USS Porcupine (IX-126)

Last updated
Porcupine IX-126.jpg

USS Porcupine (IX-126) at anchor,
September 1944, place unknown.
History
US flag 48 stars.svgUnited States
Laid down11 October 1943
Launched24 November 1943
Commissioned30 December 1943
Stricken19 January 1945
FateSunk in action on 30 December 1944 at Mangarin Bay.
General characteristics
TypeZ-ET1-S-C3 Type (Liberty Ship Tanker)
Displacement3,665 tons
Length441 ft 6 in (134.57 m)
Beam57 ft (17 m)
Draft27 ft 9 in (8.46 m)
Speed11 knots
Complement79 officers and enlisted men
Armament

USS Porcupine (IX-126), an Armadillo-class tanker (aka Z-ET1-S-C3 class Liberty Ship Tanker) designated an unclassified miscellaneous vessel, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the porcupine.

A station tanker, her keel was laid down 11 October 1943 as SS Leif Ericson (MCE Hull 1930) by the Delta Shipbuilding Corporation in New Orleans, Louisiana. She was named Porcupine on 23 October, launched on 24 November, accepted by the Navy 29 December; and commissioned the next day. After shakedown in the Gulf of Mexico, the new Liberty ship was assigned mobile oil storage duties with the Service Force, Pacific Fleet. Transiting the Panama Canal, she arrived Noumea, New Caledonia on 28 March and commenced fuel storage and transportation operations in the area of Nouméa, Langemak Bay, and Milne Bay, New Guinea; and Seeadler Harbor, Manus, Admiralty Islands. By the end of November she was at Hollandia, New Guinea, and during the last days of 1944 she was a unit of resupply convoy "Uncle plus 15," which formed off Dulag, the Philippines, on 27 December and steamed up Leyte Gulf for Mindoro. The one hundred vessels of the convoy, under the command of Captain J. B. McLean, were screened by nine destroyers.

From 0330, 28 December, when the convoy entered Surigao Strait, until it returned to Leyte, it was either under air attack, or hostile aircraft were held on its radars. With sunrise came the report that weather at Leyte was so foul that no Combat Air Patrol (CAP) could come out. Thus no air cover was available until after noon. But the weather was altogether too fair in the waters plowed by the convoy. At 1012 two groups of three planes each from Cebu attacked. One aircraft was immediately splashed, and another, which attempted to crash into aviation-gasoline laden Porcupine, overshot its target, and splashed into the sea. Liberty ships William Sharon and John Burke were less fortunate. Both were hit, and Burke went down with a mighty explosion. Sharon’s superstructure was a mass of flame. Firefighters from USS Wilson (DD-408) finally extinguished the fires, and salvage tug USS Grapple (ARS-7) towed Sharon back to Leyte. Thus Mindoro never received Sharon's cargo of TNT, fuel, trucks, rations, and beer.

USS Porcupine (IX-126), filled with aviation fuel, is struck by a kamikaze plane about 1549, 30 December 1944, off White Beach, Mangarin Bay, Mindoro, in the Philippines. Porcupine IX-126 on fire.jpg
USS Porcupine (IX-126), filled with aviation fuel, is struck by a kamikaze plane about 1549, 30 December 1944, off White Beach, Mangarin Bay, Mindoro, in the Philippines.

An evening air raid resulted in the loss of LST-750. The next day saw Leyte still blacked in, but Mindoro responded to Captain McLean's requests for air cover, and the convoy suffered no damage 29 December. The ships arrived Mangarin Bay on 30 December 1944 at 0710. Captain McLean was eager to offload his ships and head back to Leyte before dark. Until 1540 events ran smoothly, but then five Vals broke through and made a suicide attack. Within two minutes destroyers USS Gansevoort (DD-608) and USS Pringle (DD-477), tender USS Orestes (AGP-10), and Porcupine were hit. Porcupine was hit off White Beach by a low flyer which came in off her port bow. She opened fire with all guns, but was unable to divert the attacking Val from its course. The kamikaze released a bomb over Porcupine’s main deck and crashed in after it. Seven Porcupine sailors died and eight were wounded. Fuel tanks ruptured; the engine room flooded, and the plane's engine passed through the ship's hull, tearing a large hole beneath her water line. Gansevoort, surviving her hit, was towed toward the PT base at Caminavit Point and anchored in 15 fathoms of water. She was soon ordered to blow off Porcupine’s stern in order to prevent flames from reaching the aviation gasoline. One of the destroyer's torpedoes slammed into Porcupine but the flames were not stemmed. The aviation gasoline ignited, and Porcupine burned to the water line. She was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 19 January 1945. Another report says she was loaded with ammo and blew up when hit by the Kamakaze. [1]

Related Research Articles

USS <i>Fletcher</i> (DD-445) Fletcher-class destroyer of the United States Navy

USS Fletcher (DD/DDE-445), named for Admiral Frank Friday Fletcher, was the lead Fletcher-class destroyer, and served in the Pacific during World War II. She received fifteen battle stars for World War II service, and five for Korean War service.

USS <i>Hughes</i> Sims-class destroyer

USS Hughes (DD-410) was a World War II-era Sims-class destroyer in the service of the United States Navy.

USS <i>Susquehanna</i> (AOG-5) Patapsco-class gasoline tanker

USS Susquehanna (AOG-5) was a Patapsco-class gasoline tanker in service with United States Navy from 1943 to 1946 and with the Military Sea Transportation Service from 1950 to 1959. She was scrapped in 1973.

USS <i>Twiggs</i> (DD-591) Fletcher-class destroyer

USS Twiggs (DD-591), a Fletcher-class destroyer, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for Marine Major Levi Twiggs (1793–1847).

USS <i>Conway</i> (DD-507) Fletcher-class destroyer

USS Conway (DD/DDE-507), a Fletcher-class destroyer, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for William Conway, who distinguished himself during the Civil War.

USS <i>Foote</i> (DD-511) Fletcher-class destroyer

USS Foote (DD-511), a Fletcher-class destroyer, was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named for Rear Admiral Andrew Hull Foote (1806–1863), who served during the Civil War.

USS <i>Pecos</i> (AO-65) Oiler of the United States Navy

USS Pecos (AO–65) was laid down 20 April 1942 by the Sun Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co. as a type T3-SE-A1 tanker, Chester, Pennsylvania, as Corsicana ; launched 17 August acquired by the Navy 29 August 1942; and commissioned 5 October 1942.

USS <i>Young</i> (DD-580) Fletcher-class destroyer

USS Young (DD-580), a Fletcher-class destroyer, was the second ship of the United States Navy of that name. She was the first to be named for Rear Admiral Lucien Young (1852–1912).

USS <i>Edwards</i> (DD-619) Gleaves-class destroyer

USS Edwards (DD-619) was a Gleaves-class destroyer of the United States Navy. She was the second Navy ship named "Edwards", and the first named for Lieutenant Commander Walter A. Edwards (1886–1926), who as commander of Bainbridge in 1922 rescued nearly five hundred people from the burning French transport Vinh-Long. For his heroism Edwards was awarded the U.S. Medal of Honor, the French Légion d'honneur, and the British Distinguished Service Order.

USS <i>Smith</i> (DD-378) Mahan-class destroyer

USS Smith (DD-378) was a Mahan-class destroyer in the United States Navy before and during World War II. She was named for Lieutenant Joseph B. Smith, USN. Smith was a senior officer aboard USS Congress and killed when CSS Virginia sank her.

USS <i>Bryant</i> Fletcher-class destroyer

USS Bryant (DD-665) was a Fletcher-class destroyer of the United States Navy, named for Rear Admiral Samuel W. Bryant (1877–1938).

USS <i>James E. Craig</i> Buckley-class destroyer escort

USS James E. Craig (DE-201) was a Buckley-class destroyer escort in service with the United States Navy from 1943 to 1946. She was sunk as a target in 1969.

USS <i>Gansevoort</i> Benson-class destroyer

USS Gansevoort (DD-608) was a Benson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was named for Commodore Guert Gansevoort.

The Armadillo class of tankers was a class of Type Z-ET1-S-C3 Liberty ship, that were commissioned into the United States Navy. They were given the hull classification symbols of unclassified miscellaneous vessels. Two would be converted to Stag-class distilling ships

USS <i>Suamico</i> Oiler of the United States Navy

USS Suamico (AO-49) was the lead ship of her class of Type T2-SE-A1 fleet oilers of the United States Navy.

USS <i>Chepachet</i> Oiler of the United States Navy

USS Chepachet (AO-78), originally named SS Eutaw Springs, and later known as USNS Chepachet (T-AOT-78) until disposition, was a Suamico-class fleet oiler, of the T2-SE-A1 tanker hull type, serving in the United States Navy during World War II. Originally a namesake of the Battle of Eutaw Springs when laid down 1 November 1942, she was renamed for the Chepachet River located in a village of Glocester, Rhode Island bearing the same name.

USS <i>San Pablo</i> (AVP-30) Tender of the United States Navy

USS San Pablo (AVP-30) was a United States Navy Barnegat-class seaplane tender which was in commission as such from 1943 to 1947 and then served as a commissioned hydrographic survey ship, redesignated AGS-30, from 1948 to 1969. Thus far, she has been the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for San Pablo Bay, a shallow northern extension of San Francisco Bay in California.

USS <i>Triumph</i> (AM-323) Minesweeper of the United States Navy

USS Triumph (AM-323) was a World War II Auk-class minesweeper of the United States Navy.

SS <i>Hobart Baker</i> World War II Liberty ship of the United States

SS Hobart Baker was a Liberty ship built for the United States Maritime Commission during World War II. The ship was named in honor of Hobart Baker. Hobart "Hobey" Baker (1892–1918) was an American amateur athlete and is considered the first American star in ice hockey. He was also an American football player. The ship was assigned by the War Shipping Administration to General Steamship Company of San Francisco who operated it throughout World War II. Hobart Baker was laid down on 16 April 1943, launched on 12 May 1943 and completed on 24 May 1943, with the hull No. 1114 as part of the Emergency Shipbuilding Program, built is 38 days.

SS <i>Lewis L. Dyche</i> World War II Liberty ship of the United States

SS Lewis L. Dyche was a Liberty ship built by the Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation for the United States Maritime Commission during World War II. The ship was named in honor of Lewis Lindsay Dyche. Lewis Lindsay Dyche (1857–1915) was an American naturalist and also the creator of the Panorama of North American Plants and Animals, which was featured in the Kansas Pavilion at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition. The ship was assigned by the War Shipping Administration, she operated by Interocean Steamship Company of San Francisco during World War II. Lewis L. Dyche was laid down on 6 November 1943, launched on 26 November 1943 and completed on 9 December 1943, with the hull No. 807 as part of the Emergency Shipbuilding Program, built is 38 days.

References

  1. "World War II Coast Guard-Manned U.S. Army Freight and Supply Ship Histories (see FS-309)" (PDF). media.defense.gov. Retrieved 15 June 2020.