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USS Sampson (DD-394)
Encyclopedia
The second USS Sampson (DD-394) was a Somers-class
destroyer
in the United States Navy
. She was named for William Thomas Sampson
.
Sampson was laid down on 8 April 1936 by Bath Iron Works
, Bath, Maine
; launched on 16 April 1938; sponsored by Mrs. Louisa Smith Thayer; and commissioned at the Boston Navy Yard
on 19 August 1938, Commander
W. Granat in command.
an waters in October and November, Sampson returned to Boston, Massachusetts where she was assigned to the Battle Force of the United States Fleet
.
Sampson sailed from Boston on 8 March 1939 to take part in combined fleet maneuvers in waters off Cuba
and Puerto Rico
. She returned from this duty to Yorktown, Virginia
, on 12 April and stood out from Hampton Roads
on 20 April and headed for the United States west coast. She arrived at San Diego, California
on 12 May 1939 and spent the next year in fleet tactics along the western seaboard from that base, taking part in the combined battle practice and maneuvers of the Battle Force off the Hawaiian Islands
from 1 April to 20 June 1940. She cleared San Diego on 5 July to base her operations from Norfolk, Virginia
where she arrived on the 20th. She then cruised through the Caribbean Sea
, from 14 November to 15 December, transporting a government mission which was compiling an economic survey of the British West Indies
.
Sampson then continued operations out of Norfolk, engaged in Neutrality Patrol
along the eastern seaboard to various ports of the Caribbean Sea, and steamed as far north as Placentia Bay
, Newfoundland
. On 3 September 1941, she got underway from Boston Harbor to escort convoys and to search for enemy submarines in shipping lanes running from Newfoundland to Iceland
. She arrived at Hvalfjordur Fjord, Iceland, on 16 September and cleared that port on 23 October in the escort screen of a merchant convoy which reached Boston on 4 November.
ese attack on Pearl Harbor
and the United States declaration of war, Sampson patrolled, with Warrington (DD-383)
, off Newport, Rhode Island
from 23 December 1941 to 12 January 1942 when the two destroyers set course for the Panama Canal Zone
. Sampson arrived at Balboa on 17 January to join the Southeast Pacific Forces based there. She took part in the search, from 25 to 29 January, to locate submarine S-26 (SS-131)
which had been sunk in 290 feet of water the night of 24 January by a surface collision with PC-460, 12 miles west of Isla San José
in Panama Bay
.
On 1 February, she sailed from Balboa
in the escort for twelve troopships. On 12 February, she broke off from the convoy to inspect Marquesa Island. She arrived at Bora Bora
, Society Islands
, on 18 February and patrolled a station off Teavanui Harbor until 9 March when she set course, in company with cruiser
Trenton
, for Panama, and reached Balboa on 23 March. Sampson spent the next year in a series of coastal patrol sweeps from Balboa to waters off South America
, making calls at such ports as Guayaquil
, Ecuador
; Valparaiso
, Chile
; and Callao
, Peru
. She varied this service with infrequent escort voyages from Balboa to the Society and Galapagos Islands
.
Sampson returned from her last cruise along the South American coast to Balboa, on 7 May 1943, and cleared port on 23 May as one of the escorts for a troopship convoy which reached Great Roads, Noumea
, New Caledonia
, on 13 June. The next day, she sailed for Bora Bora, Society Islands, and returned to Nouméa with a convoy of troopships on 8 July. Two days later, she set course for a point of rendezvous off Pago Pago, American Samoa
; met destroyer Warrington
; thence proceeded to Pearl Harbor where she arrived on the 20th.
On 27 July, the two destroyers cleared Pearl Harbor escorting four Army
troopships bound for Australia
and reached Sydney
on 8 August. She got underway the next day and arrived at Nouméa, New Caledonia, on 12 August 1943. During the following months, Sampson alternately based her operations at Nouméa and Espiritu Santo
, New Hebrides Islands, and made frequent escort voyages to Guadalcanal
, or Purvis Bay
, Florida, Solomon Islands. On the night of 2 and 3 October, while escorting a convoy from Nouméa to Espiritu Santo, she fired at an enemy submarine and, after that vessel submerged, dropped depth charges that produced a heavy oil slick.
and Manila Bay (CVE-61)
. Later that day, four battleship
s and more destroyers joined the formation. This force struck Kavieng
, New Ireland
, and nearby airfields in an air-sea bombardment on 20 March while the 4th Marine Regiment made an unopposed landing to occupy Emirau Island
, a base from which the north coast of New Ireland could be kept under surveillance. After guarding the escort carriers while they launched strikes against Kavieng and providing air cover for reinforcement convoys to Emirau, Sampson joined a convoy at Port Purvis, Florida Island, and escorted it to Espiritu Santo. On 11 April, she received the armed guard crew from the merchant ship, Titan, stranded on Cook Reef and transferred them to Celtic in Havannah Harbor, Efate, New Hebrides.
Sampson cleared Havannah Harbor on 17 April and, after escorting Ataseosa to Kukum Beach, arrived off Tenaru Beach of Guadalcanal on the 20th, joining troopships which reached Borgen Bay, New Britain Island, on 25 April. After guarding one more convoy shuttling troops between Guadalcanal and Borgen Bay
, she touched at Purvis Bay; then steamed to Milne Bay
, New Guinea
, where she arrived on 11 May.
There she joined the 7th Fleet; and, while at Cape Sudest
, New Guinea, on 20 May, became the flagship
of Rear Admiral W. M. Fechteler, Commander, Task Force 77. She shifted to Humboldt Bay
, Hollandia
, New Guinea, on 22 May. Three days later, Major General
Horace H. Fuller
, the commander of the 41st United States Army Division, came on board Sampson with his staff. Rear Admiral Fechteler commanded the naval elements and the amphibious aspects of the landing to be made at Bosnik on Biak Island, Schouten Islands
, while Major General Fuller directed the ground forces. The task force sailed that evening and Sampson arrived off Bosnik with her attack force before daybreak of 27 May.
Following naval bombardment, the first wave of troops landed. Three cruisers sent 6 inch shells onto a Japanese airstrip to the west of the beachhead while the destroyers took on targets near the landing area.
In the late afternoon of 27 May, four twin-engined Japanese planes came in and were taken under fire by antiaircraft guns, both afloat and ashore. Two burst into flames and crashed, and one flew off smoking badly. The pilot of a fourth plane, which also trailed smoke, was attempting to crash into Sampson when antiaircraft fire knocked off a part of its wing. This raider passed over Sampsons bridge but hit the water with its wing tip and catapulted into SC-699. The submarine chaser was engulfed in flames, but soon had the fires under control. At 1707, Sampson departed Bosnik with eight LST's and several other ships and arrived in Humboldt Bay the next day.
Sampson got underway from Cape Sudest on 5 June, and touched the Samoan and Society Islands, en route to Cristobal, Canal Zone
, where she reported for duty to the United States Atlantic Fleet on 25 June. Three days later, she sailed as the escort for troopship, General
Tasker H. Bliss
, and arrived at the New York Navy Yard on 4 July. She became flagship
of Capt. H. T. Read, Commander, Task Force 63, on 19 July, and shifted to Hampton Roads, on 21 July in preparation for transatlantic, convoy-escort duty. Three days later, she sailed as flagship of the escort for Convoy UGS-49 which reached Bizerte
, Tunisia
, on 13 August. She returned to New York, guarding a westward convoy, on 8 September 1944, and made four subsequent round trips to the Mediterranean, finally arriving at Boston on 19 May 1945.
. She arrived at Annapolis, Maryland
, on 3 July to embark midshipmen for a training cruise, and put to sea on the 7th with a task group for battle practice off Cuba
, Puerto Rico, and the Virginia Capes
until 30 July when she arrived at Hampton Roads. She again sailed from Norfolk on 19 August for training operations out of Guantanamo Bay
and returned from this cruise to the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard
on 16 September for inactivation overhaul.
She was decommissioned on 1 November 1945, her name was struck from the Navy list
on 28 November, and she was sold for scrap on 29 March 1946.
Somers class destroyer
The Somers-class destroyer was a class of 1850-ton United States Navy destroyer based on the Porter-class. They were answers to the large destroyers that the Japanese navy was building at the time, and were initially intended to be leaders for destroyer flotillas...
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...
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...
. She was named for William Thomas Sampson
William T. Sampson
William Thomas Sampson was a United States Navy rear admiral known for his victory in the Battle of Santiago de Cuba during the Spanish-American War.-Biography:...
.
Sampson was laid down on 8 April 1936 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...
, 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...
; launched on 16 April 1938; sponsored by Mrs. Louisa Smith Thayer; and commissioned at the Boston Navy Yard
Boston Navy Yard
The Boston Navy Yard, originally called the Charlestown Navy Yard and later Boston Naval Shipyard, was one of the oldest shipbuilding facilities in the United States Navy. Established in 1801, it was officially closed as an active naval installation on July 1, 1974, and the property was...
on 19 August 1938, Commander
Commander (United States)
In the United States, commander is a military rank that is also sometimes used as a military title, depending on the branch of service. It is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the military, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Naval rank:In the United States...
W. Granat in command.
Pre-War
Following shakedown in EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an waters in October and November, Sampson returned to Boston, Massachusetts where she was assigned to the Battle Force of the United States Fleet
United States Fleet
The United States Fleet was an organization in the United States Navy from 1922 until after World War II. The abbreviation CINCUS, pronounced "sink us", was used for Commander-in-Chief, United States Fleet. This title was disposed of and officially replaced by COMINCH in December 1941 . This...
.
Sampson sailed from Boston on 8 March 1939 to take part in combined fleet maneuvers in waters off Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
and Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
. She returned from this duty to Yorktown, Virginia
Yorktown, Virginia
Yorktown is a census-designated place in York County, Virginia, United States. The population was 220 in the 2000 census. It is the county seat of York County, one of the eight original shires formed in colonial Virginia in 1634....
, on 12 April and stood out from Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads is the name for both a body of water and the Norfolk–Virginia Beach metropolitan area which surrounds it in southeastern Virginia, United States...
on 20 April and headed for the United States west coast. She arrived at San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
on 12 May 1939 and spent the next year in fleet tactics along the western seaboard from that base, taking part in the combined battle practice and maneuvers of the Battle Force off the Hawaiian Islands
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...
from 1 April to 20 June 1940. She cleared San Diego on 5 July to base her operations from Norfolk, Virginia
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....
where she arrived on the 20th. She then cruised through the Caribbean Sea
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....
, from 14 November to 15 December, transporting a government mission which was compiling an economic survey of the British West Indies
British West Indies
The British West Indies was a term used to describe the islands in and around the Caribbean that were part of the British Empire The term was sometimes used to include British Honduras and British Guiana, even though these territories are not geographically part of the Caribbean...
.
Sampson then continued operations out of Norfolk, engaged in Neutrality Patrol
Neutrality Patrol
At the beginning of World War II, when Nazi Germany's invasion of Poland on 1 September 1939 started the hostilities in Europe, President Franklin D...
along the eastern seaboard to various ports of the Caribbean Sea, and steamed as far north as Placentia Bay
Placentia Bay
Placentia Bay is a body of water on the southeast coast of Newfoundland, Canada. It is formed by Burin Peninsula on the west and Avalon Peninsula on the east. Fishing grounds in the bay were used by native people long before the first European fishermen arrived in the 16th century. For a time, the...
, 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...
. On 3 September 1941, she got underway from Boston Harbor to escort convoys and to search for enemy submarines in shipping lanes running from Newfoundland 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...
. She arrived at Hvalfjordur Fjord, Iceland, on 16 September and cleared that port on 23 October in the escort screen of a merchant convoy which reached Boston on 4 November.
Pre-war convoys escorted
| Convoy | Escort Group | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| HX 153 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... |
7-13 Oct 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 28 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:... |
25 Oct-3 Nov 1941 | from Iceland to Newfoundland prior to US declaration of war |
World War II
With the JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese attack on Pearl Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
and the United States declaration of war, Sampson patrolled, with Warrington (DD-383)
USS Warrington (DD-383)
USS Warrington — a — was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for Lewis Warrington, who was an officer in the Navy during the Barbary Wars and the War of 1812...
, off Newport, Rhode Island
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
from 23 December 1941 to 12 January 1942 when the two destroyers set course for the Panama Canal Zone
Panama Canal Zone
The Panama Canal Zone was a unorganized U.S. territory located within the Republic of Panama, consisting of the Panama Canal and an area generally extending 5 miles on each side of the centerline, but excluding Panama City and Colón, which otherwise would have been partly within the limits of...
. Sampson arrived at Balboa on 17 January to join the Southeast Pacific Forces based there. She took part in the search, from 25 to 29 January, to locate submarine S-26 (SS-131)
USS S-26 (SS-131)
USS S-26 was an S-class submarine of the United States Navy. Her keel was laid down on 7 November 1919 by the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation of Quincy, Massachusetts. She launched on 22 August 1922 sponsored by Mrs. Carlos Bean, and commissioned on 15 October 1923 with Lieutenant Edmund W...
which had been sunk in 290 feet of water the night of 24 January by a surface collision with PC-460, 12 miles west of Isla San José
Isla San José (Panama)
Isla San José is the second largest island in the Panama area, and has an area of over 14,000 acres.-References:...
in Panama Bay
Panama Bay
Panama Bay is a large body of water off the coast of southern Panama, at . It is a part of the greater Gulf of Panama....
.
On 1 February, she sailed from Balboa
Balboa, Panama
Balboa is a district of Panama City, located at the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal.- History :The town of Balboa, founded by the United States during the construction of the Panama Canal, was named after Vasco Núñez de Balboa, the Spanish conquistador credited with discovering the Pacific Ocean...
in the escort for twelve troopships. On 12 February, she broke off from the convoy to inspect Marquesa Island. She arrived at Bora Bora
Bora Bora
The commune of Bora-Bora is made up of the island of Bora Bora proper with its surrounding islets emerging from the coral reef, 29.3 km² in total, and of the atoll of Tupai , located north of Bora Bora...
, Society Islands
Society Islands
The Society Islands are a group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean. They are politically part of French Polynesia. The archipelago is generally believed to have been named by Captain James Cook in honor of the Royal Society, the sponsor of the first British scientific survey of the islands;...
, on 18 February and patrolled a station off Teavanui Harbor until 9 March when she set course, in company with cruiser
Cruiser
A cruiser is a type of warship. The term has been in use for several hundreds of years, and has had different meanings throughout this period...
Trenton
USS Trenton (CL-11)
USS Trenton was an Omaha-class light cruiser of the United States Navy. She was the second Navy ship named for the city of Trenton, New Jersey....
, for Panama, and reached Balboa on 23 March. Sampson spent the next year in a series of coastal patrol sweeps from Balboa to waters off South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, making calls at such ports as Guayaquil
Guayaquil
Guayaquil , officially Santiago de Guayaquil , is the largest and the most populous city in Ecuador,with about 2.3 million inhabitants in the city and nearly 3.1 million in the metropolitan area, as well as that nation's main port...
, Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
; Valparaiso
Valparaíso
Valparaíso is a city and commune of Chile, center of its third largest conurbation and one of the country's most important seaports and an increasing cultural center in the Southwest Pacific hemisphere. The city is the capital of the Valparaíso Province and the Valparaíso Region...
, Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
; and Callao
Callao
Callao is the largest and most important port in Peru. The city is coterminous with the Constitutional Province of Callao, the only province of the Callao Region. Callao is located west of Lima, the country's capital, and is part of the Lima Metropolitan Area, a large metropolis that holds almost...
, Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
. She varied this service with infrequent escort voyages from Balboa to the Society and Galapagos Islands
Galápagos Islands
The Galápagos Islands are an archipelago of volcanic islands distributed around the equator in the Pacific Ocean, west of continental Ecuador, of which they are a part.The Galápagos Islands and its surrounding waters form an Ecuadorian province, a national park, and a...
.
Sampson returned from her last cruise along the South American coast to Balboa, on 7 May 1943, and cleared port on 23 May as one of the escorts for a troopship convoy which reached Great Roads, Noumea
Nouméa
Nouméa is the capital city of the French territory of New Caledonia. It is situated on a peninsula in the south of New Caledonia's main island, Grande Terre, and is home to the majority of the island's European, Polynesian , Indonesian, and Vietnamese populations, as well as many Melanesians,...
, New Caledonia
New Caledonia
New Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and about from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of...
, on 13 June. The next day, she sailed for Bora Bora, Society Islands, and returned to Nouméa with a convoy of troopships on 8 July. Two days later, she set course for a point of rendezvous off Pago Pago, American Samoa
American Samoa
American Samoa is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the sovereign state of Samoa...
; met destroyer Warrington
USS Warrington (DD-383)
USS Warrington — a — was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for Lewis Warrington, who was an officer in the Navy during the Barbary Wars and the War of 1812...
; thence proceeded to Pearl Harbor where she arrived on the 20th.
On 27 July, the two destroyers cleared Pearl Harbor escorting four Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
troopships bound for Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and reached Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
on 8 August. She got underway the next day and arrived at Nouméa, New Caledonia, on 12 August 1943. During the following months, Sampson alternately based her operations at Nouméa and Espiritu Santo
Espiritu Santo
Espiritu Santo is the largest island in the nation of Vanuatu, with an area of . It belongs to the archipelago of the New Hebrides in the Pacific region of Melanesia. It is in the Sanma Province of Vanuatu....
, New Hebrides Islands, and made frequent escort voyages to Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal is a tropical island in the South-Western Pacific. The largest island in the Solomons, it was discovered by the Spanish expedition of Alvaro de Mendaña in 1568...
, or Purvis Bay
Purvis Bay
Purvis Bay is located in the Florida Islands, which are part of the Solomon Islands. The bay was used by the US Navy during World War Two....
, Florida, Solomon Islands. On the night of 2 and 3 October, while escorting a convoy from Nouméa to Espiritu Santo, she fired at an enemy submarine and, after that vessel submerged, dropped depth charges that produced a heavy oil slick.
1944
On 15 March 1944, Sampson cleared Espiritu Santo as one of four destroyers screening the escort carriers, Natoma Bay (CVE-62)USS Natoma Bay (CVE-62)
USS Natoma Bay was an Casablanca class escort carrier of the United States Navy.She was laid down as Begum , on 17 January 1943, by the Kaiser Shipbuilding Co., Inc., Vancouver, Washington, under Maritime Commission contract, named Natoma Bay on 22 January 1943; launched on 20 July 1943; sponsored...
and Manila Bay (CVE-61)
USS Manila Bay (CVE-61)
USS Manila Bay was a Casablanca class escort carrier of the United States Navy.She was laid down as Bucareli Bay under Maritime Commission contract by Kaiser Company, Inc., Vancouver, Washington on 15 January 1943; renamed Manila Bay on 3 April 1943; launched on 10 July 1943; sponsored by Mrs....
. Later that day, four battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
s and more destroyers joined the formation. This force struck Kavieng
Kavieng
Kavieng is the capital of the Papua New Guinean province of New Ireland and the largest town on the island of the same name. The town is located at Balgai Bay, on the northern tip of the island. As of 2000, it had a population of 10,600....
, New Ireland
New Ireland (island)
New Ireland is a large island in Papua New Guinea, approximately 7,404 km² in area. It is the largest island of the New Ireland Province, lying northeast of the island of New Britain. Both islands are part of the Bismarck Archipelago, named after Otto von Bismarck, and they are separated by...
, and nearby airfields in an air-sea bombardment on 20 March while the 4th Marine Regiment made an unopposed landing to occupy Emirau Island
Emirau Island
Emirau Island, also called Emira, is an island in the Bismarck Archipelago located at . It is currently part of the New Ireland Province of Papua New Guinea. The local language is a dialect of the Mussau-Emira language...
, a base from which the north coast of New Ireland could be kept under surveillance. After guarding the escort carriers while they launched strikes against Kavieng and providing air cover for reinforcement convoys to Emirau, Sampson joined a convoy at Port Purvis, Florida Island, and escorted it to Espiritu Santo. On 11 April, she received the armed guard crew from the merchant ship, Titan, stranded on Cook Reef and transferred them to Celtic in Havannah Harbor, Efate, New Hebrides.
Sampson cleared Havannah Harbor on 17 April and, after escorting Ataseosa to Kukum Beach, arrived off Tenaru Beach of Guadalcanal on the 20th, joining troopships which reached Borgen Bay, New Britain Island, on 25 April. After guarding one more convoy shuttling troops between Guadalcanal and Borgen Bay
Borgen Bay
Börgen Bay is a bay wide, indenting the southeast coast of Anvers Island close west of Bay Point, in the Palmer Archipelago. It was discovered by the Belgian Antarctic Expedition, 1897–99, and named by Gerlache for Karl Börgen, the German astronomer....
, she touched at Purvis Bay; then steamed to Milne Bay
Milne Bay
Milne Bay is a large bay in Milne Bay Province, southeastern Papua New Guinea. The bay is named after Sir Alexander Milne.The area was a site of the Battle of Milne Bay in 1942....
, New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
, where she arrived on 11 May.
There she joined the 7th Fleet; and, while at Cape Sudest
Cape Sudest
Cape Sudest is a Cape in Papua New Guinea, next to Oro Bay. There was an important U.S military base there in World War II. It was situated in Oro Province, about a mile south of Harigo....
, New Guinea, on 20 May, became the flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
of Rear Admiral W. M. Fechteler, Commander, Task Force 77. She shifted to Humboldt Bay
Teluk Yos Sudarso
Yos Sudarso Bay also known earlier as Humboldt Bay is a small bay in Indonesia. It is on the north coast of New Guinea, about 50 kilometers west of the border between Indonesia's province of Papua and the country of Papua New Guinea...
, Hollandia
Jayapura
Jayapura City is the capital of Papua province, Indonesia, on the island of New Guinea. It is situated on Yos Sudarso Bay . Its approximate population in 2002 was 200,000....
, New Guinea, on 22 May. Three days later, Major General
Major general (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star general-officer rank, with the pay grade of O-8. Major general ranks above brigadier general and below lieutenant general...
Horace H. Fuller
Horace H. Fuller
Major General Horace H. Fuller was an American soldier and general in the first half of the 20th century. He is best known for his command of the 41st Infantry Division in the South West Pacific Area during World War II....
, the commander of the 41st United States Army Division, came on board Sampson with his staff. Rear Admiral Fechteler commanded the naval elements and the amphibious aspects of the landing to be made at Bosnik on Biak Island, Schouten Islands
Schouten Islands
The Indonesian Schouten Islands are an island group of Papua province, eastern Indonesia in the Cenderawasih Bay 50 km off the north-western coast of the island of New Guinea...
, while Major General Fuller directed the ground forces. The task force sailed that evening and Sampson arrived off Bosnik with her attack force before daybreak of 27 May.
Following naval bombardment, the first wave of troops landed. Three cruisers sent 6 inch shells onto a Japanese airstrip to the west of the beachhead while the destroyers took on targets near the landing area.
In the late afternoon of 27 May, four twin-engined Japanese planes came in and were taken under fire by antiaircraft guns, both afloat and ashore. Two burst into flames and crashed, and one flew off smoking badly. The pilot of a fourth plane, which also trailed smoke, was attempting to crash into Sampson when antiaircraft fire knocked off a part of its wing. This raider passed over Sampsons bridge but hit the water with its wing tip and catapulted into SC-699. The submarine chaser was engulfed in flames, but soon had the fires under control. At 1707, Sampson departed Bosnik with eight LST's and several other ships and arrived in Humboldt Bay the next day.
Sampson got underway from Cape Sudest on 5 June, and touched the Samoan and Society Islands, en route to Cristobal, Canal Zone
Panama Canal Zone
The Panama Canal Zone was a unorganized U.S. territory located within the Republic of Panama, consisting of the Panama Canal and an area generally extending 5 miles on each side of the centerline, but excluding Panama City and Colón, which otherwise would have been partly within the limits of...
, where she reported for duty to the United States Atlantic Fleet on 25 June. Three days later, she sailed as the escort for troopship, General
General (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, general is a four-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-10. General ranks above lieutenant general and below General of the Army or General of the Air Force; the Marine Corps does not have an...
Tasker H. Bliss
Tasker H. Bliss
Tasker Howard Bliss GCMG was Chief of Staff of the United States Army from September 22, 1917 until May 18, 1918.-Biography:...
, and arrived at the New York Navy Yard on 4 July. She became flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
of Capt. H. T. Read, Commander, Task Force 63, on 19 July, and shifted to Hampton Roads, on 21 July in preparation for transatlantic, convoy-escort duty. Three days later, she sailed as flagship of the escort for Convoy UGS-49 which reached Bizerte
Bizerte
Bizerte or Benzert , is the capital city of Bizerte Governorate in Tunisia and the northernmost city in Africa. It has a population of 230,879 .-History:...
, Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
, on 13 August. She returned to New York, guarding a westward convoy, on 8 September 1944, and made four subsequent round trips to the Mediterranean, finally arriving at Boston on 19 May 1945.
1945
Sampson remained in the Boston Navy Yard until 1 July when she sailed for the ChesapeakeChesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
. She arrived at Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland, as well as the county seat of Anne Arundel County. It had a population of 38,394 at the 2010 census and is situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east of Washington, D.C. Annapolis is...
, on 3 July to embark midshipmen for a training cruise, and put to sea on the 7th with a task group for battle practice off Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, Puerto Rico, and the Virginia Capes
Virginia Capes
The Virginia Capes are the two capes, Cape Charles to the north and Cape Henry to the south, that define the entrance to Chesapeake Bay on the eastern coast of North America....
until 30 July when she arrived at Hampton Roads. She again sailed from Norfolk on 19 August for training operations out of Guantanamo Bay
Guantanamo Bay Naval Base
Guantanamo Bay Naval Base is located on of land and water at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba which the United States leased for use as a coaling station following the Cuban-American Treaty of 1903. The base is located on the shore of Guantánamo Bay at the southeastern end of Cuba. It is the oldest overseas...
and returned from this cruise to the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard
Philadelphia Naval Shipyard
The Philadelphia Naval Business Center, formerly known as the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard and Philadelphia Navy Yard, was the first naval shipyard of the United States. The U.S. Navy reduced its activities there in the 1990s, and ended most of them on September 30, 1995...
on 16 September for inactivation overhaul.
She was decommissioned on 1 November 1945, her name was struck from the Navy list
Naval Vessel Register
The Naval Vessel Register is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from the time a vessel is authorized through its life cycle and...
on 28 November, and she was sold for scrap on 29 March 1946.