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USS Trever (DD-339)
Encyclopedia
USS Trever (DD-339/DMS-16/AG-110) was a Clemson-class
destroyer
in the United States Navy
. She was named in memory of Lt. Cmdr. George A. Trever
.
H. E. Snow in command.
After shakedown, Trever was taken out of commission between January 1923 and June 1930. The ship was recalled to active duty on 2 June 1930, operating out of San Diego with the Battle Force. She was reclassified as a high-speed minesweeper
and redesignated DMS-16 on 19 November 1940, after which she was based at Pearl Harbor in 1941 as part of the Base Force, United States Fleet
.
.
, Trever was moored in West Loch with the minesweeping ships Zane (DMS-14), Wasmuth (DMS-15), and Perry (DMS-17). She engaged the aircraft with her .50-caliber Browning machine guns was solely responsible for shooting one down, and contributed (with her sister ships) to another plane's demise. She extremely hurriedly sortied to sea, under the command of the captain of Henley
(DD-391), as many commanding officers were not able to reach their ships before sortie. Trevers commanding officer, Lt. Cmdr. Agnew, who had gone to sea on board the Wasmuth, was able to rejoin his ship later that day. Trever spent the rest of the year, and beginning of the next, conducting minesweeping operations, local escort missions and antisubmarine patrols.
Trever was refitted at Mare Island, with her 4 inches (102 mm) guns replaced by 3-inch antiaircraft (AA) guns and 20 mm Oerlikon cannons.
Trever next saw action in the first US amphibious assault of the war against the Solomon Islands
with the aim of securing Guadalcanal. At first she screened transports and then joined the bombardment of a Japanese shore battery on the island of Gavutu
; she scored a direct hit and the battery was destroyed. Later she used her AA guns to drive off bombers that had attacked transport ships. The following day Trever shot down four twin-engined Mitsubishi G4M
"Betty" bombers.
On that evening, 9 August, a Japanese cruiser force conducted a surprise attack on the allied (US and Australian) fleet, now known as the Battle of Savo Island
. The outcome was a very heavy defeat for the allies, with 4 cruisers sunk and one severely damaged. However, the Japanese fleet did not press its advantage and the vulnerable transports supporting the invasion escaped unscathed. As a result of the battle the Allied warships withdrew and the transports retreated to New Caledonia
(whose withdrawal Trever helped to screen). The invasion was subsequently supported by high-speed transports, including Trever herself. Her first mission was from Espiritu Santo
to Guadalcanal, loaded with reinforcements and supplies for the hard-pressed marines. After hastily unloading she retired toward Nouméa, arriving there on 22 September. After escorting a further high-speed convoy to replenish land forces engaged on the Solomons she was deployed to search for survivors of the Battle of Cape Esperance
, fought on the night of 12 October.
During the day's search, Trever took on board 34 enemy survivors, including three officers. One raft of eight refused to surrender and put up a fight, giving Trever no recourse but to destroy it and its occupants. Trever then transferred her prisoners to the transport McCawley and headed back to Espiritu Santo escorting the returning transports.
After completing another resupply mission, on 25 October, Trever had been expecting orders to bombard Japanese positions along Guadalcanal's coast. However, an intercepted message informed Lt. Cmdr. Agnew of Trever that three Japanese destroyers were approaching, apparently to bombard the airstrip at Henderson Field
.
Two choices were open to Lt. Cmdr. Agnew, who was commanding the task unit (Trever and Zane). One was to head for the Maliala River to join Jamestown
(PG-55) and the damaged McFarland (AVD-14) which were both well camouflaged. By following this plan, Zane and Trever, both uncamouflaged, might attract the Japanese into the area and raise a strong possibility of the destruction of all four highly vulnerable American ships. Accordingly, the ships attempted the alternative, a dash for safety.
The two old minecraft got underway and accelerated as fast as possible to clear the area. Some fifteen minutes later the Japanese destroyers' silhouettes came over the horizon, hull-down and travelling at high speed. The American ships could only manage 29 kn (35 mph; 57 km/h) and the Japanese, making 35 kn (43 mph; 69 km/h), gained rapidly and opened fire with their 5.5 inches (140 mm) guns while still out of range of the Americans' 3-inch armament. The first enemy shells overshot and sent up fountains of water several hundred yards ahead of the minecraft; the next salvo fell some 300 yards (274.3 m) astern.
The American ships used evasive action and returned fire from their 3 inches (76 mm) guns as Japanese salvos exploded into nearby sea. The Japanese then hit Zane amidships, killing three men.
Agnew now decided that his ships' best chance of survival would come from attempt to make a high speed transit of shoal-studded Niella Channel. Just as the Americans were changing course, the Japanese broke off the action, perhaps remembering their primary mission.
After continuing resupply runs through January 1943, Trever then steamed to Australia for overhaul, arriving at Sydney on 27 January.
Returning to escort duties, she accompanied LST-343 from Lunga Roads to the Russell Islands
on 20 June 1943. After nightfall, a twin-float Japanese biplane — a "washing machine Charlie
" — came over and dropped bombs on the two ships, sending them to general quarters and provoking a return fire from Trever's 20-millimeter guns.
The old destroyer minesweeper next took part in operations in the New Georgia
campaign. On the 29th, Rear Admiral George H. Fort raised his flag on Trever as Commander, TG 31.3. That night, in company with Schley (APD-14), McKean (APD-5), and seven infantry landing craft (LCIs), Trever departed Wernham Cove, Russell Islands. At daybreak the next morning, the APDs launched their landing boats. The troops landed at Oliana Bay, taking the Japanese defenders by surprise. Later that day, with the objective secured, Rear Admiral Fort disembarked at Renard Sound ending Trevers brief role as flagship.
On 5 July, American forces attacked at Kula Gulf
to occupy Rice Anchorage and thus to prevent Japanese reinforcements from reaching Munda from Vila. Trever transported infantry and joined bombardment and transport groups in the assault.
On 5 August, Trever joined Honolulu
(CL-48), which had lost her bow to a "long-lance" torpedo during the Battle of Kolombangara
, and escorted the damaged cruiser from Espiritu Santo to Pearl Harbor. On 19 August, Trever got underway to escort an east-bound convoy to San Francisco.
After a month's overhaul at Mare Island, Trever steamed for Pearl Harbor on 8 October and touched there briefly before heading for Guadalcanal. On 11 November, she joined the screen for American Legion (AP-35) and escorted her to Empress Augusta Bay
. Later that month, Trever took part in the landings at Cape Torokina
, Bougainville
.
(CL-81) and Canberra
(CA-70) and escorted them safely to Ulithi.
On 18 December, as she was escorting a convoy toward the Western Carolines, Trever was caught in a typhoon. Visibility dropped to zero due to torrential rains, with mountainous waves and 90 kn (109.6 mph; 176.4 km/h) winds. At 16:30, a man making emergency repairs topside was washed overboard, and Trever immediately began a search for the missing sailor. Two hours later, she picked up her man: bruised, battered, and in shock — but alive.
The following day, Trever put into Guam
and transferred her injured seaman to the naval hospital on shore. On 22 December, she reached Eniwetok. On 24 December, she and Army transport Santa Isabel got underway for Hawaii, arriving at Pearl Harbor on the last day of 1944. Trever reached the Naval Repair Base, San Diego and began overhaul on 9 January 1945.
On 22 September 1945, she departed Pearl Harbor for the last time and steamed to San Diego. After repairs, she proceeded via the Panama Canal Zone
to Norfolk, Virginia
, where she arrived on 21 October 1945. She was decommissioned on 23 November 1945, struck from the Navy list
on 5 December 1945, and sold for scrapping on 12 November 1946.
As of 2010, no other ship has been named Trever.
Clemson class destroyer
The Clemson class was a series of 156 destroyers which served with the United States Navy from after World War I through World War II.The Clemson-class ships were commissioned by the United States Navy from 1919 to 1922, built by Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company, New York Shipbuilding...
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 in memory of Lt. Cmdr. George A. Trever
George Trever
George Arthur Trever was an officer in the United States Navy in the early 1900s.Born in Waupun, Wisconsin, Trever was appointed to the Naval Academy in May 1905 and graduated on 4 June 1909. He spent the years prior to his commissioning in cruises in Pennsylvania ; Princeton George Arthur Trever...
.
History
Trever was built at the Mare Island Navy Yard. She launched on 15 September 1920, sponsored by Mrs. Bess McMillan Trever (George Trever's widow) and was commissioned on 3 August 1922, LieutenantLieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
H. E. Snow in command.
After shakedown, Trever was taken out of commission between January 1923 and June 1930. The ship was recalled to active duty on 2 June 1930, operating out of San Diego with the Battle Force. She was reclassified as a high-speed minesweeper
Minesweeper (ship)
A minesweeper is a small naval warship designed to counter the threat posed by naval mines. Minesweepers generally detect then neutralize mines in advance of other naval operations.-History:...
and redesignated DMS-16 on 19 November 1940, after which she was based at Pearl Harbor in 1941 as part of the Base Force, 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...
.
World War II
Trever was actively involved in naval operations in the Pacific throughout World War IIWorld 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...
.
1941
On the morning of 7 December 1941 when Imperial Japan launched its aircraft in the attack on Pearl HarborAttack 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...
, Trever was moored in West Loch with the minesweeping ships Zane (DMS-14), Wasmuth (DMS-15), and Perry (DMS-17). She engaged the aircraft with her .50-caliber Browning machine guns was solely responsible for shooting one down, and contributed (with her sister ships) to another plane's demise. She extremely hurriedly sortied to sea, under the command of the captain of Henley
USS Henley (DD-391)
USS Henley , a Bagley-class destroyer, was the 2nd ship of the United States Navy to be named for Captain Robert Henley, an officer in the United States Navy during the Quasi-War with France, the War of 1812 and the Second Barbary War....
(DD-391), as many commanding officers were not able to reach their ships before sortie. Trevers commanding officer, Lt. Cmdr. Agnew, who had gone to sea on board the Wasmuth, was able to rejoin his ship later that day. Trever spent the rest of the year, and beginning of the next, conducting minesweeping operations, local escort missions and antisubmarine patrols.
1942
After escorting a convoy from Honolulu to CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
Trever was refitted at Mare Island, with her 4 inches (102 mm) guns replaced by 3-inch antiaircraft (AA) guns and 20 mm Oerlikon cannons.
Trever next saw action in the first US amphibious assault of the war against the Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
with the aim of securing Guadalcanal. At first she screened transports and then joined the bombardment of a Japanese shore battery on the island of Gavutu
Gavutu
Gavutu is a small islet in the Central Province of the Solomon Islands, some 500 metres in length. It is one of the Nggela Islands....
; she scored a direct hit and the battery was destroyed. Later she used her AA guns to drive off bombers that had attacked transport ships. The following day Trever shot down four twin-engined Mitsubishi G4M
Mitsubishi G4M
The Mitsubishi G4M 一式陸上攻撃機, 一式陸攻 Isshiki rikujō kōgeki ki, Isshikirikkō was the main twin-engine, land-based bomber used by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service in World War II. The Allies gave the G4M the reporting name Betty...
"Betty" bombers.
On that evening, 9 August, a Japanese cruiser force conducted a surprise attack on the allied (US and Australian) fleet, now known as the Battle of Savo Island
Battle of Savo Island
The Battle of Savo Island, also known as the First Battle of Savo Island and, in Japanese sources, as the , was a naval battle of the Pacific Campaign of World War II, between the Imperial Japanese Navy and Allied naval forces...
. The outcome was a very heavy defeat for the allies, with 4 cruisers sunk and one severely damaged. However, the Japanese fleet did not press its advantage and the vulnerable transports supporting the invasion escaped unscathed. As a result of the battle the Allied warships withdrew and the transports retreated to 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...
(whose withdrawal Trever helped to screen). The invasion was subsequently supported by high-speed transports, including Trever herself. Her first mission was from 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....
to Guadalcanal, loaded with reinforcements and supplies for the hard-pressed marines. After hastily unloading she retired toward Nouméa, arriving there on 22 September. After escorting a further high-speed convoy to replenish land forces engaged on the Solomons she was deployed to search for survivors of the Battle of Cape Esperance
Battle of Cape Esperance
The Battle of Cape Esperance, also known as the Second Battle of Savo Island and, in Japanese sources, as the , took place on 11–12 October 1942, and was a naval battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II between the Imperial Japanese Navy and United States Navy...
, fought on the night of 12 October.
During the day's search, Trever took on board 34 enemy survivors, including three officers. One raft of eight refused to surrender and put up a fight, giving Trever no recourse but to destroy it and its occupants. Trever then transferred her prisoners to the transport McCawley and headed back to Espiritu Santo escorting the returning transports.
After completing another resupply mission, on 25 October, Trever had been expecting orders to bombard Japanese positions along Guadalcanal's coast. However, an intercepted message informed Lt. Cmdr. Agnew of Trever that three Japanese destroyers were approaching, apparently to bombard the airstrip at Henderson Field
Henderson Field (Guadalcanal)
Henderson Field is a former military airfield on Guadacanal, Solomon Islands during World War II. Today it is Honiara International Airport.-Japanese construction:...
.
Two choices were open to Lt. Cmdr. Agnew, who was commanding the task unit (Trever and Zane). One was to head for the Maliala River to join Jamestown
USS Jamestown (PG-55)
USS Jamestown was a patrol gunboat and after 13 January 1943 a Jamestown-class motor torpedo boat tender acquired by the U.S. Navy during World War II...
(PG-55) and the damaged McFarland (AVD-14) which were both well camouflaged. By following this plan, Zane and Trever, both uncamouflaged, might attract the Japanese into the area and raise a strong possibility of the destruction of all four highly vulnerable American ships. Accordingly, the ships attempted the alternative, a dash for safety.
The two old minecraft got underway and accelerated as fast as possible to clear the area. Some fifteen minutes later the Japanese destroyers' silhouettes came over the horizon, hull-down and travelling at high speed. The American ships could only manage 29 kn (35 mph; 57 km/h) and the Japanese, making 35 kn (43 mph; 69 km/h), gained rapidly and opened fire with their 5.5 inches (140 mm) guns while still out of range of the Americans' 3-inch armament. The first enemy shells overshot and sent up fountains of water several hundred yards ahead of the minecraft; the next salvo fell some 300 yards (274.3 m) astern.
The American ships used evasive action and returned fire from their 3 inches (76 mm) guns as Japanese salvos exploded into nearby sea. The Japanese then hit Zane amidships, killing three men.
Agnew now decided that his ships' best chance of survival would come from attempt to make a high speed transit of shoal-studded Niella Channel. Just as the Americans were changing course, the Japanese broke off the action, perhaps remembering their primary mission.
After continuing resupply runs through January 1943, Trever then steamed to Australia for overhaul, arriving at Sydney on 27 January.
1943
She returned to Espiritu Santo on 28 February before calling at Wellington, New Zealand, on 31 May.Returning to escort duties, she accompanied LST-343 from Lunga Roads to the Russell Islands
Russell Islands
The Russell Islands are two small islands, as well as several islets, of volcanic origin, in the Central Province of the Solomon Islands. They are located approximately 48 km northwest from Guadalcanal. The islands are partially covered in coconut plantations, and have a copra and oil factory at...
on 20 June 1943. After nightfall, a twin-float Japanese biplane — a "washing machine Charlie
Washing machine charlie
Washing Machine Charlie or Bed Check Charlie was a name given by Allies to Imperial Japanese aircraft that performed usually solitary, nocturnal operations over Henderson Field, Guadalcanal during the Guadalcanal Campaign...
" — came over and dropped bombs on the two ships, sending them to general quarters and provoking a return fire from Trever's 20-millimeter guns.
The old destroyer minesweeper next took part in operations in the New Georgia
New Georgia
New Georgia is the largest island of the Western Province of the Solomon Islands.-Geography:This island is located in the New Georgia Group, an archipelago including most of the other larger islands in the province...
campaign. On the 29th, Rear Admiral George H. Fort raised his flag on Trever as Commander, TG 31.3. That night, in company with Schley (APD-14), McKean (APD-5), and seven infantry landing craft (LCIs), Trever departed Wernham Cove, Russell Islands. At daybreak the next morning, the APDs launched their landing boats. The troops landed at Oliana Bay, taking the Japanese defenders by surprise. Later that day, with the objective secured, Rear Admiral Fort disembarked at Renard Sound ending Trevers brief role as flagship.
On 5 July, American forces attacked at Kula Gulf
Kula Gulf
Kula Gulf is a waterway in the Western Province of the Solomon Islands. It lies between the islands of Kolombangara to the west, Arundel Island to the southwest, and New Georgia to the south and east. To the north, it opens into New Georgia Sound...
to occupy Rice Anchorage and thus to prevent Japanese reinforcements from reaching Munda from Vila. Trever transported infantry and joined bombardment and transport groups in the assault.
On 5 August, Trever joined Honolulu
USS Honolulu (CL-48)
USS Honolulu of the United States Navy was a Brooklyn-class light cruiser active in the Pacific War...
(CL-48), which had lost her bow to a "long-lance" torpedo during the Battle of Kolombangara
Battle of Kolombangara
The Battle of Kolombangara was a naval battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, fought on the night of 12/13 July 1943, off Kolombangara in the Solomon Islands.-Background:...
, and escorted the damaged cruiser from Espiritu Santo to Pearl Harbor. On 19 August, Trever got underway to escort an east-bound convoy to San Francisco.
After a month's overhaul at Mare Island, Trever steamed for Pearl Harbor on 8 October and touched there briefly before heading for Guadalcanal. On 11 November, she joined the screen for American Legion (AP-35) and escorted her to Empress Augusta Bay
Empress Augusta Bay
Empress Augusta Bay is a major bay on the western side of the island of Bougainville, in Papua New Guinea, at . It is a major subsistence fishing area for the people of Bougainville. It is named after Augusta Viktoria of Schleswig-Holstein, wife of German Emperor William II.In November 1943, the...
. Later that month, Trever took part in the landings at Cape Torokina
Cape Torokina
Cape Torokina is a promontory at the north end of Empress Augusta Bay, along the central part of the southeastern coast of Bougainville, in Papua New Guinea....
, Bougainville
Bougainville Island
Bougainville Island is the main island of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville of Papua New Guinea. This region is also known as Bougainville Province or the North Solomons. The population of the province is 175,160 , which includes the adjacent island of Buka and assorted outlying islands...
.
1944
Trever devoted the next year to escort missions and target towing duty in the South and Central Pacific. Perhaps the highlight of this service came in October 1944 when she joined the screen for torpedoed cruisers HoustonUSS Houston (CL-81)
USS Houston , a Cleveland-class light cruiser, was the third vessel in the United States Navy named after the city of Houston, Texas. She was active in the Pacific War for several months, then crippled in an attack in October 1944....
(CL-81) and Canberra
USS Canberra (CA-70)
USS Canberra was a Baltimore class cruiser and later a Boston class guided missile cruiser of the United States Navy. Originally to be named USS Pittsburgh, the ship was renamed Canberra before launch, for the Royal Australian Navy's County class cruiser, , which was sunk during the Battle of Savo...
(CA-70) and escorted them safely to Ulithi.
On 18 December, as she was escorting a convoy toward the Western Carolines, Trever was caught in a typhoon. Visibility dropped to zero due to torrential rains, with mountainous waves and 90 kn (109.6 mph; 176.4 km/h) winds. At 16:30, a man making emergency repairs topside was washed overboard, and Trever immediately began a search for the missing sailor. Two hours later, she picked up her man: bruised, battered, and in shock — but alive.
The following day, Trever put into Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
and transferred her injured seaman to the naval hospital on shore. On 22 December, she reached Eniwetok. On 24 December, she and Army transport Santa Isabel got underway for Hawaii, arriving at Pearl Harbor on the last day of 1944. Trever reached the Naval Repair Base, San Diego and began overhaul on 9 January 1945.
1945
Upon completion of her repairs, she headed for Oahu on 25 March 1945. For the remainder of the war, Trever operated out of Pearl Harbor, where she had entered the hostilities with Japan four years before. On 4 June 1945, she was reclassified as a miscellaneous auxiliary and designated as AG-110.On 22 September 1945, she departed Pearl Harbor for the last time and steamed to San Diego. After repairs, she proceeded via 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...
to 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 21 October 1945. She was decommissioned on 23 November 1945, 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 5 December 1945, and sold for scrapping on 12 November 1946.
Honors
Trever received five battle stars for her World War II service.As of 2010, no other ship has been named Trever.