DE387 WWII NOTES During the hot sultry months of August and September, 1943, the nucleus crew of the VANCE studied and were trained in all phases of DE operation at the Submarine Chaser Training Center, Miami, Florida. This nucleus crew consisted of our first Captain, Lt. Comdr. E.A. ANDERSON, USCG, and about forty key officers and men; most of the nucleus crew had had previous duty on Coast Guard Cutters chasing subs and convoying in the North Atlantic and Caribbean. Subjects studied were: seamanship; including rowing, sailing, knot tying, canvas work, preservation and painting; signaling, including semaphore, blinker and signal flags; gunnery, including 20MM, 40MM, 3"/50, small arms, and depth charges; and practical navigation. This nucleus crew, less several officers, departed Miami for Brown Ship Building Company, Houston, Texas in early October. At Houston, they were greeted by 30 other men assigned to the VANCE. These men were mainly technicians and specialists direct from Navy Service Schools. The Executive Officer, Gunnery Officer, and ASW Officer left Miami at the same time for the Naval Training Station at Naval Operating Base, Norfolk, Virginia, where the remainder of the crew, about 150 men, were assembled for an intensive one month's training in destroyer escort operation. Few of these men had had previous sea duty, but they were very willing and interested in learning. During the month of October the crew worked and drilled hard. The Gunnery Officer and his gunner's gang studied and did much firing on board the Battleship NEW YORK in Chesapeake Bay. By late October indications of greeness were disappearing, and the men showed that they possessed all the qualities of a first rate fighting team. On 28 October, the crew headed for Houston to join their shipmates. All hands moved on board the VANCE early on the morning of 1 November. Later in the day on 1 November, 1943, the U.S.S. VANCE was commissioned by CAPTAIN D.C. REDGROVE, USN, at the Tennessee Coal and Iron Docks, Brown Shipbuilding Co. Houston, Texas. The shipyard orchestra played for the commissioning ceremonies, and later sandwiches and coffee were served to all hands. After a hard and tedious week of loading supplies, equipment, and spare parts, the VANCE's first special sea detail was set, and she headed down the Houston Ship Canal for San Jacinto, Texas, to receive ammunition. The crew worked a complete day loading ammunition, including small arms, 20MM, 40MM, 3"/50, depth charges, hedge hogs, and torpedoes for our triple tube mount. On leaving San Jacinto, the next port of call was Galveston, Texas. It was here that we had our first sea and gunnery trials; everything went smoothly; we were begining to look and act like a smart ship. The watch quarter and station bill was ironed out, and every man was learning his particular job. All indications pointed toward the VANCE being an outstanding DE. By mid-November the VANCE had completed trials and neccessary repairs and alterations had been made. She now took departure for Bermuda, B.W.I. for her shakedown cruise. The trip was rough and most of her crew were very seasick at the start, but by the time Bermuda was reached the chow line was begining to lengthen. During the last of November and most of December the VANCE went through a rigorous shakedown cruise off Hamilton, Bermuda. This shakedown included all phases of day and night gunnery, surface firing as well as anti-aircraft firing, damage control drills, tactical maneuvers, ASW exercises, and many other drills and exercises to prepare us for the hard days of convoy escort that lay ahead. The crew was busy long hours each day and little time was left for recreation. By the end of her shakedown cruise, the men were very proficient and all had become hardened to the rigorous routine of ship life and long watches. The VANCE was now more than ready to take care of herself, as well as defend a convoy against the elusive sub packs. On 19 December, Commander E.J. ROLAND, Commander Escort Division 45, reported on board and his burgee command pennant was hoisted. The VANCE was now the flagship of a division of Coast Guard Destroyer Escorts which included the USS LANSING (DE-388), USS DURANT (DE-389), USS CALCATERRA (DE-390), USS CHAMBERS (DE-391), and the USS MERRILL (DE-392). The military and material inspection of the VANCE was made by the Commander of Operational Training, U.S. Atlantic Fleet, on 22 December. The inspection was passed with flying colors; the VANCE was now officially a fighting member of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet. Four days before Christmas the VANCE departed for Charleston Navy Yard, South Carolina. This was probably her roughest trip. Mountainous head seas and a wind, gale in force, were encountered all the way. Even the old salts were seasick. The continual pounding of the seas folded back the number one gun shield like paper. The VANCE was tossed around like a match stick, but her riding qualities and seaworthiness were better than was expected. In this atmosphere we had our first Christmas. However, the dinner was postponed until we reached Charleston. After a rugged three days we finally arrived at our destination, the Charleston Navy Yard, for our post shakedown repairs. From Charleston the VANCE went to Norfolk for her first assignment convoying a group of oil tankers to Port Arthur, Texas, and back to Norfolk. On the return trip, the VANCE had her first sonar contact in the Florida Straits, investigation proved it to be non-sub. On arriving back at Norfolk the VANCE was used as a training ship for future DE crews, while awaiting the arrival of the remainder of Division 45. On 6 February, the VANCE departed Norfolk escorting the Aircraft Carrier CORE to New York City. On completion of this mission the VANCE and Division 45 were assigned their first USG convoy, departing with the New York Section on 10 February. This was the start of a long tour of convoy duty from the United States to the Mediterranean Theater of Operations. Off Norfolk the remainder of the convoy plus another DE division, and the USCGC BIBB (F) joined, and the VANCE was off for Gibralter and Casablanca. This was the moment everyone had been waiting for. Unknown dangers and strange lands were ahead. Days and then weeks passed of vigilant zig-zagging and patrolling. Rough weather accompanied the VANCE the entire trip, seasickness again taking its toll during the first part of the trip. This was the VANCE's roughest trip to the Mediterranean. The VANCE finally arrived at Gibralter where the convoy was taken over by other escorts. The VANCE then sailed for Casablanca, Morocco, to await the GUS convoy returning to the United States. On arriving in the United States, the VANCE was granted a ten day availability at the New York Navy Yard prior to returning to foreign waters. The VANCE sailed once again with a large Mediterranean convoy, this time bound for Bizerte, Tunesia. The trip through the Mediterranean was one of constant vigil as German planes and subs were operating and regularly attacking convoys. All went well until the return journey. Early in the morning of 14 May off Oran, Algeria, an enemy submarine penetrated the escort screen and succeeded in torpedoing, but not sinking, two merchant vessels. The fighting VANCE was at her usual station astern of the convoy acting as "whip" escort. As soon as the submarine was detected in the convoy, the VANCE came up from astern at full speed; the two merchant ships were torpedoed, one in each column, as the VANCE stood up between these two columns, barely missing being torpedoed herself. A periscope was then sighted and the VANCE rammed it, following with a depth charge attack and gunfire; this periscope proved to be a dummy, used by the sub for deception. The VANCE remained in the vicinity of the submerged German sub for ten hours, macking several depth charge and hedge hog attacks. Finally she was relieved by five American Destroyers coming out from Oran, and rejoined the convoy at full speed. The destroyers remained in the vicinity of the sub, and finally after five days it surfaced and was immediately sunk by gunfire. The VANCE made a total of eight round trips to the Mediterranean Theater, each time followed by several days availability at the New York or Boston Navy Yards, Four times the VANCE conducted training exercises between trips at Casco Bay, Maine. Mediterranean ports of operations visited by the VANCE included Casablanca, Gibralter, Oran, Algiers, Bizerte, and Palermo, Sicily. The 387 escorted approximately 2,000 merchant ships through mine and submarine infested waters without the loss of a single ship or life due to enemy action. During this time submarines were attacked on more than several occasions, and an enemy air attack on the morning of 14 July off Oran was repulsed with an effective smoke screen, and a high volume of anti-aircraft fire from the escorts and merchant ships. The VANCE's station during most of her convoy work was the "whip", astern of the convoy. Many gruelling hourd were spent rounding up and sheperding stragglers, at the same time trying to give the vulnerable convoy stern maximum protection against the ever constant submarine menace. Carrying the division doctor, she was responsible for the lives of the men on both the merchant ships and escort vessels. Countless were the times that the sick and injured were transferred to her via breeches bouy for emergency medical treatment and operations. Weather conditions many times made passing by breeches bouy almost an impossibility but the VANCE never failed. On 2 May, 1945, the VANCE departed from New York with her last Mediterranean convoy. Off the Azores on the morning of 11 May, a light was sighted up in the convoy. The VANCE immediately left her position at full speed and headed up into the convoy to investigate. When within range, the light was illuminated by the 24" searchlights. It proved to be a surfaced German submarine. All guns were trained on the target and were ready to commence firing. At first the sub started to run, but after a few convincing orders in German over the ship's bull horn, the sub heaved to and prepared to surrender. The VANCE came alongside and placed a prize crew on board, headed by Lieut. CARLTON J. SCHMIDT, USCGR. The German U-boat was number 873. She had been out for fifty days and had torpedoed several ships off Newfoundland. The sub was escorted back to Portsmouth, N.H. without incident. The VANCE then proceeded to Boston Navy Yard for a forty day availability. During this period many changes and alterations were made in the ship's anti-aircraft armament, and by the time of departure the VANCE, ton for ton, was an effective a fighting ship as any afloat. On 2 July the VANCE departed Boston for Guantanamo Bay, Cuba for an intensive two week period of refresher training. The Germans had been defeated and the VANCE was now destined for the Pacific. The training was completed with flying colors, and the training command commented on the smartness and effectivness of the DE-387. The performance of the gun crews was exceptional, and the fighting VANCE was now ready for the Japs. In mid-July the VANCE departed Guantanamo Bay for the Pacific, stopping at Coco-Solo, C.Z., and then passing through the Panama Canal. Her first stop in the Pacific was San Diego; from there she sailed to Pearl Harbor. The VANCE again went through another training period of anti-aircraft and surface firing, damage control exercises and ASW exercises. Orders were received to head next for Eniwetok and hence to join the Fifth Fleet in Philippine waters. By this time the Japs had been beaten, and had sued for peace. Orders were cancelled and the VANCE returned to New York via San Pedro and the Panama Canal, carrying as passengers high point Naval personnel from Pearl Harbor returning for discharge. By mid-October, the VANCE had completed her availability at the New York Navy Yard and headed south to Florida to be placed in the Inactive Fleet on the St. John's River south of Jacksonville, at Green Cove Springs. Regardless of what the future holds for her, her spirit will live forever in the hearts of the men who were privileged to serve on her.
The USS VANCE (DE-387) was so named in honor of Lieutenant (jg) JOSEPH WILLIAMS VANCE Jr., USNR, who was born on December 4, 1918 at Memphis, Tennessee. He enlisted in the Navy on 26 July, 1940 as an apprentice seaman and served on active duty aboard the USS ARKANSAS in August and September of the same year. On 21 November he was appointed a midshipman in the Naval Reserve and attended the U.S. Naval Reserve Midshipman's School, Prarie State, New York, N.Y. He was commissioned Ensign on 28 February, 1941 and while on active duty was promoted to Lieutenant (jg) on 15 June, 1942. It was while VANCE was on liaison service with the British Navy that he died at his battle station as a result of injuries from enemy action and went down with HMAS CANBERRA off Savo Island.
Copy recieved from Ted Bolinger at the 2002 Reunion at Albany, NY.
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