USS Winterberry

Last updated
History
US flag 48 stars.svgUnited States
NameUSS Winterberry
NamesakeAny of a variety of American hollies which bear bright red berries during the winter
Builder Pollock-Stockton Shipbuilding Company, Stockton, California
Laid downSeptember 1943 as (YN-75)
Launched22 March 1944
Commissioned30 May 1944 as USS Winterberry (AN-56)
Decommissioned15 February 1946, at San Diego, California
ReclassifiedAN-56, 20 January 1944
Stricken26 February 1946
Honours and
awards
one battle star for World War II service
FateSold, 31 March 1947; fate unknown
General characteristics
Class and type Ailanthus-class net laying ship
Displacement1,460 tons
Length194' 6"
Beam34' 7"
Draft11' 8"
Propulsion diesel electric, 2,500hp
Speed12.1 knots
Complement56 officers and enlisted
Armamentone single 3 in (76 mm) gun mount, three twin 20 mm gun mounts

USS Winterberry (AN-56/YN-75) was an Ailanthus-class net laying ship which served with the United States Navy in the Pacific Ocean theatre of operations during World War II. Despite being attacked near Okinawa by enemy suicide planes, she managed to return safely home after the war with the ship bearing one battle star.

Contents

Launched in California

Winterberry (AN-56) -- originally projected as Tupelo (YN-75) -- was laid down on 17 September 1943 at Stockton, California, by the Pollock-Stockton Shipbuilding Company; reclassified an auxiliary net-laying ship and redesignated AN-56 on 20 January 1944; launched on 22 March 1944; and commissioned on 30 May 1944.

World War II service

Pacific theatre operations

Following preliminary operations along the California coast, Winterberry departed San Pedro, California, on 30 July and headed west. The net-laying ship arrived in Pearl Harbor on 10 August and remained there for almost a month. She stood out of Pearl Harbor on 5 September to resume her voyage westward. Winterberry stopped briefly at Johnston Island on 9 September and reached Majuro Atoll on the 15th.

Records regarding Winterberry's service between mid-September 1944 and the time of the Okinawa invasion in April 1945 are fragmentary and imprecise. She appears to have served at Majuro, Guam, Ulithi, and in the Palau Islands. In November, she was definitely at Kossol Roads in the Palau group because she reported sighting a submarine at 0858 on the 19th while she was laying torpedo nets at the west entrance to the roadstead. She indicated that the submarine submerged and surfaced three times in the space of two minutes and then moved off before auxiliary motor minesweeper USS YMS-33 belatedly got underway to investigate. That submarine probably was RO-37, which USS Conklin (DE-439) and USS McCoy Reynolds (DE-440) sank later that day about 20 miles north of the west entrance.

Supporting the Okinawa invasion

While it is conceivable that she was in the neighborhood of the Ryukyu Islands for the preliminary occupation of the roadstead at Kerama Retto, no hard evidence supports the conclusion. In any event, she was off Okinawa on 1 April 1945, D-day for the invasion of that bitterly contested island. By the 7th, she had moved to Ulithi. Winterberry was back at Okinawa by 28 May. At 0730 that day, an enemy plane attacked the ships assembled in Buckner Bay. Winterberry opened fire, but the enemy succeeded in crashing into one of the attack transports.

Attacked by aircraft

Fifteen minutes later, three more dive bombers raided the anchorage. They dove in from the sun and immediately drew antiaircraft fire. Winterberry opened up with her guns and assisted in bringing down two of the three raiders. At the height of that melee, a Japanese "Val" swooped on the anchorage. Winterberry could not fire on this enemy because friendly ships were in her line of fire, but the other ships brought him down.

During the early afternoon of 3 June, she again assisted in downing a kamikaze. At 1912 on the 11th, she joined the antiaircraft barrage when a single "Val" swooped down out of a heavy cloud cover. Oblivious to the curtain of gunfire, he dove at dock landing ship USS Lindenwald (LSD-6). He overshot the dock landing ship, climbed, did a wingover and entered his second suicide dive. This time, he chose a victory ship; but the antiaircraft fire, which he had ignored so contemptuously, cut his mission short. Winterberry's guns combined with those of the other ships in the area to splash the kamikaze but a scant few yards short of his intended victim.

End-of-war operations

During the waning months of World War II, Winterberry continued to serve at Okinawa. On 5 August, she departed the Ryukyus, bound for Saipan where she arrived on the 11th. The cessation of hostilities on 15 August found her still at Saipan. However, on the 20th, she got underway for Iwo Jima. The net-layer reached her destination three days later and operated in the Volcano Islands—at Iwo Jima and at Chichi Jima—until late in October. On 24 October, she departed Iwo Jima to return to the United States.

Post-war disposition

After stops at Saipan, Eniwetok, Johnston Island, and Pearl Harbor, she entered San Diego, California, harbor on 29 November and reported to the Commandant, 11th Naval District, for disposal. She was decommissioned at San Diego on 15 February 1946, and her name was struck from the Navy list on 26 February 1946. The former net-layer was subsequently transferred to the U.S. Maritime Commission for final disposition. She was sold to Joe Medina Enterprises, of San Diego, California, on 31 March 1947.

Honors and awards

Winterberry earned one battle star for World War II.

Related Research Articles

USS <i>Pensacola</i> (CA-24) Pensacola-class heavy cruiser

USS Pensacola (CL/CA-24) was a cruiser of the United States Navy that was in service from 1929 to 1945. She was the lead ship of the Pensacola class, which the navy classified from 1931 as heavy cruisers. The third Navy ship to be named after the city of Pensacola, Florida, she was nicknamed the "Grey Ghost" by Tokyo Rose. She received 13 battle stars for her service.

USS <i>OFlaherty</i> John C. Butler-class destroyer

USS O'Flaherty (DE-340) was a John C. Butler-class destroyer escort built for the United States Navy during World War II. She was named for Ensign Frank Woodrow O'Flaherty, a pilot who posthumously received the Navy Cross for his actions at the Battle of Midway.

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

USS Halligan (DD-584) was a Fletcher-class destroyer of the United States Navy, named for Rear Admiral John Halligan, Jr. (1876–1934).

USS <i>Evans</i> (DD-552) Fletcher-class destroyer

USS Evans (DD-552), a Fletcher-class destroyer, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for Rear Admiral Robley D. Evans (1846–1912).

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

USS Stanly (DD-478) was a Fletcher-class destroyer in service with the United States Navy from 1942 to 1947. She was scrapped in 1972.

USS <i>Case</i> (DD-370) Mahan-class destroyer

USS Case (DD-370) was a Mahan-class destroyer in the United States Navy before and during World War II. She was the second ship named for Augustus Ludlow Case. Case was berthed at Pearl Harbor when the Japanese struck on 7 December 1941, then served in the United States Pacific Fleet until the end of World War II.

USS <i>Defense</i> Minesweeper of the United States Navy

USS Defense (AM-317) was an Auk-class minesweeper acquired by the United States Navy for the dangerous task of removing mines from minefields laid in the water to prevent ships from passing.

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

USS Porterfield (DD-682) was a Fletcher-class destroyer of the United States Navy. Commissioned in 1943, she served in several Pacific campaigns during World War II, earning ten battle stars. She was decommissioned immediately after the end of the war but reactivated in 1951 for the Korean War, earning four more battle stars, and then served continuously until 1969. She was sunk as a target in 1982.

USS <i>Stack</i> Benham-class destroyer

USS Stack (DD-406) was a Benham-class destroyer in the United States Navy. She was named for Edward Stack.

USS <i>Barr</i> Buckley-class destroyer escort, and later a Charles Lawrence-class of the United States Navy

USS Barr (DE-576/APD-39), originally a Buckley-class destroyer escort, and later a Charles Lawrence-class fast transport of the United States Navy named for Pvt. Woodrow Wilson Barr of Keyser, West Virginia.

USS <i>Rutland</i>

USS Rutland (APA-192) was a Haskell-class attack transport built and used by the US Navy in World War II. She was a Victory ship design, VC2-S-AP5. She was named after Rutland County, Vermont, USA.

USS <i>Ardent</i> (AM-340) Minesweeper of the United States Navy

The second USS Ardent (AM-340) was a Auk-class minesweeper in the United States Navy.

USS <i>Keokuk</i> (CMc-6)

USS Keokuk (AN-5/CM-8/CMc-6/AKN-4) was a mine and net laying ship of the United States Navy during World War II.

USS <i>Strength</i> (AM-309) Minesweeper of the United States Navy

USS Strength (AM-309) was a metal-hulled Admirable-class minesweeper built for the U.S. Navy during World War II. She received training in the United States before being sent directly to the Pacific Ocean to clear minefields so that Allied forces could proceed to beaches held by forces of the Empire of Japan. While performing this dangerous task, she was also attacked by Japanese planes and narrowly avoided being torpedoed. For her courageous actions in the war zone, she was awarded three battle stars.

USS Spectacle (AM-305) was a steel-hulled Admirable class minesweeper built for the U.S. Navy during World War II. A trained crew boarded the new vessel, practiced with her minesweeping gear, and then proceeded to the Pacific Ocean to clear mines from Japanese beaches so that Allied forces could invade. While performing this dangerous task of mine clearance, a Japanese plane strafed her, and another deliberately crashed into her. When she returned to the United States, her battle damage was so severe that the U.S. Navy decided to scrap, rather than to repair, her. She was awarded two battle stars.

USS <i>Fleming</i> (DE-32)

The second USS Fleming (DE-32), and first ship of the name to enter service, was an Evarts-class destroyer escort built for the United States Navy during World War II. While performing convoy and escort duty in the Pacific Ocean she was also able to sink one Japanese submarine and to shoot down several kamikaze planes that intended to crash onto her. For her military prowess under battle conditions, she was awarded four battle stars.

USS <i>Wesson</i> Cannon-class destroyer escort

USS Wesson (DE-184) was a Cannon-class destroyer escort built for the United States Navy during World War II. She served in the Pacific Ocean and provided escort service against submarine and air attack for Navy vessels and convoys. She returned home at war's end with a very respectable seven battle stars to her credit.

USS Signet (AM-302) was an Admirable-class minesweeper built for the United States Navy during World War II. She received four battle stars during World War II. She was decommissioned in December 1945 and placed in reserve. In February 1955, while still in reserve, her hull number was changed from AM-302 to MSF-302, but she was not reactivated. She was transferred to the Dominican Republic in January 1965 and renamed Tortuguero (BM455). She was employed as a patrol vessel in Dominican Navy service. Her pennant number was changed from BM455 to C455 in 1995. Tortuguero was stricken and hulked in 1997.

USS <i>Grady</i>

USS Grady (DE-445) was a John C. Butler-class destroyer escort in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946 and from 1947 to 1957. She was sold for scrapping in 1969.

USS <i>William C. Cole</i> Buckley-class destroyer escort

USS William C. Cole (DE-641) was a Buckley-class destroyer escort of the United States Navy, named in honor of Vice Admiral William C. Cole (1868–1935).

References