1937 PICTURE OF THE USCGC TANEY
 
 
 
 
 

    PLANK OWNERS 1ST CREW OF USCGC TANEY
Photo provided by Hellen Hartman July 2001 in memory of Warren Haratman 

Harry; Nelson, (USS TANEY) and Capt. Koitschka  commander of German Submarine U-616 and  wife and son at Honolulu TANEY reunion.  The U-616 engaged the TANEY     20-22 April 1944 in the Mediterranean.  The book "The Death of the U-Boats" list his U-boat distorted 14-17 May 1944 off coast of Oran, North Africa.  The foweling ships were the cause of its sinking, Neilds DD616 Gleaves DD423 Dllyson DD454 Hilar P. Jones DD427 Macomb DD458 Hambleton DD455 and the Rodman DD456. one of the above destroyers had located him and brought him to their reunion in Honolulu. visit:    http://www.armory.com/~vern/personal/theway/  for additional story. .
 
 

Capt. Koitschka (center with white hat) CO U-616 German Sub. scuttled after surface fight with US Destroyers. 55 members
of the crew were picked up by the US Destroyers. Picture provided by Klaus Zaepfel, who's late
father Franz Zaepfel served aboard the sub. aditional piactures and story under history - the way it was of this webpage.

Sincerely,
Klaus P. Zaepfel
447 Martha Lee Drive
Hampton, VA  23666
(757)826-9286

Photo copy provided by The Coast Guard Historian's office:   Note the size of the explosian compaired to the two ships in the forground.
The TANEY's Photographer took simular pictures. This picture was published in Time May 22 1944 and in "The History of the TANEY by the late LtJG Whetsitine USCGR.
Caption from TIME
"This is what men risk who go to sea. even in the Allied-controlled Mediterranean. Off the coast of North Africa a German bomber has bat-winged in by night, made a direct hit on Allied freighter. Left and right are the silhouettes of other ships picked out by a pillar of flame. fed by explosives. which rise hundreds of  feet into the sky. "
Caption from History of TANEY
"Destruction of the SS Paul Hamilton 20 April 1944. Photo by Art Green, USCG combat Photographer stationed aboard the USS Menges (DE 320)"

http://www.geocities.com/lks_friday/HAMILTON-001.htm   Information below from this link s/vern_toler

This roster was complied by the Casualty Branch, the Adjutant General's Office, Washington, DC - List No. 62 to document
the "Personnel Lost at Sea as Result of Ship Sinking During World War II of the Liberty Ship SS Paul Hamilton (Hull No.
0227) off the coast of Algiers, North Africa on 20 Apr 1944

The Liberty Ship SS Paul Hamilton was hit by bombs launched from a German Junker JU-88 aircraft causing it to explode
with great violance and it sank immediately. This occurred approximately 30 miles off the Coast of Cape Bengut, Algiers, in the
Mediterranean Sea. (1)

The sinking of the SS Paul Hamilton became one of the most costly Liberty Ship disaster, in terms of human life, in all of
World War II. The ship was making her fifth voyage, as part of a huge Convoy UGS-38, when she was attacked by 23
German JU-88 dive-bombers near sunset on 20 April 1944. 

In addition to her load of U.S. Army Air Corps personnel, she carried a cargo of high explosives and bombs. The German
JU-88s dive-bombers came in low and the men on the bridge of the British tanker, Athelchie, watched as it went by. The
gunners aboard the Athelchie set the JU-88 on fire, but the aircraft had launched its torpedo less than 150 feet from the SS
Paul Hamilton. Immediately after the torpedo hit the Hamilton, a violent explosion threw debris and dense black smoke high in
the air. When the smoke cleared, there was no sign of the ship. 

During this action with the enemy, other ships in the convey were hit or sunk. 

The following ships of Convoy UGS-38 were hit: 

     SS Samite 
     SS Stephen T. Austin 

The following ships of Convoy UGS-38 were sunk: 

     SS Paul Hamilton, loss of 580 personnel 
     SS Royal Star, 
     USS Lansdale (DD-426) - loss of 47 crew members 

http://howardsviews.com/howardsviews2.html 
    touching story and pictures

http://www.armed-guard.com/03peo.html  pictures of "armed Guard"

http://chronicles.dickinson.edu/encyclo/m/ed_marshallW.htm 
detected to one member of the "Photo squadron"

http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/ships/MM/SS_PaulHamilton.html 
data on the SS Paul Hamilton (You will get the Navy Ships index page, click on the icon <MM>)

http://www.rootsweb.com/~coyuma/data/gsvets/DurfeyLE.htm 
another member of the photo squadron

http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/message/an/surnames.cavey/41 
a man on the SS Paul Hamilton

http://www.geocities.com/lks_friday/HAMILTON-001.htm
SS Paul Hamilton story 
(you will get yahoo- in the search box type Hamilton-001, click on search then click on SS Paul Hamilton)

photo by Vern Toler: Sick Bay USCGC TANEY I think this is the patient we  took from the SS Paul Hamilton for an appendectomy operation.  We returned him to his ship a couple days before it was hit ote several days earlier Dr Dowdy brought an man from the ship to the TANEY to perform an appendectomy, after he recovered the man was returned to the Hamilton.  The ship had a large contingent of Army Airmen.  547 men were lost with this ship.Photo by Vern Toler: Sick Bay USCGC TANEY I think this is the patient we  took from the SS Hamilton for an appendicidice operation.  We returned him to his ship a couple days before it was hit..

USS. MENGES  (DE-320)

Photo by Russell Green aboard the CG-manned USS Menges (DE-320)  [see 
R. Green, chapter 3 Bells]  photo copy by vern from web
 
 

: 
        "ed and rae nash" <ramblersoup@bigvalley.net> story about USS-CG MENGES and other war stories. see "4 Bells"
TITLE: "THE COURT-MARTIAL OF ENSIGN MASON".
              " LOVE, SHAME and GLORY"
              "BINGO! BINGO! BINGO!"                 
Author: Edgar M. Nash   Phone 1-877-823-9235
ISBN: 0-7596-8235-6,  5 X 8 PAPERBACK, 254 PAGES (a fiction based on the Menges)

This picture appeared in U.S. CAMERA 1945 With the caption 
"BATTLE STATIONS -- U.S. COAST GUARD."
The TANEY photographer brought back copies of this picture from the USS Menges (DE 320) a Coast Guard manned Destroyer Escort.   The MENGES lost its bow to a torpedo on 3 May 1944
Dr. Dowdy and several TANEY crewmen went aboard the MENGES to assist. The MENGES lost 26 Coast Guardsmen KIA along with 16 wounded.  The MENGES repaired with the bow from another damaged DE and it lived to fight again.

           www.ussbuck.com 

http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/0542002.jpg     (picture)

 The USS BUCK DD-420  is added to the TANEY website, as it also was in combat with the U-616. 
The story was written by Kay Klein Brigham, daughter of 
Lt. Comdr. M.J. Klein, USN, skipper of USS Buck (DD-420) 
 The story covers the USS BUCK action report of the sinking of the Italian submarine
ARGENTO  by the USS BUCK and the rescue of the Italian submarine crew by the 
USS BUCK. It is also a story of the hardships endured by the survivors of the USS BUCK when it was sunk by the U-616.
               “150 of her crew were lost with the ship and remain on duty.”
 

(Note from Vern_Toler, June 2001 The above article was in Time Magazine in 1944 along with the picture of the explosion of the SS Paul Hamilton.  The story in it about the two Black Stuarts is interesting, there action would rate a high medal yet there names were not even listed, does anyone out there have a follow up to this? )

http://www.plateau.net/usndd/de322/de322his.htm USS NEWELL DE 322   This ship along with the Coast Guard manned USS MENGES DE 320 rescued the men from the USS LANSDALE  and two German Pilots

      From:      "Charles C. Wales" <cwales@bcn.net>
Charles C. Wales, Ensign, USN, Torpedo Officer, USS Lansdale DD426

USS NEWELL DE 322    copied from the web

http://www.navsource.org/archives/06/322.htm           more stories andpictures of USS NEWELL

USS LANSDALE DD426      copied from the web

http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/ships/dafs/DD/dd426.html
 

USS LANING APD-55
 Photo provided by Gene Lovegren
     Charles Lawrence class High-Speed Transport: 
     Displacement: 1,450 tons (full load) 
     Length: 306' 
     Beam: 37'
     Draft: 12' 
     Speed: 22.5 knots (max), 12 knots (econ) 
     Armament: 1 5"/38 DP, 3x2 40mm, 6 20mm, 2 depth charge tracks 
     Complement: 374 
     Turbo-electric drive, twin screws, 12,000 shaft hp 
     Built at Norfolk Navy Yard, and commissioned 1 August 1943 

The USS LANING  was with the TANEY for convoy UGS-38 and GUS-38 as a forward screen. During
the action pictured above.on 20 April 1944 when the Luftwaffe came calling, Gene Lovegren USN was manning 
the surface radar and reimburse well seeing the SS Hamilton explode on his screen.

Old Friends & Fellow Veterans -- 

The USS Laning DE-159/APD-55/LPR-55 internet site under construction for 
some time is now a fledgling reality.  From this point it will grow.  It 
eventually will tell of its history as a convoy escort to the Mediterranean 
including the eventful UGS-38 & GUS-38 convoys, centered on two great losses 
in 1944, and the escort's part in it.  It will be under construction for as 
long as there is a historical legacy to reveal.  Have a look at this modest 
beginning but don't stray too far.  Updates will occur regularly.

http://members.dsl-only.net/~usslaning/indexB.html
 

H. Eugene [Gene] Lovegren USN 1/'42 to 1/46. Radarman 3/c at separation 
Web author [with the aid of son Richard J. Lovegren] 

You can reach me at    usslaning@dsl-only.net 
 

USS MOSLEY   (DE-321) 
Photographed in 1944-45
Courtesy of D. McPherson, 1974
US NAVAL HISTORICAL CRENTER PHOTOGRAPH
Glene Lovegreen recalls "Destroyer Lansdale being sunk with DE-321 Mosley assisting and later losing her stern to an acoustic torpedo during the return trip, GUS-38, when sister ship Fechteler DE-157 was sunk by U-967 on 5 May 1944."
Ship was with the TANEY convoy USG-38 and GUS-38

                   USS NIELDS   DD 616         CLASS - BENSON As Built.
                  Displacement 2395 Tons (Full), Dimensions, 348' 4"(oa) x 36' 1" x 13' 2" (Max)
                           Armament 4 x 5"/38AA, 6 x 0.5" MG, 10 x 21" tt.(2x5).
                       Machinery, 50,000 SHP; Westinghouse Geared Turbines, 2 screws
                         Speed, 35 Knots, Range 6500 NM@ 12 Knots, Crew 208.
                                   Operational and Building Data
                            Laid down by Bethlehem Steel, Quincy.June 15 1942.
                        Launched October 1 1942 and commissioned January 15 1943.
                                   Decommissioned March 26 1946.
                                     Stricken September 15 1970.
                             Fate Sold May 8 1972 and broken up for scrap.
     Ship action was part of the TANEY convoy USG-38 and GUS-38  USS NIELDS helped distroy the U-616
     Picture and information taken from Web   http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/616.htm

Assigned to coastal escort and patrol duties on her arrival at Oran, 2 May, Nields was soon drawn into a   submarine chase
lasting four days. On 14 May, U-616 was detected in the southwestern Mediterranean by British   observation aircraft. Nields,
temporarily with DesDiv 21, was one of the ships to answer the call. Soon afterward   Ellyson (DD-454) dropped the first
depth charge pattern. On the morning of the 15th, oil slicks were spotted, but   sound contact was lost. Another search plane
sighted the submarine, now surfaced, ten miles away and running   north toward southern France. The destroyers followed. At
1900 on the 16th, Nields, in a scouting line with   Gleaves (DD-423) and Macomb (DD-458), left the formation to investigate
a sound contact; negative. At 2157, all   three destroyers made contact. Macomb illuminated the elusive quarry and opened
fire. U-616 returned the fire   and started diving. At 2214, and again at 2231, Macomb attacked with depth charges. At 2335
and at 2342 sound   contacts were regained, but lost at 800 yards. U-616 was deep and maneuvering radically. At 2346,
Nields set off 
  an 11 charge pattern; and at 2350 began "creeping attacks". At 0043, 17 May, Gleaves, with Nields directing, fired   an 18
charge pattern, with deep settings, which surrounded the U-boat. Contact was lost at 0044. Soon after 0100,   the three
destroyers, having been joined by Hambleton (DD-455), Ellyson, Rodman (DD-456) and Emmons   (DD-457),
commenced a box patrol, with Nields taking position third from the right end of the scouting line. At   0449, Hambleton
reported a sound contact, and, at 0515 commenced firing depth charges. At 0525, she made a   second attack. Finally, at
0608, U-616 surfaced and was taken under fire by the surrounding destroyers. Nields,   unable to fire without endangering
others in the destroyer group, watched the hunted U-boat sink at 0612 and then   screened the vessels detailed to pick up
survivors (51).
      http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/Base/1250/nields.html 
 

additional information - German Submarines http://uboat.net/boats/u616.htm 

http://www.geocities.com/bensonclass/macu616.html
http://www.geocities.com/bensonclass/macombaction.html            Actions of the USS MACOMB
http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/458.htm                             Above Photo Navy Archives Web Page
 
 
 
 
 

Wait!  There are more pictures, pick a link below to go to those pages.
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