USS Wesson (DE-184) was a built for 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 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 served in the Pacific Ocean

Pacific Ocean

The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...

 and provided escort service against submarine

Submarine

A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...

 and air attack for Navy vessels and convoy

Convoy

A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support, though it may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.-Age of Sail:Naval...

s. She returned home at war's end with a very respectable seven battle stars to her credit.

Shewas laid down on 29 July 1943 at Newark, New Jersey

Newark, New Jersey

Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...

, by the Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Co.; launched on 17 October 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Eleanor Wesson; and commissioned on 11 November 1943, Comdr. H. Reich in command.

World War II Pacific Theatre operations

Wesson departed New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

 on 28 November for shakedown

Shakedown (testing)

A shakedown is a period of testing or a trial journey undergone by a ship, aircraft or other craft and its crew before being declared operational. Statistically, a proportion of the components will fail after a relatively short period of use, and those that survive this period can be expected to...

 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...

. She returned to New York on 28 December 1943 for post-shakedown availability which lasted until 9 January 1944 when she sailed 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...

. After transiting the Panama Canal

Panama Canal

The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...

, Wesson departed 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...

 on the 19th, bound for Hawaii

Hawaii

Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...

 in company with , and arrived 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 1 February. Following minor repairs and training exercises, the destroyer escort joined the screen of a westward-bound convoy. On 18 February, the convoy split; and Wesson headed for Kwajalein

Kwajalein

Kwajalein Atoll , is part of the Republic of the Marshall Islands . The southernmost and largest island in the atoll is named Kwajalein Island. English-speaking residents of the U.S...

 Atoll

Atoll

An atoll is a coral island that encircles a lagoon partially or completely.- Usage :The word atoll comes from the Dhivehi word atholhu OED...

 in the Marshall Islands

Marshall Islands

The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...

.

Captures Japanese cutter

She arrived at Roi Namur the following day and began patrolling the entrance to the harbor. On 22 February, Wesson sighted and fired upon a Japanese cutter, killing six of the enemy and bringing five prisoners on board. She later turned them over to the island commander at Roi.

The destroyer escort set course for Majuro

Majuro

Majuro , is a large coral atoll of 64 islands in the Pacific Ocean, and forms a legislative district of the Ratak Chain of the Marshall Islands. The atoll itself has a land area of and encloses a lagoon of...

, also in the Marshalls, on 4 March 1944 and, in company with , sailed for Oahu

Oahu

Oahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...

 three days later, screening . Wesson arrived at Pearl Harbor on 13 March and spent a week there undergoing minor repairs and receiving fuel, stores, and provisions. On 20 March, she got underway to escort to the Gilbert Islands

Gilbert Islands

The Gilbert Islands are a chain of sixteen atolls and coral islands in the Pacific Ocean. They are the main part of Republic of Kiribati and include Tarawa, the site of the country's capital and residence of almost half of the population.-Geography:The atolls and islands of the Gilbert Islands...

 and arrived at Tarawa on the 31st. After a one-day stop, Wesson again set her course for Hawaii as an escort for . She arrived at Pearl Harbor on 10 April and conducted torpedo

Torpedo

The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...

 and anti-submarine exercises until 29 April when she received orders sending her to Majuro as an escort for .

Heavy convoy schedule

Wesson returned to Hawaii on 13 May and received repairs and conducted anti-submarine exercises before getting underway on 27 May to escort a convoy to Majuro. Having moored at Majuro harbor on 3 June, Wesson departed three days later for a rendezvous with Task Group

Task force

A task force is a unit or formation established to work on a single defined task or activity. Originally introduced by the United States Navy, the term has now caught on for general usage and is a standard part of NATO terminology...

 (TG) 58.1 to conduct fueling operations. On 12 June, she made rendezvous with and ; and, two days later, the destroyer escort took position in the screen while fueling operations were in progress. She continued to support fueling operations until 16 June when she set her course for Eniwetok Atoll in the Marshall Islands. After a brief stop there, the ship received orders to make a round-trip voyage to the Marianas

Mariana Islands

The Mariana Islands are an arc-shaped archipelago made up by the summits of 15 volcanic mountains in the north-western Pacific Ocean between the 12th and 21st parallels north and along the 145th meridian east...

 and back, escorting three oilers. She returned to Eniwetok on 11 July and, five days later, put to sea to support several fuelings and mail transfers. On 31 July, Wesson arrived off Saipan

Saipan

Saipan is the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean with a total area of . The 2000 census population was 62,392...

 Island screening .

Drydocked at Eniwetok

On 1 August 1944, Wesson steamed for the Marshalls and arrived at Eniwetok on 5 August for upkeep and availability. From 29 to 30 August, the ship was drydocked to repaint her underwater hull. On 2 September, Wesson got underway to rendezvous with and and proceed in company with the escort carriers to Manus

Manus Island

Manus Island is part of Manus Province in northern Papua New Guinea and is the largest island of the Admiralty Islands. It is the fifth largest island in Papua New Guinea with an area of 2,100 km², measuring around 100 km × 30 km. According to the 2000 census, Manus Island had a...

 in the Admiralty Islands

Admiralty Islands

The Admiralty Islands are a group of eighteen islands in the Bismarck Archipelago, to the north of New Guinea in the south Pacific Ocean. These are also sometimes called the Manus Islands, after the largest island. These rainforest-covered islands form part of Manus Province, the smallest and...

. The force arrived at Seeadler Harbor

Seeadler Harbor

Seeadler Harbor, also known as Port Seeadler, is located on Manus Island, Admiralty Islands, Papua New Guinea and played an important role in World War II...

, Manus, on 10 September and, four days later, sortied for a rendezvous off the Palau Islands in the Western Carolines

Caroline Islands

The Caroline Islands are a widely scattered archipelago of tiny islands in the western Pacific Ocean, to the north of New Guinea. Politically they are divided between the Federated States of Micronesia in the eastern part of the group, and Palau at the extreme western end...

. During flight operations, Wesson rescued three airmen who had crashed upon launching. The destroyer escort screened Sitkoh Bay as the escort carrier headed back to the Admiralty Islands for repairs to her catapult

Catapult

A catapult is a device used to throw or hurl a projectile a great distance without the aid of explosive devices—particularly various types of ancient and medieval siege engines. Although the catapult has been used since ancient times, it has proven to be one of the most effective mechanisms during...

. On 22 September, she and left Seeadler Harbor, Manus Island, escorting to a fueling area in the Palau Islands; but, on 29 September, Wesson received orders to return to Manus.

The first three days of October found Wesson anchored in Seeadler Harbor. On the 4th, she got underway as part of a task unit centered around , , , and . During fueling operations in the Philippine Sea

Philippine Sea

The Philippine Sea is a marginal sea east and north of the Philippines occupying an estimated surface area of 2 million mi² on the western part of the North Pacific Ocean...

, Wesson assumed plane guard

Plane guard

A plane guard is a warship or helicopter tasked to recover the aircrew of planes or helicopters which ditch or crash in the water during aircraft carrier flight operations.-Ships:...

 duty. On 22 October — two days after American forces returned to the Philippine Islands with landings on Leyte

Leyte

Leyte is a province of the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is Tacloban City and occupies the northern three-quarters of the Leyte Island. Leyte is located west of Samar Island, north of Southern Leyte and south of Biliran...

 — Wesson got underway to escort Sitkoh Bay to Manus, and they arrived back in Seeadler Harbor on 26 October. Wesson remained there undergoing availability for the remainder of the month.

On 1 November 1944, the ship left the Admiralties to escort to Ulithi

Ulithi

Ulithi is an atoll in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean, about 191 km east of Yap. It consists of 40 islets totalling , surrounding a lagoon about long and up to wide—at one of the largest in the world. It is administered by the state of Yap in the Federated States of...

 Atoll, where she arrived on 5 November. After conducting firing practice and fueling exercises, Wesson departed Ulithi on the 16th with a group of oilers to rendezvous with the Fast Carrier Task Force

Fast Carrier Task Force

The Fast Carrier Task Force was the main striking force of the United States Navy in the Pacific Ocean theatre of World War II.The Fast Carrier Task Force was known under two designations. The Navy made use of two sets of upper command structures for planning the upcoming operations...

 (TF) 38 for fueling in the western Philippine Sea. Following the successful conclusion of that operation, the destroyer escort returned to Ulithi on 29 November. On 10 December, Wesson, as part of a supply group, again made rendezvous with TF 38 for fueling and aircraft replacement. On 20 December, the destroyer escort received orders to escort to 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, after completing that task, returned to Ulithi and spent the remainder of 1944 in drydock for repairs to her sonar

Sonar

Sonar is a technique that uses sound propagation to navigate, communicate with or detect other vessels...

 gear.

Supporting Philippine Islands operations

During the first week of January 1945, Wesson underwent repairs and inspections. On the 7th, the ship got underway, with a task unit consisting of five oilers and three escorts, for a rendezvous east of the Philippines. On the 13th, Wesson proceeded to Leyte Gulf

Leyte Gulf

Leyte Gulf is a body of water immediately east of the island of Leyte in the Philippines, adjoining the Philippine Sea of the Pacific Ocean, at . The Gulf is bounded on the north by the island of Samar, which is separated from Leyte on the west by the narrow San Juanico Strait, and on the south by...

 to procure charts and instructions. The next day, she received orders to escort to the Lingayen Gulf

Lingayen Gulf

The Lingayen Gulf is an extension of the South China Sea on Luzon in the Philippines stretching . It is framed by the provinces of Pangasinan and La Union and sits between the Zambales Mountains and the Cordillera Central...

 off Luzon

Luzon

Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...

. On 15 January, having been detached from the oiler, Wesson returned to San Pedro Bay

San Pedro Bay (Philippines)

San Pedro Bay is a bay in the Philippines, at the northwest end of Leyte Gulf, about 15 km east-west and 20 km north-south. The bay is bounded on the north and east by Samar and on the east by Leyte Island. It is connected by San Juanico Strait to Carigara Bay of the Samar Sea. The...

, Leyte. On the 19th, she got underway to escort Housatonic to Ulithi. After screening the oiler's entrance into Mugai Channel on 26 January, the destroyer proceeded independently to Ulithi Atoll and remained there into February.

Supporting Iwo Jima invasion

On the 5th, Wesson — as part of Escort Division 44 — set her course for the Marianas and made stops at Apra Harbor

Apra Harbor

Apra Harbor is a deep-water port on the western side of Guam in the Mariana Islands. The harbor is formed by Orote Peninsula in the south and Cabras Island in the north. To the south, the harbor narrows and then widens again to form an inner harbor. The southern end of the harbor is the location...

, Guam; Saipan; and Tanapag

Tanapag

Tanapag is a settlement on the island of Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands. It is located close to Tanapag Beach on the northwest coast, just to the north of Capital Hill, the island group's centre of government...

. The ship then departed the Marianas for duty supporting the invasion of Iwo Jima

Iwo Jima

Iwo Jima, officially , is an island of the Japanese Volcano Islands chain, which lie south of the Ogasawara Islands and together with them form the Ogasawara Archipelago. The island is located south of mainland Tokyo and administered as part of Ogasawara, one of eight villages of Tokyo...

. On 16 February, the carriers began air strikes against the island. The destroyer escort served in the screen protecting the carriers for 10 days. She then returned to Ulithi Atoll and, on 21 March, got underway to escort Task Force 54 to Okinawa. The ship arrived off Kerama Retto

Kerama Retto

The are a group of 22 islands located southwest of Okinawa Island in Japan. Four of the islands are inhabited:,., and. The islands are within Shimajiri District. The Kerama-shotō coral reef is a Ramsar Site....

 on 25 March and took station in a circular screen. The next day, Wesson and helped to protect , , , , and while they shelled southern Okinawa.

Under attack by bombs and torpedoes

On 26 March, Wichita sighted a torpedo wake and a periscope

Periscope

A periscope is an instrument for observation from a concealed position. In its simplest form it consists of a tube with mirrors at each end set parallel to each other at a 45-degree angle....

. After Wesson maneuvered and dropped a 13 depth charge

Depth charge

A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare weapon intended to destroy or cripple a target submarine by the shock of exploding near it. Most use explosives and a fuze set to go off at a preselected depth in the ocean. Depth charges can be dropped by either surface ships, patrol aircraft, or from...

 pattern, an anti-submarine patrol plane observed an oil slick. However, no other evidence appeared to confirm that an enemy submarine had been destroyed or damaged. The next day, the formation came under attack by Japanese planes. Wesson fired at three of the raiders; and one plane took several hits in the fuselage just above the wing before bursting into flame and crashing astern of the screen. Enemy air attacks continued for the next two days. On 30 March, Wesson proceeded on orders west of Zampa Misaki and destroyed four mines by gunfire en route. She then reported mines in an unswept area north and east of Zampa Misaki. Her formation came under air attack every day until 5 April. The next day at 0307, the enemy struck with a sizeable formation of planes, and the action continued incessantly until dawn. From 1400 to 1800, there were so many enemy planes darting in and put of clouds that the ship maneuvered continuously in tight turns of up to 180 degrees. Scattered clouds provided the enemy planes with extremely effective cover. All enemy planes were considered to be suiciders

Kamikaze

The were suicide attacks by military aviators from the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, designed to destroy as many warships as possible....

. One plane attacked Wesson but was turned back by repeated fire. It then attempted to crash into a destroyer on the port side but missed and splashed into the water.

Struck by a kamikaze

On 7 April, Wesson relieved north of Ie Shima and the Motobu Peninsula and took station screening and . At 0340, the destroyer escort fought off a small enemy air attack which lasted until dawn. At 0917, Wesson opened fire on three enemy planes crossing her bow and then engaged a plane diving from the clouds to starboard. The plane crashed into the destroyer escort's torpedo tubes amidships. Five men died instantly, one was missing, and 25 were wounded, two of whom died later. Wesson lost and regained power several times and suffered a fire on the boat deck, as well as flooding in the engineering spaces. All power was lost aft, propulsion was lost on the port shaft, and the rudder

Rudder

A rudder is a device used to steer a ship, boat, submarine, hovercraft, aircraft or other conveyance that moves through a medium . On an aircraft the rudder is used primarily to counter adverse yaw and p-factor and is not the primary control used to turn the airplane...

 jammed full right. came alongside and transferred a submersible pump and gasoline, then took Wesson under tow. The tow line parted at 1133, and Wesson steamed into Kerama Retto under her own power with Lang screening.

Emergency repairs Stateside

Despite enemy air attacks, the destroyer escort completed emergency repairs on 10 April. The next day, she got underway en route for the Marianas and arrived at Saipan on 17 April. A week later, Wesson sailed for San Francisco, California

San Francisco, California

San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...

, where — from 17 May to 25 June — she received an overhaul while her battle damage was being repaired. On 3 July, the ship set course for 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...

, and 10 days of refresher training before returning to Pearl Harbor on 21 July.

Return to convoy duty

After conducting various exercises in Hawaiian waters through 14 August, the destroyer escort received orders to proceed, via Eniwetok, to the Philippines

Philippines

The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...

. She arrived at Eniwetok on 22 August; then escorted three attack transports to Ulithi and entered the lagoon

Lagoon

A lagoon is a body of shallow sea water or brackish water separated from the sea by some form of barrier. The EU's habitat directive defines lagoons as "expanses of shallow coastal salt water, of varying salinity or water volume, wholly or partially separated from the sea by sand banks or shingle,...

 of that atoll through Mugai Channel on the 28th. That same day, she pressed on for Leyte, escorting a convoy of eight ships. On 1 September, the convoy was dissolved; and Wesson proceeded independently into Leyte Gulf. Four days later, Wesson departed San Pedro Bay, Leyte, bound for Okinawa and entered Buckner Bay on 8 September. On 16 September, Wesson and sailed to waters west of Okinawa to avoid a typhoon and returned to Buckner Bay the following day. On 20 September, Wesson set course for Japan

Japan

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...

 and arrived at Wakayama, Honshū

Honshu

is the largest island of Japan. The nation's main island, it is south of Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyushu across the Kanmon Strait...

, two days later.

On 24 September 1945, the ship — with and — got underway to screen a unit of TF-51 built around and . Wesson took station in the screen operating in Kii Suido. After supporting two days of flight operations and exploding several mines, the destroyer escort returned to Wakanoura Wan after the task unit had been dissolved.

End-of-War activity

October 1945 began with Wesson and escorting , , , and to Tokyo Bay

Tokyo Bay

is a bay in the southern Kantō region of Japan. Its old name was .-Geography:Tokyo Bay is surrounded by the Bōsō Peninsula to the east and the Miura Peninsula to the west. In a narrow sense, Tokyo Bay is the area north of the straight line formed by the on the Miura Peninsula on one end and on...

. On 7 October, the ship left Tokyo Bay and stopped at Kii Suido, Bungo Suido, and Okino Shima before arriving at Yokosuka, Japan, on 26 October. She returned to Wakanoura Wan before setting her course for Okinawa on 31 October. On 3 November, Wesson got underway for Naha Ho, then proceeded to escort two merchant ships and an Army transport to Jinsen, Korea

Korea

Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...

. She returned to Buckner Bay, Okinawa, on 10 November, embarked passengers for Guam and Pearl Harbor, then sailed the next day, escorting the former . Wesson took Stewart in tow due to an engineering casualty and arrived at Apra Harbor, Guam, on 17 November. Three days later, Wesson headed for Hawaii and arrived at Pearl Harbor on 28 November. There, she took on board passengers, pushed on, and arrived at San Diego, California, on 6 December. Wesson transited the Panama Canal and reached Charleston, South Carolina

Charleston, 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...

, on 23 December where she spent the remaining days of 1945.

Post-War decommissioning

Wesson shifted to the inactive fleet berthing area at Green Cove Springs, Florida

Green Cove Springs, Florida

Green Cove Springs is a city in Clay County, Florida, United States. The population was 5,378 at the 2000 census. As of 2010, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 6,908. It is the county seat of Clay County....

, to prepare for eventual inactivation. She was decommissioned there on 24 June 1946 and placed in reserve. Wesson was transferred to Italy

Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

 on 10 January 1951 as Andromeda (F-592) and 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 26 March 1951. In January 1972, she was struck from the Italian Naval Register and scrapped.