pointing to the sky, an eight inch salvo from one of the cruisers hit her at the waterline, which tended to speed up her sinking. If it had, of course, I would never have lived to tell about it. M. Kuroki). After a refit, Pope departed 12 May for duty in the Pacific. These started making bombing runs at our ship. Action continued by the sole remaining Allied ship, USS Pope. The other two ships were also in need of repairs and were not 100% fit for battle. H. Kuboki) and Michishio (Lt.Cdr. On February 3rd the cruisers USS Houston (CA-30), Marblehead (CL-12) and the Dutch light cruiser De Ruyter rendezvoused with nine Dutch and American destroyers off northern Java for another run at the enemy. Two days later, on 22 November 1966, the General John Pope departed Oakland Army Base with the second of two elements of the 199th Light Infantry Brigade, elements of the 1st and 2nd Brigades of the 9th Infantry Division, and the 58th Field Depot. HullNumber.com's mission is to provide a means for shipmates to keep in touch with one another. Range to these ships was about 10 nautical miles. Unfortunately they are spotted by Japanese warships and the Exeter and Encounter are sunk during the following engagement. General John Pope was launched under a Maritime . On 1 November 1967, the General John Pope again departed Oakland Army Base with elements of the 61st Assault Helicopter Company, the 92nd Assault Helicopter Company, the 134th Assault Helicopter Company, the third packet of the 221st Signal Company (Pictorial) and the 45th Military Intelligence Detachment, arriving in Okinawa on 17 November 1967 for a 24-hour layover. During the Battle of Balikpapan she made close-quarter torpedo and gun attacks which helped delay Japanese landings at Balikpapan and later in the Battle of Badung Strait she impeded the invasion of the island of Bali. Photo No. Though my wound was of a superficial nature, several others received more serious wounds. During the day the Japanese transports were attacked from the air and the Sagami Maru was damaged. Steam pressure dropped rapidly and in the end the main engines had to be stopped. After the destroyer's single 3-inch anti-aircraft gun failed, one of six dive-bombers scored a near miss which wrecked the port engine shaft and started flooding from damaged hull plating. Schmitz, RNN), HrMs TM-15 (Lt. H.C. Jorissen, RNN). Submit events/comments/updates for this vessel, William Cramp and Sons (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.). From 19 October 1945 to 7 May 1946, four more Magic-Carpet and troop rotation voyages were made, two from San Francisco and two from Seattle, to the Philippines and Yokohama. My ship, the USS Pope, developed a bad leak in the hotwell (an evaporator to make fresh water, without which a ship cannot operate), and was unable to accompany the task force. The Allies were losing the South Pacific. They stayed beyond the range of our secondary battery (guns). E.E.B. Upon reaching shore, many of the men immediately found themselves prisoners of the Japanese. The Naval History and Heritage Command does not have custody of crew lists, nor do we have current contact information of former crew members. During the naval battle of Balikpapan she made close-quarter torpedo and gun attacks which helped delay Japanese landings at Balikpapan and later in the Battle of Badung Strait she impeded the invasion of the island of Bali. By the following evening, we had completed the necessary repairs and were once again prepared to return to action. J.M.L.I. W.C. Blinn, USN). Some records, however, date as far back as 1917 and some up to 1967. About the only recourse we had left was to fan out our fish and fire them in the general direction of their ships and hope for a lucky hit. She received two battle stars and the Presidential Unit Citation for her World War II service. Pope was transferred to Division 59 of the Asiatic Fleet 6 May 1940, and resumed patrolling off China during 11 May 24 June. The Allies were at that time under the impression that they had obtained a victory. General John Pope received numerous awards for service in the Second World War, Korean War and Vietnam War: American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, The Snook was lost six months in the Luzon Strait later on April 8, 1945 with 60 onboard. The Allied ships immediately altered course to the east. The Americans thought they faced a very powerful enemy, even heavy cruisers were thought to be present. Around this time all the Allied ships also engaged Japanese destroyers with gunfire. One of Adolf Hitler 's deadly submarines, the U-505, is seized as it makes its way home after patrolling the Gold Coast of Africa on June 4, 1944. She then departed and arrived at Cam Ranh Bay, South Vietnam on Thanksgiving Day, 23 November 1967 disembarking all units. My ship, the USS Pope, developed a bad leak in the hotwell (an evaporator to make fresh water, without which a ship cannot operate), and was unable to accompany the task force. Others made contact with the natives of Java, who alerted the Japanese to the sailors' presence. Eighteen days later on 24 June 1966, the 503rd PIR disembarked at Vung Tau, South Vietnam. During the Second Battle of the Java Sea, Pope and Encounter were directed to escort Exeter away from the action. It was intended that the four US destroyer would enter Badoeng Strait and attack with torpedoes first and that the Tromp would come behind them to finish off the Japanese after the confusion of the torpedo attack. This arrangement had been authorized for the Admiral W. S. Benson (AP-120) class but not for the AP-110 class. With no further means of propulsion, she slowed to dead in the water. We were assigned to patrol the minefields outside the entrance to the harbor of Surbaja. As they sought to escape the three Allied ships fought four Japanese heavy cruisers and four destroyers throughout a fierce three-hour action, and they damaged a number of enemy ships. The two destroyers had taken up screening positions and shortly before midnight steam was available to two more boilers in HMS Exeter and speed was increased in steps to 23 knots, which was the maximum speed that could be obtained with the four boilers now operational. Taih (, "Great Phoenix") was an aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. This hope was however short lived as the enemy ships were soon seen to turn towards though they were still well hull down. Pope was stationed off Swatow and Pehtaiho during 14 June 19 August, observing the Japanese Navy en route to Swatow and the subsequent bombing and occupation of the city. On 23 July 1966, elements of the 64th Transportation Company boarded the General John Pope, and departed from the Tacoma, Washington Outport Facility, arriving in Okinawa on 5 August 1966. I would pray to the good lord silently to protect the crewmen from injury and the ship from destruction. The three Allied ships fought four Japanese heavy cruisers and four destroyers throughout a fierce three-hour action, and they damaged a number of enemy ships. I was machinist mate 2/c, my battle station was the after engine room, where my function was "throttleman". Treffers, RNN), HrMs TM-9 (Lt. J.A. Either their gunnery was poor or we were damn lucky. There are 3 cities on earth that come under no national authority, they have separate laws, they pay no taxes, they have their own police force and even possess their own flag of "independence" the City of London, the Vatican City in Rome and District of Columbia. The damage to the Exeter was bad enough to make her unfit for action. Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal, Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp), The survivors had been adrift for about 20 hours - in rafts and lifejackets, or clinging to floats, many coated in oil, and some blinded. Industrial Parts Cabinet. The action was over around 0215/20 and Tromp retired from the Strait to the north-east. The transport returned to Seattle 17 August following this long voyage, but she was underway again 11 days later via Ulithi, Cebu, and Leyte for Yokohama, returning to San Francisco 8 October with over 5,000 veterans. USS Chatelain closes in on the damaged U-505, June 4, 1944. The 0.25" steel plates, and 0.5" grating that comprise the deck of the engine room, would raise about an inch or so, then drop back in place, most of the time. Pope was laid down 9 September 1919 and launched 23 March 1920 from William Cramp and Sons; sponsored by Mrs. William S. Benson; and commissioned 27 October 1920 at Philadelphia, Commander Richard S. Galloway in command. March 14, 2019. Shortly before midnight the Allied ships changed course to due north to pass to the east of Bawean Island as ordered. In the months that followed, General John Pope sailed in support of the giant amphibious offensive on New Guinea's northern coast, spearheaded by Rear Admiral Barbey's famed VII Amphibious Force. The Dutch MTBs had seen the second wave attacking but when they entered Badoeng Strait the Japanese were not sighted and they left without being able to fire torpedoes. After the Jap cruisers and the Exeter had been exchanging gunfire for awhile, a salvo hit the Exeter in her one remaining boiler room. World War II Military Records. During 1921 she alternated between her winter base at Charleston, South Carolina and her summer one at Newport, Rhode Island and escorted President Warren G. Harding to Plymouth, Massachusetts 30 July 1 August. We then saw a single plane, it was reported as a friendly one. In the early fall, another voyage out of San Francisco 14 August brought General John Pope on a troop rotation run to New Guinean ports; and subsequently, after embarking 5,000 Army troops at San Pedro, California, she sailed via Melbourne for Bombay. On January 24, 1942 in the early morning during the Battle of Balikpapan four destroyers USS Pope (DD-225), USS Paul Jones (DD-230), USS Parrott (DD-218) and USS John D. Ford (DD-228) . Please note that we're still working on this section and that we only list Commanding Officers for the duration of the Second World War. $350.00. The wreck of USS Pope, DD 225, was located and identified in December 2008 by the dive vessel MV Empress, approximately 60 nautical miles (110km) from the wreck of HMS Exeter, which Empress discovered in 2007. Pope was heavily engaged in fighting in the Dutch East Indies in the early days of World War II. Please use this if you spot mistakes or want to improve this ships page. The Allied destroyers were further behind the cruisers then intended and now arrived on the scene. AP-110 - USS General John Pope - Booklet of General Plans, 1943, General John Pope Class Troop Transport, ap110.pdf (8.1 MB PDF) AP-130 - USS General G.O. She later served in the Korean and Vietnam Wars as a civilian-crewed Military Sea Transportation Service vessel, as USNS General John Pope (T-AP-110). One pair of the enemy cruisers were approximately abeam to starboard and the other pair were on the port quarter. At 0200 hours, course was altered to 345 degrees. She was, by all battle tactics, out of commission. The prospect of our being spotted by enemy spotter planes was great as we were steaming in waters where the enemy was out in force. Two throttlemen are assigned to each throttle during battle, at about ten or fifteen minute intervals, we would take turns going to the hatch leading to the main deck, undog it, and gulp in a few breaths of fresh air, while glancing at the action that was taking place above decks. We also dropped our depth charges in an effort to lighten the ship, with the hopes of increasing our speed. With the odds being so heavily in their favor, we felt we were fighting a losing battle. They sailed from Surabaya in the afternoon of the 19th. Later another Japanese ship came and pulled my grandfather and the rest of the . Both sides launched torpedoes but all missed their intended targets and then a gunfight was started. The Exeter had taken a fish (torpedo) in one of her two boiler rooms and Encounter was escorting her back to port. Sailors spent hours peering into gray seas, searching for and dreading the prospect of locating a submarine. Both destroyers then retired to the south-east to return to Tjilatjap. After serving in the Pacific Theater throughout the warbeing there from Pearl Harbor to Saipan, and then Okinawahe carried a quiet lifelong interest in documentaries about the World War II American . The allied first attack wave arrived south of Bali around 2130/19. Later USAT General John Pope and USNS General John Pope (T-AP-110) USS General John Pope, name ship of a class of 19,650-ton (full load displacement) transports, was built at Kearny, New Jersey, to the Maritime Commission's P2-S2-R2 design. Besides the ships themselves their crews were also suffering from fatigue due the immense strain they had been under the past weeks. K. Kikkawa) Arashio (Cdr. Eccles, USN). When north of Bali she went to full speed and returned to Surabaya for repairs. Repairs however were under way and while at sea speed could eventually be increased to 23 knots. The Jap ships stood off momentarily until our fish had completed their runs and were spent. These had already been expended. During the lull in the battle, my thoughts turned to the men topside, who were directly engaged in the battle: the gun crews, ammunition handlers, gun loaders, machine gunners, torpedo-men, the officers directing them, and those involved in directing the ship. As with the Baltimore class, it carried its magazines and equipment on a heavy 6-inch belt. Prior to hearing the abandon ship order, I was attempting to seek cover from the strafing by ducking under the torpedo mounts, which offered some protection. After shakedown General John Pope sailed for Newport News 5 September 1943 with over 6,000 troops and civilians bound for Greenock, Scotland; and, after disembarking her passengers there, returned to Norfolk, Virginia 25 September. As HMS Exeter was loosing way, HMS Encounter and USS Pope drew ahead. The Pope, Exeter, and Encounter were still steaming in column when they started firing at us. Gordon, MVO, RN), the British destroyer HMS Encounter (Lt.Cdr. We were forced to stay in Surbaja, tied to the dock, to effect emergency repairs to the hotwell. Two Japanese bombs had penetrated the main deck, one detonating 15 feet aft of the wardroom and the other wrecking the after steering house. The nervous reactions, while engaged in battle, made it seem even hotter. It was expected that the Japanese would soon land (night of 19/20 February 1942) on the south-east coast of Bali (Badoeng Strait). HMS Exeter sank around 1150 hours. Sailing of these ships from Surabaya and course to follow. Being stopped, with almost all her main armament out of action and without torpedoes, abandon ship was then ordered and HMS Encounter sank at 1210 hours. We fully realized that we in a battle for the survival of not only the ship, but of our very lives as well. Underway again 10 December with over 5,000 troops for the Pacific fighting and 500 staff. About the time the enemy cruisers found the range, USS Pope made smoke without having received the order to do so. As fate would have it, the rain lasted only about half an hour, but at least for that length of time, we had a short respite from the heat of battle. This humanitarian decision by Lieutenant Commander Shunsaku Kud placed Ikazuchi at risk of attack, and it interfered with her fighting ability, due to the sheer load of rescued sailors. $500.00. Japanese Rear-Admiral Kubo, on board the Nagara, had meanwhile ordered the Arashio and Michishio to return to Badoeng Strait (Nagara and her three escorting destroyers were too far off). No aircraft or ships were spotted until about 0715 hours. The decision was quickly reached to secure the port turbine to stop the vibration. After the crew started to hit the water, Mr. Antrim, the executive officer, appeared on the fantail, and asked "who's going to volunteer to help me blow up the ship?" She was the first ship named for John Pope . On 7 July 1967, the General John Pope departed U.S. She passed through the Straits of Gibraltar 3 July and transited the Suez Canal 1525 July. After a brief stop in San Pedro California, she made passage through the Panama Canal on 15 June 2010, continuing on to ESCO Marine in Brownsville, Texas where she arrived at her final destination for dismantling. On a 3-month round-trip voyage out of San Francisco, beginning 23 January, she took troops to Guadalcanal, Auckland, and Nouma, and brought 1,300 men back to San Francisco 9 March. We then got the feeling that things would start getting a little tougher for us, and that we would probably be engaging the enemy in more and more sea battles in the future. Finally, Japanese air raids at Surabaya damaged destroyer USS Stewart and Dutch destroyer Witte de With. These also turned towards at once. 's) and started dive-bombing / strafing runs against us. CDR William B. Goggins, the light cruiser's XO, scurried below decks to the wardroom, his General Quarters station, lest he and the CO both be caught on the bridge. An enemy report was therefore made. Doorman canceled the attack, and Marblehead and Houston, the latter having taken a damaging hit to her after 8" gun turret, were ordered to Tjilatjap, Java. ADDITIONAL NOTES: Doorman received criticism after calling-off this attack. The U-boat War in World War Two (Kriegsmarine, 1939-1945) and World War One (Kaiserliche Marine, 1914-1918) and the Allied efforts to counter the threat. J.E. 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