USS Eberle (DD-430)
Encyclopedia
USS Eberle (DD-430) was a of the United States Navy
. The ship is named for Rear Admiral
Edward Walter Eberle
, who commanded the Atlantic and Pacific Fleets and was Chief of Naval Operations
from 1923 to 1927.
Eberle was launched 14 September 1940 by Bath Iron Works
Corp., Bath, Maine
; sponsored by Miss Mildred Eberle, granddaughter of Rear Admiral Eberle; and commissioned 4 December 1940, Lieutenant Commander
E. R. Gardner, Jr., in command.
After training in the Caribbean
and along the East Coast, Eberle was assigned to patrol duty off Bermuda
until the end of August 1941, when she began to escort convoys to Newfoundland, Iceland
and far northern bases. She guarded the vital western Atlantic end of the lifeline to Britain
before and after American entry into war. Once she reached Scotland
. Returning to Norfolk 23 August 1942, she sailed two days later, escorting tankers by way of Galveston
to Cristóbal
and another convoy from Trinidad
to Belém
, and back to Norfolk
8 October.
Eberle sortied from Norfolk 25 October 1942 for the invasion of North Africa
, and gave bombardment and fire support for the landings at Mehedia, French Morocco
on 8 November. Returning to Norfolk 27 November, she sailed 26 December for South Atlantic patrol, based on Recife
, Brazil
. On 10 March 1943 she intercepted the German blockade runner
Karin. When Eberle boarded, demolition charges set by the Germans exploded, killing half the 14-man boarding party outright. The remaining seven persisted in their heroic efforts to save the Karin and obtain information until fire and further explosions forced them to abandon ship. They and 72 prisoners were picked up from the water by Eberle.
After overhaul at Charleston, Eberle returned to escort duty, making five voyages to north African ports between 13 April 1943 and 31 January 1944. She returned to Oran
on 22 February and after amphibious training, arrived at Naples
on 11 March, her base for patrol and bombardment until May. On 20 April she broke up an attack by German E-boat
s on the transport anchorage — sinking one and damaging three others so badly that they were subsequently beached.
Eberle continued patrol and escort duty in the Mediterranean, then sailed from Malta
13 August 1944 for the invasion of southern France
(15 August), where she saw action. On 21 August she bombarded Île de Porquerolles
until a white flag was seen. A landing force took 58 prisoners of war whose escape boats had been destroyed by Eberle's fire, 14 more Germans surrendered the following day.
Returning to New York 6 November 1944, Eberle escorted two convoys to Oran by April 1945. After overhaul and training she sailed from New York 8 June for the Pacific, arriving at Pearl Harbor
on 20 July to join for plane guard duty. She departed 1 November for Alaska
n waters and called at Petropavlovsk
, in Russia
n Kamchatka, from 1 to 5 December, before returning to Pearl Harbor on 15 December.
, 8 February. She was placed out of commission in reserve there 3 June 1946. On 12 August she was assigned to the Naval Reserve Training program in the 3rd Naval District. After being towed to New York in September, she was placed "in-service" 13 January 1947 and carried Naval Reservists on cruises to Canada
, the Caribbean, and Bermuda. During this time she was placed in commission in reserve 19 May 1950 and in full commission 21 November 1950. Eberle arrived at Boston 21 January 1951, was decommissioned the following day and transferred to Greece
under the Mutual Defense Assistance Program. She served in the Greek navy as Niki until she was stricken and scrapped in 1972.
Eberle received three battle stars for World War II service.
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...
. The ship is named for Rear Admiral
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
Edward Walter Eberle
Edward Walter Eberle
Edward Walter Eberle was an admiral in the United States Navy, who served as Superintendent of the United States Naval Academy and third Chief of Naval Operations.-Early years:...
, who commanded the Atlantic and Pacific Fleets and was Chief of Naval Operations
Chief of Naval Operations
The Chief of Naval Operations is a statutory office held by a four-star admiral in the United States Navy, and is the most senior uniformed officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Navy. The office is a military adviser and deputy to the Secretary of the Navy...
from 1923 to 1927.
Eberle was launched 14 September 1940 by Bath Iron Works
Bath Iron Works
Bath Iron Works is a major American shipyard located on the Kennebec River in Bath, Maine, United States. Since its founding in 1884 , BIW has built private, commercial and military vessels, most of which have been ordered by the United States Navy...
Corp., Bath, Maine
Bath, Maine
Bath is a city in Sagadahoc County, Maine, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 9,266. It is the county seat of Sagadahoc County. Located on the Kennebec River, Bath is a port of entry with a good harbor. The city is popular with tourists, many drawn by its...
; sponsored by Miss Mildred Eberle, granddaughter of Rear Admiral Eberle; and commissioned 4 December 1940, Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander...
E. R. Gardner, Jr., in command.
After training in the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
and along the East Coast, Eberle was assigned to patrol duty off Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
until the end of August 1941, when she began to escort convoys to Newfoundland, Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
and far northern bases. She guarded the vital western Atlantic end of the lifeline to Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
before and after American entry into war. Once she reached Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. Returning to Norfolk 23 August 1942, she sailed two days later, escorting tankers by way of Galveston
Galveston, Texas
Galveston is a coastal city located on Galveston Island in the U.S. state of Texas. , the city had a total population of 47,743 within an area of...
to Cristóbal
Cristóbal, Colón
Cristóbal is a port in the Atlantic side of the Panama Canal. It is located on the western edge of Manzanillo Island and is part of the Panamanian city and province of Colón...
and another convoy from Trinidad
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
to Belém
Belém
Belém is a Brazilian city, the capital and largest city of state of Pará, in the country's north region. It is the entrance gate to the Amazon with a busy port, airport and bus/coach station...
, and back to Norfolk
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
8 October.
Eberle sortied from Norfolk 25 October 1942 for the invasion of North Africa
Operation Torch
Operation Torch was the British-American invasion of French North Africa in World War II during the North African Campaign, started on 8 November 1942....
, and gave bombardment and fire support for the landings at Mehedia, French Morocco
French Morocco
French Protectorate of Morocco was a French protectorate in Morocco, established by the Treaty of Fez. French Morocco did not include the north of the country, which was a Spanish protectorate...
on 8 November. Returning to Norfolk 27 November, she sailed 26 December for South Atlantic patrol, based on Recife
Recife
Recife is the fifth-largest metropolitan area in Brazil with 4,136,506 inhabitants, the largest metropolitan area of the North/Northeast Regions, the 5th-largest metropolitan influence area in Brazil, and the capital and largest city of the state of Pernambuco. The population of the city proper...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. On 10 March 1943 she intercepted the German blockade runner
Blockade runner
A blockade runner is usually a lighter weight ship used for evading a naval blockade of a port or strait, as opposed to confronting the blockaders to break the blockade. Very often blockade running is done in order to transport cargo, for example to bring food or arms to a blockaded city...
Karin. When Eberle boarded, demolition charges set by the Germans exploded, killing half the 14-man boarding party outright. The remaining seven persisted in their heroic efforts to save the Karin and obtain information until fire and further explosions forced them to abandon ship. They and 72 prisoners were picked up from the water by Eberle.
After overhaul at Charleston, Eberle returned to escort duty, making five voyages to north African ports between 13 April 1943 and 31 January 1944. She returned to Oran
Oran
Oran is a major city on the northwestern Mediterranean coast of Algeria, and the second largest city of the country.It is the capital of the Oran Province . The city has a population of 759,645 , while the metropolitan area has a population of approximately 1,500,000, making it the second largest...
on 22 February and after amphibious training, arrived at Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
on 11 March, her base for patrol and bombardment until May. On 20 April she broke up an attack by German E-boat
E-boat
E-boats was the designation for Motor Torpedo Boats of the German Navy during World War II. It is commonly held that the E stood for Enemy....
s on the transport anchorage — sinking one and damaging three others so badly that they were subsequently beached.
Eberle continued patrol and escort duty in the Mediterranean, then sailed from Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
13 August 1944 for the invasion of southern France
Operation Dragoon
Operation Dragoon was the Allied invasion of southern France on August 15, 1944, during World War II. The invasion was initiated via a parachute drop by the 1st Airborne Task Force, followed by an amphibious assault by elements of the U.S. Seventh Army, followed a day later by a force made up...
(15 August), where she saw action. On 21 August she bombarded Île de Porquerolles
Porquerolles
Porquerolles , also known as the Île de Porquerolles, is an island in the Îles d'Hyères, Var, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France. Its population was about 200 inhabitants in 2004 and occupies ....
until a white flag was seen. A landing force took 58 prisoners of war whose escape boats had been destroyed by Eberle's fire, 14 more Germans surrendered the following day.
Returning to New York 6 November 1944, Eberle escorted two convoys to Oran by April 1945. After overhaul and training she sailed from New York 8 June for the Pacific, arriving at Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
on 20 July to join for plane guard duty. She departed 1 November for Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
n waters and called at Petropavlovsk
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky is the main city and the administrative, industrial, scientific, and cultural center of Kamchatka Krai, Russia. Population: .-History:It was founded by Danish navigator Vitus Bering, in the service of the Russian Navy...
, in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n Kamchatka, from 1 to 5 December, before returning to Pearl Harbor on 15 December.
Convoys escorted
| Convoy | Escort Group | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| HX 150 HX convoys The HX convoys were a series of North Atlantic convoys which ran during the Battle of the Atlantic in World War II. They were east-bound convoys and originated in Halifax, Nova Scotia from where they sailed to ports in the United Kingdom... |
17-25 Sept 1941 | from Newfoundland Dominion of Newfoundland The Dominion of Newfoundland was a British Dominion from 1907 to 1949 . The Dominion of Newfoundland was situated in northeastern North America along the Atlantic coast and comprised the island of Newfoundland and Labrador on the continental mainland... to Iceland Iceland Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population... prior to US declaration of war |
|
| ON 22 ON convoys The ON convoys were a series of North Atlantic trade convoys running Outbound from the British Isles to North America during the Battle of the Atlantic .-History:... |
7-15 Oct 1941 | from Iceland to Newfoundland prior to US declaration of war | |
| HX 157 HX convoys The HX convoys were a series of North Atlantic convoys which ran during the Battle of the Atlantic in World War II. They were east-bound convoys and originated in Halifax, Nova Scotia from where they sailed to ports in the United Kingdom... |
30 Oct-8 Nov 1941 | from Newfoundland to Iceland prior to US declaration of war | |
| ON 35 ON convoys The ON convoys were a series of North Atlantic trade convoys running Outbound from the British Isles to North America during the Battle of the Atlantic .-History:... |
15-27 Nov 1941 | from Iceland to Newfoundland prior to US declaration of war | |
| AT 18 | 6-17 Aug 1942 | troopships from New York City New York City New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and... to Firth of Clyde Firth of Clyde The Firth of Clyde forms a large area of coastal water, sheltered from the Atlantic Ocean by the Kintyre peninsula which encloses the outer firth in Argyll and Ayrshire, Scotland. The Kilbrannan Sound is a large arm of the Firth of Clyde, separating the Kintyre Peninsula from the Isle of Arran.At... |
Disposal
Eberle left Pearl Harbor 6 January 1946 and reached Charleston, South CarolinaCharleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
, 8 February. She was placed out of commission in reserve there 3 June 1946. On 12 August she was assigned to the Naval Reserve Training program in the 3rd Naval District. After being towed to New York in September, she was placed "in-service" 13 January 1947 and carried Naval Reservists on cruises to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the Caribbean, and Bermuda. During this time she was placed in commission in reserve 19 May 1950 and in full commission 21 November 1950. Eberle arrived at Boston 21 January 1951, was decommissioned the following day and transferred to Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
under the Mutual Defense Assistance Program. She served in the Greek navy as Niki until she was stricken and scrapped in 1972.
Eberle received three battle stars for World War II service.