OTDIH 16 August 1943

70-years ago today…

USS Hill (DE 141) an Edsall-class destroyer escort built by Consolidated Steel, Orange, Tx, was commissioned into the United States Navy, Lt. Cdr. G. R. Keating, USN commanding.

USS Intrepid (CV 11) an Essex-class aircraft carrier built by Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co. was commissioned into the United States Navy, Capt. Thomas Lamison Sprague, USN commanding. Decommissioned in 1972, the Intrepid has been a museum ship in New York City since 1982.

USS Intrepid (CV 11)

HMS Capel (K 470) a Captain-class frigate built at Boston Navy Yard was commissioned into the Royal Navy, Lt. Bevil Grenfell Heslop, RN commanding.

USS J. R. Y. Blakely (DE 140) an Edsall-class destroyer built by Consolidated Steel, Orange, Tx was commissioned into the United States Navy, Cmdr. John H. Forshew, USN commanding.

USS Sloat (DE 245) an Edsall-class destroyer escort built by Brown Shipbuilding, Houston, Tx was commissioned into the United States Navy, Lt. Cdr. Edmund Ernest Garcia, USN commanding.

USS Welles (DD 628) a Bristol-class destroyer built by Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding was commissioned into the United States Navy, Lt. Cdr. Doyle Murray Coffee, USN commanding. Named after Gideon Welles, Lincoln’s Secretary of the Navy throughout the Civil War.

USS Welles (DD 628)

OTDIH 21 July 1943

70-years ago today…

Another good day for HM Submarines…

HMS Sickle, Lt. J.R. Drummond, DSC, RN commanding, torpedoed and damaged the Italian merchant ‘Oriani’ (2320 GRT) 8-miles WNW of Elba.

And a good day for the US Navy submarine force…

USS Haddock (SS-231) a Gato class submarine, Lt. Cdr. R.M. Davenport, USN commanding, torpedoed & sank the Japanese troop transport ‘Saipan Maru’ (5532 GRT) off Saipan in position 16°18’N, 134°04’E.

Not such as good day for the Kriegsmarine…

U-662 was sunk by depth charges from a Catalina aircraft in the South Atlantic in position in position 03.56N, 48.46W.

Close, but no cigar…

HMS Templar, Lt. D.J. Beckley, DSO, RN commanding, attacked the Italian submarine ‘Axum’ 5-miles NW of Calvi, Corsica. The Templar fired 7 torpedoes during a series of attacks… and all missed.

Construction news…

USS Herbert C. Jones (DE 137) an Edsall class destroyer escort, Lt.Cdr. Alfred Wiltz Gardes, Jr., USN commanding, was commissioned into the United States Navy.

And off the coast of Sicily…

The US Navy’s (6-inch gun) cruisers USS Brooklyn (CL-40), USS Savannah (CL-42) and USS Boise (CL-47) together with the Royal Navy’s Roberts-class (15-inch gun) monitor HMS Abercrombie lay off the coast of Sicily to provide naval gunfire support for 7th Army.

OTDIH 19th July 1943

On this day in history…

19th July 1943 was a yet another good day for HM Submarines…

HMS Safari (Lt. R.B. Lakin, DSO, DSC, RN) sank the German barges Maria, Paula and the Italian armed yacht Margherita (88 GRT) with gunfire in the port of Favone, Corsica, France.

HMS Sickle (Lt. J.R. Drummond, DSC, RN) sank the Italian auxiliary minesweeper V 131/Amgiola Maria C. (65 GRT) with gunfire off Porto Vecchio, Italy.

And a good day for US Navy submarines…

USS Porpoise (Lt. Cdr. C.L. Bennett, USN) torpedoed and sank the Japanese troop transport Mikage Maru Nr.20 (2718 GRT) south of Wake Island.

And a good day for the Soviets…

Soviet submarine S-56 torpedoed and sank the German auxiliary patrol vessel NKi 09 / Alane (466 GRT) off the Tanafjord near Gamvik, Norway. (Incidentally, S-56 is preserved as a museum ship in Vladivostok if you’re ever out that way.)

Also on this day…

The Tribal class destroyer HMCS Huron (G24) was commissioned into the Royal Canadian Navy under command of Lt. Cdr. H. S. Rayner, DSC, RN.

The River class frigate HMS Inver (K302) was commissioned into the Royal Navy under command of Lt. F. H. Gray, RNR.

The Edsall class destroyer escort USS Keith (DE 241) was commissioned into the United States Navy under command of Lt. D. Cochran, USN.