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USS Asheville (PG-21)
Encyclopedia
USS Asheville (PG-21) was a gunboat
that served in the United States Navy
during the early days of America's participation in World War II
. She was sunk by Japanese forces on 3 March 1942, south of the island of Java, in what was then the Netherlands East Indies.
The patrol gunboat Asheville (PG-21)—launched on 4 July 1918 and commissioned on 6 July 1920—spent the larger part of her service as a part of the Asiatic Fleet
with extensive service in China as a member of the Yangtze Patrol
and in the Philippines. From 1929 to 1931, she was stationed in the Caribbean and Nicaragua during the so called Banana Wars. She was part of the Asiatic Fleet at the outbreak of World War II. The ship was on patrol in the Philippines when Pearl Harbor was attacked on 8 December 1941 (7 December in Hawaii). Ordered south by CINCAF to the Dutch East Indies (N.E.I.) in December 1941 with most of the rest of the American surface fleet, Asheville escaped early destruction only by making a tense 12-day, 2000 mi (1,737.9 nmi; 3,218.7 km) voyage to the south coast of Java.
The Japanese victory in the Battle of the Java Sea
marked the end of the once-mighty Asiatic Fleet, and all remaining Allied ships were ordered to retreat to Australia or Ceylon. Hampered by engine troubles and sailing alone, Asheville was discovered by a shipborne scout plane south of Java and overtaken by a Japanese destroyer
squadron—consisting of the destroyers and , and the heavy cruiser
—on 3 March 1942. As the cruiser stood by, the two Japanese destroyers closed and engaged Asheville at close range with their guns. After an intense 30-minute gun battle, the smoldering hulk of Asheville—its superstructure almost completely shot away—finally sank. After calling if there was an officer among the swimmers, one survivor—FM/2c Fred L. Brown from Ft. Wayne, Indiana—was picked up by a Japanese destroyer, more than likely simply to identify what ship they had sunk. Afterward the remainder of the survivors in the water were shot with machine gun
s and left to the sharks. Fireman Brown later died in POW camp in the Celebes, N.E.I., in March 1945. If not for the fact that Brown had told several of his fellow prisoners his story, no one would have ever known what had been the fate of Asheville.
Asheville was one of the few American surface ships lost with no known survivors at the end of the war.
Gunboat
A gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies.-History:...
that served in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
during the early days of America's participation in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. She was sunk by Japanese forces on 3 March 1942, south of the island of Java, in what was then the Netherlands East Indies.
The patrol gunboat Asheville (PG-21)—launched on 4 July 1918 and commissioned on 6 July 1920—spent the larger part of her service as a part of the Asiatic Fleet
United States Asiatic Fleet
The United States Asiatic Fleet was part of the U.S. Navy. Preceding the World War II era, until 1942, the fleet protected the Philippines.Originally the Asiatic Squadron, it was upgraded to fleet status in 1902. In 1907, the fleet became the First Squadron of the Pacific Fleet. However, on 28...
with extensive service in China as a member of the Yangtze Patrol
Yangtze Patrol
The Yangtze Patrol, from 1854 to 1945, was a prolonged naval operation to protect American interests in the Yangtze River's treaty ports. Initially the patrol was carried out by ships of the United States Navy's East India and Asiatic Squadrons. In 1922, the "YangPat" was established as a formal...
and in the Philippines. From 1929 to 1931, she was stationed in the Caribbean and Nicaragua during the so called Banana Wars. She was part of the Asiatic Fleet at the outbreak of World War II. The ship was on patrol in the Philippines when Pearl Harbor was attacked on 8 December 1941 (7 December in Hawaii). Ordered south by CINCAF to the Dutch East Indies (N.E.I.) in December 1941 with most of the rest of the American surface fleet, Asheville escaped early destruction only by making a tense 12-day, 2000 mi (1,737.9 nmi; 3,218.7 km) voyage to the south coast of Java.
The Japanese victory in the Battle of the Java Sea
Battle of the Java Sea
The Battle of the Java Sea was a decisive naval battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, that sealed the fate of the Netherlands East Indies....
marked the end of the once-mighty Asiatic Fleet, and all remaining Allied ships were ordered to retreat to Australia or Ceylon. Hampered by engine troubles and sailing alone, Asheville was discovered by a shipborne scout plane south of Java and overtaken by a Japanese destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
squadron—consisting of the destroyers and , and the heavy cruiser
Heavy cruiser
The heavy cruiser was a type of cruiser, a naval warship designed for long range, high speed and an armament of naval guns roughly 203mm calibre . The heavy cruiser can be seen as a lineage of ship design from 1915 until 1945, although the term 'heavy cruiser' only came into formal use in 1930...
—on 3 March 1942. As the cruiser stood by, the two Japanese destroyers closed and engaged Asheville at close range with their guns. After an intense 30-minute gun battle, the smoldering hulk of Asheville—its superstructure almost completely shot away—finally sank. After calling if there was an officer among the swimmers, one survivor—FM/2c Fred L. Brown from Ft. Wayne, Indiana—was picked up by a Japanese destroyer, more than likely simply to identify what ship they had sunk. Afterward the remainder of the survivors in the water were shot with machine gun
Machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
s and left to the sharks. Fireman Brown later died in POW camp in the Celebes, N.E.I., in March 1945. If not for the fact that Brown had told several of his fellow prisoners his story, no one would have ever known what had been the fate of Asheville.
Asheville was one of the few American surface ships lost with no known survivors at the end of the war.
External links
- USS "Asheville {Photograph taken in 1924}
- history.navy.mil: USS Asheville {Another photograph of USS Asheville}
- navsource.org: USS Asheville