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Source: http://www.coastguardfest.org/#!the-Escanaba/cotr

USCGC Escanaba (WPG-77)

Grand Haven has celebrated its unique relationship with the Coast Guard since the early 1900s when the U.S. Life Saving Service established a station in this Lake Michigan shoreline community. Today, Grand Haven is known as "Coast Guard City U.S.A" in recognition of her special relationship with the longest continuous seagoing service of our nation. The first cutter home ported in Grand Haven was USCGC Escanaba (WPG-77).

Winter of 1932 the Escanaba arrived coated with ice to a warm welcome by the community and the Grand Haven High School band.

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Source: http://www.uscg.mil/lantarea/cgcEscanaba/history.asp

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1935 USCGC Escanaba (WPG-77)

USCGC Escanaba (WPG-77)

The 1st Coast Guard Cutter Escanaba was a "Michigan" ship from the beginning and was built at Defoe Works in Bay City, Michigan in 1932. She was commissioned soon after for the arduous duty of icebreaking on Lake Michigan. The 165-foot Algonguin class cutter was named for the city and river "Escanaba" which was derived from a Native American word meaning “flat rock”. She served on the and was stationed in Grand Haven, Michigan until the start of WWII. In early 1942, Escanaba was assigned to convoy duty, was transferred to war duty in the North Atlantic and assigned to the " Patrol". She escorted numerous convoys and participated in various search and rescue missions. While carrying out escort duties for many of the Allied convoys bound for Greenland and Iceland, Escanaba rescued survivors of two torpedoed ships. They rescued 22 men from the U.S.S. Cherokee on June 15, 1942 and rescued 133 more men from the U.S.S. Dorchester transport on February 3, 1943. For their outstanding heroism accomplishing this rescue mission, six officers and men of the Escanaba were awarded posthumous decorations & commendations by Admiral Royal E. Ingersol, then Commander in Chief of the Atlantic Fleet.

Four months later the gallant Escanaba set out on what was destined to be her final mission. She was steaming in company with the cutters; Mojave, Tampa, Storis, Algonquin & Raritan providing protection to a convoy enroute to Newfoundland. During the early morning hours of June 13, 1943, an Allied convoy sailed from Narsarssuak, Greenland bound for St. John’s, Newfoundland with an escort consisting of the USCGC Mohave (flag), USCGC Tampa, USCGC Storis, USCGC Raritan and USCGC Escanaba. The convoy proceeded to the Northwest, encountering dense fog, icebergs & dangerous navigating conditions. The convoy had been alerted for the presence of an enemy in the area. Then the Escanaba was torpedoed and sank quickly. At 05:10am on June 13, 1943, there was a sudden flash of light on the horizon with dense yellow & black smoke rising from the perimeter of the convoy. The cutters Storis & Raritan were ordered to investigate. Racing to the position where the Escanaba was last stationed, they discovered that the cutter was gone. She had been struck by an enemy and sank instantly. Within ten minutes of sighting the smoke, all that remained was debris and two survivors: Seaman First Class Raymond O’Malley and Boatswains Mate Second Class Melvin Baldwin. 101 men were lost including the Captain, Commander "Carl Uno Peterson". All that remains today of this proud ship are her rigged mast, her lifeboat and a few other items which are part of a memorial park in the City of Grand Haven. No monument will ever mark the place in the Atlantic where Escanaba and her brave crew sank but for the Nation she served so well she will always remain an honored memory. Her namesake carries on the traditions so firmly embedded in the history of the Coast Guard. The anguish of this small, close-knit community over the devastating loss of Escanaba was channeled into raising one million dollars in war bonds to purchase a replacement cutter the following year. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Source: http://www.uscg.mil/history/articles/Escanaba.asp

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On August 4, 1943, the citizens of Grand Haven, Michigan stood somber as a ray of sunlight pierced the blackened sky. The mood changed instantly when a band broke the silence with the tune "Semper Paratus." The crowd of over 6,000 had gathered as they had for many years to celebrate Coast Guard day. This year, however, the crowd assembled for a more important reason; to pay tribute to the cutter Escanaba which had been sunk just six weeks before.

The Escanaba, built in 1932, was one of a class of six cutters designed for light icebreaking, law enforcement and rescue work. Home ported in Grand Haven, the 165 ft. cutter served in the Great Lakes for eight years. It made annual trips up Lake Michigan to Sault Ste. Marie each spring to break ice in the St. Mary's River. Many times this included cutting ore vessels out of the ice. By keeping navigation open and making many rescues the cutter became well known and endeared to all the maritime communities along Lake Michigan. With the outbreak of World War II in Europe, the United States sent vessels to patrol the icy waters of Greenland. The Escanaba, well suited for such work, contributed greatly to the initial patrol and ice breaking duties. The Escanaba, however, had never been designed as a war vessel. The crew grew from 62 to over 100 to handle additional armament, sound gear, and depth charges--all added to the vessel to make it capable of fighting . After spending some months on the , the Navy assigned the Escanaba to convoy merchant ships in the North Atlantic. Duty in this part of the Atlantic could be extremely harsh. Ice readily formed on the ships, which had to be chipped and chopped off and sometimes melted off with live steam. Heavy weather tossed the ships about the waves like toys, and the men and the gear inside. The warships in the North Atlantic fought an illusive enemy that could sink merchant vessels and then disappear without a trace leaving the escort vessels to pick up survivors and drop depth charges with no positive results. The Navy armed a number of Coast Guard cutters and intended for them to perform the same operations as destroyers. But they had various limitations. The Escanaba's particularly short cruising range limited its ability to do certain tasks. These vessels overall worked well as escort ships, yet they could never function as destroyers.

For just over two months during the summer of 1942, the Escanaba performed weather patrol duty in the North Atlantic. In September it went back to breaking ice and escort work. During this difficult duty the Escanaba participated in several major rescues. In June 1942, Escanaba, in a convoy bound from Halifax, Nova Scotia to Cape Cod, rescued 22 men from the torpedoed passenger ship Cherokee. The most famous rescue occurred when the torpedoed Army transport Dorchester sank in February 1943. During this rescue the ship's commanding , LCDR Carl U. Peterson, made the first use of rescue swimmers to pull the victims from the icy waters, saving an amazing 132 men. For the next several months Escanaba escorted vessels from Greenland to Newfoundland and back. On June 10 1943, the cutter formed part of a convoy that sailed from Narsarssuak, Greenland to St. John's Newfoundland. In company with the cutters Mojave, Tampa, Storis, Algonquin, and Raritan, the transport Fairfax, and the tanker Laramie they all steamed out of Narsarssuak in weather considered bad for even for the North Atlantic. Convoy GS-24 proceeded northwest for awhile to skirt an ice field. On the twelfth the ships encountered many bergs and growlers amongst dense fog which made navigation difficult. By the morning of the thirteenth the convoy had successfully avoided the ice by changing direction and steaming west and south. The convoy headed south with Escanaba on station on the left side of the formation. Here the cutter made anti-submarine sweeps 3,000 yards from the center. Just after 5 am, seaman Raymond O'Malley, who had just relieved the wheel on Escanaba, heard what he thought was the sound gear tracking a torpedo. A moment later a terrific explosion ripped through the cutter. The explosion blew O'Malley to the overhead and only his grasp on the wheel kept him from greater injury. When O'Malley regained his senses he observed that everyone else on the bridge lay seriously wounded. O'Malley made his way to the wing of the bridge, putting on his life preserver as he went. As he got out the door he saw the after deck in splinters and the main mast falling overboard. Moments later he was swept into the bitterly cold water.

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Another crewman, BM2 Melvin Baldwin, lay asleep two decks below when the explosion occurred. Blown out of his bunk he headed topside but found it difficult due to the extensive structural damage. Baldwin was one of the few lucky men from below to reach the deck. He reached the main deck but the ship settled so fast that as he headed forward, water struck him from behind and sucked him down with the ship. He managed to swim to the surface and saw a few men on a strongback a hundred yards away. O'Malley, Baldwin, Seaman George Gmeiner, Daniel Davis, and the commanding officer LCDR Carl Peterson all made it to the floating wreckage. The explosion and sinking happened within three minutes, so rapidly in fact that the Escanaba never signaled its plight. The Storis, two miles away, heard no explosion but saw a large sheet of flame and dense black and yellow smoke rise from the Escanaba. The Storis, at the back of the convoy, received orders to investigate and the tug Raritan was ordered to pick up survivors. Storis began a sound search for a U-boat as the Raritan steamed to the last known position of Escanaba. The men clinging to the wreckage had been in the water for only minutes when Raritan arrived to pick them up. Baldwin and O'Malley, however, were the only men rescued alive. The rest of the crew died in the explosion or from hypothermia in the 39 degree water. In fact, both Baldwin and O'Malley had passed out before the Raritan could rescue them. It is likely that the sole reason that these two lived is that their clothing froze to the strongback, keeping them from slipping into the water and sure death. The Storis never made sound contact with a submarine and Escanaba's sinking has never been fully explained. The loss of the cutter was originally attributed to a U-boat's torpedo. No U-boat, however, claimed the kill. It was more likely a drifting mine that sank her. The ship and its crew were gone but never forgotten. The city of Grand Haven felt the loss personally because the cutter had been so loved and such an important part of the community. In order to show their support for the war effort, and to honor the ship and crew, the community raised over a million dollars in bonds to build a second cutter bearing the same name. This special relationship with the cutter has never ended. The city still annually holds a memorial service to honor the ship and the crew lost fifty years ago, far away in the icy North Atlantic. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USCGC_Escanaba_(WPG-77)

The USCGC Escanaba (WPG-77) was an 165 ft (50 m) "A" type United States Coast Guard cutter stationed on the Great Lakes from her commissioning in 1932 until the start of U.S. military involvement in World War II in 1941. With the outbreak of war, Escanaba redeployed to participate in the , during the course of which she was ultimately lost with nearly all hands. Struck by either a torpedo or mine in the early morning of 13 June 1943, while serving as a convoy escort, Escanaba suffered a fiery explosion and sank within minutes, leaving only two survivors and one body out of her 105-man crew to be found on the surface by rescuers.

Construction: Escanaba was built at Bay City, Michigan by the Defoe Shipbuilding Company with contract for her construction signed 10 November 1931 at a cost of $525,550. She was one of six 165 ft (50 m) "A" type cutters designed as a light and her type were the first Coast Guard cutters to have a geared-turbine drive. The double-reduction DeLaval geared-turbine was powered by two Babcock and Wilcox main boilers which produced 1500 shaft horsepower. The ship carried 41500 gallons of oil to fire her boilers.

Escanaba, named for the city and river in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, was built at the Defoe Shipbuilding Company in Bay City, Michigan in 1932. The six cutters of her class were designed primarily for light ice breaking, rescue, and law enforcement duties. She was commissioned on November 23, 1932 in Grand Haven, Michigan, which would be her permanent station and home port until she was redeployed to the East Coast for combat duty in the Second World War. Escanaba's primary, pre-war missions were ice breaking and search and rescue on the Great Lakes, which caused her to become well known throughout the region and a beloved part of her home port's community. During this period, from 1932 to 1934, future USCG Commandant Edwin J. Roland served aboard Escanaba as gunnery officer and navigator.

Greenland Patrol service during World War II: With the outbreak of war in 1941, Escanaba's home port was shifted to , and she was assigned to the Greenland Patrol, performing escort duty and

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search and rescue operations in the North Atlantic. On 15 June 1942, while escorting convoy XB-25 from Cape Cod to Halifax, Escanaba had two submarine contacts and made attacks on them. No sinkings were confirmed. After making these attacks, the ship rescued 20 people from the SS Cherokee, which had been sunk by a U-boat. In that same month, Escanaba was credited with the sinkings of two enemy submarines in a single day. From 1 July until 23 August 1942, she was on weather patrol.

Late 1942: "All hands at Quarters on deck"

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Escanaba rescuing the survivors of USAT Dorchester in the predawn darkness on February 3, 1943

On 3 February 1943, Escanaba participated in the rescue of the survivors of the USAT Dorchester, which had been torpedoed by a German submarine. The rescue was marked by the Escanaba's historic first use of rescue swimmers clad in survival suits to aid survivors who were too weakened by shock or hypothermia in the icy water to pull themselves up cargo nets or sea ladders to the safety and warmth of rescuers' ships, or even to hold on to ropes cast to them from the rescue vessel. By way of the lines the rescue swimmers tied around those who were having trouble helping themselves, many struggling survivors who, debilitated by the cold, would have otherwise been consigned to a watery grave were able to be hauled aboard the Escanaba by crewmen on deck. Even those in the water who appeared to be dead were harnessed by the retrieval swimmers and pulled aboard — indeed, it was found that only 12 of the 50 apparently dead victims thus brought aboard by the retrieval teams actually turned out to be deceased. The rest proved themselves to be quite alive once given the benefit of warmth, dryness, and medical attention. In all, Escanaba plucked 133 living souls from the water that day, only one of whom went on to die aboard the cutter after rescue. For their work in supervising and organizing the rescue, commanding officer Lieutenant Commander Carl U. Peterson received the Legion of Merit and executive officer Lieutenant Robert H. Prause, Jr., whose experiments in a tethered rubber suit off a dock at West One had paved the way for this new "retriever method," received a letter of commendation. Ship's doctor Assistant Surgeon Ralph R. Nix of the US Public Health Service also received a letter of commendation for his work saving the lives of the critically chilled survivors. Three crew

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members who went "over the side" to bring in survivors, Ensign Richard A. Arrighi, Ship's Cook 2nd Class Forrest O. Rednour, and Steward's Mate 3rd Class Warren T. Deyampert, were awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for their actions in the water. All decorations and commendations, however, were to be awarded posthumously.

Sinking of Escanaba: On 10 June 1943, Escanaba began escorting her last convoy, GS-24 from Narsarssuak to St. John's, Newfoundland, in company with the Mojave (Flag), Tampa, Storis, and Algonquin. The vessels they were tasked to escort were USAT Fairfax and the tug USS Raritan. At 0510 on 13 June, a large sheet of flame and dense smoke were seen rising from the Escanaba, though no explosion was heard by the other ships in the convoy. She sank at 0513, going down so quickly that she did not have time to send any distress signals. Storis and Raritan were ordered to investigate and rescue survivors while the rest of the convoy began zigzagging and steering evasive courses to avoid enemy submarines. Although Storis and Raritan were able to arrive on the scene within ten minutes, only two survivors and one body could be found. At 0715 the two vessels returned to the main body of the convoy, having rescued Boatswain's Mate 2nd Class Melvin A. Baldwin and Seaman 1st Class Raymond F. O'Malley, Jr., and having found the body of LT Prause. The entire crew of 13 officers and 92 men was lost to the explosion or to rapid hypothermia in the 39 °F (4 °C) water with the exception of Baldwin and O'Malley, whose survival was attributed to their soaked clothing having frozen their unconscious bodies to floating debris, which prevented them from following their shipmates to the bottom. The exact cause of the explosion could not be determined at the time, but was commonly attributed to a torpedo fired by one of several U-Boats which were in the area at the time. However, no U-Boats claimed the kill, and, according to Browning, it is now considered more probable that the cutter was sunk by a drifting mine.

Legacy: The city of Grand Haven was hit hard emotionally by the loss of "its" cutter. As the war wore on, the citizens of Grand Haven managed to raise more than $1,000,000 in bonds to build a new cutter bearing the same name in order to honor the ill-fated ship and its men. The city continues to hold an annual memorial service to honor the sacrifice of the 103 men who were lost with Escanaba. The third Escanaba (WMEC-907) was commissioned in 1987 and is currently based in Boston, the final home port of her namesake.

Citations: * a b Scheina, p 21 * "Escanaba, 1932", Cutters, Craft & U.S. Coast Guard-Manned Army & Navy Vessels, U.S. Coast Guard Historian's Office * "Edwin J. Roland, USCG"' Biographies of Coast Guard Commandants, U.S Coast Guard Historian's Office * Browning, Jr., Dr. Robert M., "The Sinking of the USCGC Escanaba", U.S. Coast Guard Historian's Office ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Source: http://www.uscg.mil/history/webcutters/Escanaba_1932.asp

Escanaba WPG-77 in 1932

Builder: Dafoe Works, Bay City, MI Length: 165' Beam: 36' Draft: 12' 3" mean Displacement: 1,005 tons Cost: $525,550 Commissioned: 23 November 1932 Decommissioned: Sunk, 13 June 1943 Disposition: Sunk, 13 June 1943 Propulsion/Machinery: Main Engines: 1 x DeLaval double-reduction geared turbine; 1,500 shp Main Boilers: 2 x Babcock & Wilcox; 310 psi, 200° superheat Propellers: 1 x four-bladed Performance/Endurance: Maximum Speed: 12.8 knots; 1,350 mile range Economic: 9.4 knots; 5,079 mile range Fuel Oil: 41,605 gallons Complement: 6 officers, 56 men (1934) 6 officers, 72 men (1942) Armament: 1934: 2 x 3"/50; 2 x 6-pounders 1942: 2 x 3"/50; 2 x 20mm/80 (single mount); 2 x depth charge tracks; 4 x "Y" guns; 2 mousetraps. Electronics: Radar: None Sonar: ??

Class History: The 165-foot "A" class cutters were based on the 1915 Tallapoosa/Ossipee design. They were designed for light ice-breaking as well, and were constructed with a reinforced belt at the waterline and a cutaway forefoot. They could break up to two feet of ice. They were also the first cutters with geared turbine drives. They were constructed utilizing Public Works Administration construction allotments, a program established to aid the country after the onset of the Great Depression. Other cutters in the 165-foot (A) class cutters were: * Algonquin (WPG-75) * Comanche (WPG-76) * Mohawk (WPG-78) * Onondaga (WPG-79) * Tahoma (WPG-80)

Commanding Officers: 1) LCDR Louis W. Perkins September 1932 - July 1935 2) LCDR Louis B. Olson July 1935 - December 1936 3) LCDR Raymond J. Mauerman December 1936 - November 1939 4) LCDR John P. Murray, Jr. November 1939 - March 1942 5) LCDR Carl Uno Peterson March 1942 - June 1943 (KIA)

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Cutter History: The cruising cutter Escanaba, built for the Coast Guard by Defoe Boat Works, Bay City, MI, was launched on 17 September 1932. She was commissioned into Coast Guard service on 23 November 1932, and assigned to her permanent station at Grand Haven, Michigan, on 3 December 1932. From that time until she was transferred to convoy duty in the North Atlantic in 1942, Escanaba had operated entirely on the Great Lakes. Much of her activity there was in ice breaking. During the winter months she released many fishing boats that had been caught in the ice. In the summer of 1933, when Italian planes made their trans-Atlantic flight and visited Chicago, the Escanaba maintained a boat patrol to safeguard the planes, illuminating their landing with searchlights. She made annual trips to Sault Ste, Marie each spring, breaking ice in the St. Mary's River, and helping to cut out ore vessels caught in the ice. During the summer she patrolled regattas and motorboat races.

World War II Convoy Duty From these routine peacetime duties Escanaba switched to the hazardous work of escorting convoys in the North Atlantic. Once transferred to the operational control of the Commander in Chief, Atlantic Fleet, US Navy on 14 January 1942, "to become effective as soon as ice conditions permit departure for the east coast," she then shifted homeports from Grand Haven to Boston. She was then ordered to escort convoys from the US, Newfoundland, or Nova Scotia to Greenland and back.

On 15 June 1942, while in escort position on the port quarter of a convoy bound for Cape Cod from Halifax, Nova Scotia, a definite underwater contact was made on her QC machine. Escanaba went into the attack immediately and the sound contact was held until she was 200 yards from the target, when eight depth charges were dropped. Stern lookouts and others aft saw the submarine break water, roll over and disappear. At 800 yards, the Escanaba reversed her course and headed back for the second attack. She could no longer get the underwater sounds from the submarine's propellers that had previously guided her to the target. The only underwater sounds the operators could get at first were those of escaping air. After that the echo sound contact was regained. As the cutter closed on the target, large groups of air bubbles were noticed dead ahead. A pattern of six depth charges was dropped across this position. Then all contact was lost.

A second submarine was contacted at 1820 that evening. The relative speed indicated that the submarine was going away from the cutter, but it was overtaken and eight depth charges were dropped. Immediately afterwards a second run was made and five depth charges followed the first. Shortly after this, a dark smoke arose to the surface. A large oil slick area was noted, with messes of brown substance floating about, but Escanaba was unable to regain sonar contact. A review of German records after the war, however, revealed that no German submarines were sunk in this area at the time and place of Escanaba's attacks.

One hour later Escanaba was ordered to rejoin the convoy and at 2315 flares and rockets indicated a submarine attack was on. SS Cherokee had been sunk and the survivors were milling around in the water. A monomoy surf-boat was put over the side of Escanaba in the dark with a volunteer rescue crew. The order was to pick up men swimming alone. Men kept floating near the ship but they could not hold on to the life rings attached to lines that were thrown to them. One man finally got alongside but could not hold on to the rope so as to be pulled aboard. The executive officer had husky members of the crew take hold of another one's legs and lower him down the ship's side. As the ship rolled he grabbed the lad in the water and brought him aboard. This method was discarded after that as being too dangerous. However, another plan of action was developed. The ship was taken to the windward of the rafts and the men were allowed to drift down by the rafts. As they drifted to the leeward of the rafts, the propeller was backed intermittently for short intervals so as not to suck survivors under with it. In this manner, the rafts were brought right up under the counter and were secured alongside. All other maneuvers to bring rafts or individual survivors alongside met with failure, since the surface backwash produced by the high seas forced the survivors away from the ship's side. One by one the men on the raft climbed up a fire hose passed from the ship. At the same tine men on the quarterdeck hauled them up with a line passed to the raft from the quarterdeck, each survivor being instructed to place the bowline under his arms as his turn came to be hauled aboard. The monomoy surfboat returned with 11 survivors, all of whom had been swimming singly. Eleven men had been brought aboard Escanaba with the use of the boat, bringing the total survivors to 22. The use of a boat is very dangerous at such a time for in the darkness it is hard to find when the time comes to depart. If sudden departure were necessary, the ship might have to leave its own boat's crew at the scene of action.

It was planned, however, to send the ship's boat out again, but an unidentified corvette and the SS Norlago, a small freighter of the convoy which had been designated as a rescue ship, began to use lights to aid in picking up the survivors. These lights were just enough to attract a submarine to the scene in an attempt to sink the rescue ships. A destroyer got a contact with such a submarine coming to attack and made a quick counter attack. The corvette disappeared and the Norlago ran off the scene, and Escanaba's boat had to be quickly hoisted in spite of the desire of the boat's crew to go back and pick up other survivors. A quick sound sweep was made over the area as soon as Escanaba got underway. At the same time, the area was scanned for survivors. The cutter then began a zigzag evasion course for Boston. If there had been sufficient depth charges on board, the cutter would have remained in the area until daybreak. With so few charges left, however, the cutter was unable to make even one good attack on a submarine. All hands regretted the necessity of leaving when there were men still remaining in the water.

The Escanaba arrived at Sidney on 4 July 1942, escorting five vessels with the Arundel and Bluebird from Casco Bay, Maine. For the remainder of July and until 23 August, she was on weather patrol. On the latter date she moored at Bluie West One and later transported officers to Julianehaab on 31 August 1942, returning to Kinglok Island that same day. On 1 September she stood up Skov Fjord and on 4 September she was patrolling Weather Station "Affirm" where she remained until the 13th. For the rest of September she was on local transportation and escort duty visiting Kungnat Bay, Ivigtut, Resolution Island, and Frobisher Bay, Baffin Island, returning to Bluie West One on 2 October 1942.

On 2 October 1942 the Escanaba proceeded to Fredericksdal, Greenland with Army officers aboard to survey a prospective base in that area. Until the 31st, she remained on local escort duty and on that date joined a convoy bound for Argentia, arriving on 7 November 1942 and remained there until the 14th when she departed for St. John's and thence for Kungnat Bay, arriving there on the 22nd. On the 25th, she departed with another convoy for St. John's, Argentia, and Boston, arriving there on 5 December 1942 for repairs until the 29th when she got underway for Argentia.

Dorchester Sinking & Use of the "Retriever Method" Early into the next year, Escanaba participated in a remarkable and historic rescue operation. During the early morning of 3 February, 1943, Escanaba had been one of three escort vessels in Task Unit 24.8.3 which was escorting a convoy of three vessels, composed of the ill-fated SS Dorchester, which carried the convoy commodore, the freighter SS Lutz, and the freighter SS Biscaya, from St. Johns, Newfoundland, to Greenland. The first indication of trouble came from the convoy at 0102 on that morning, when a white flash was

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observed to come from the Dorchester, just abaft her smokestack. This flash was followed by a clearly visible cloud of black smoke and the sound of an explosion. There followed immediately two blasts from the whistle of Dorchester and lights were seen to flash on in numerous spots on the ship. At 0104 the officer of the deck of CGC Comanche, which was approximately 2500 yards on the port beam of the Dorchester, sounded the general alarm and all stations were manned. At 0112, the Comanche, in accordance with pre-arranged instructions, commenced maneuvering to intercept and destroy any enemy submarines in the vicinity. At this time all lights left burning on Dorchester went out and it is believed she sank immediately after this at 0120. At 0226 instructions were received from the escort commander, aboard Tampa, for Comanche to proceed to the scene of the sinking and cooperate with Escanaba in the rescue of survivors. Upon arriving at the scene at 0302 Comanche passed through an oil slick in which numerous red life jacket lights were seen burning, but upon attempting to pick up some of these, it was discovered that the men in the jackets, close aboard, had already perished or had become unconscious due to hypothermia and were unable to respond or act in any way. At 0345, forty survivors from a lifeboat were brought aboard the Comanche as she screened Escanaba against submarine attack. Altogether Comanche rescued 93 survivors. As Escanaba moved in to pick up survivors, the men designated for this operation got the rescue equipment ready. Lines were cut and made ready for hauling helpless men aboard. Sea ladders were placed so that they would be readily available when needed. Heaving lines were made ready, the cargo net was dropped, ready for use and Escanaba's retrievers were put into their rubber suits with lines made fast to them. All these things had to be done beforehand because no illumination could be used on deck and confusion would have resulted if the required equipment could not have been readily found in the dark, once rescue operations had been started. The sea was smooth due to the heavy oil slick and the wind was light. The ability to see objects in the water, however, was very poor due to darkness and overcast clouds. The ship was stopped and drifted down into a mass of survivors. Some of them were trying to stay on doughnut rafts, others were staying afloat only with the aid of their life jackets. As was expected from previous experience gained in rescuing survivors from SS Cherokee, the majority of the men were suffering from severe shock and exposure and could not climb up the sea ladders or the cargo net. In fact, they could not even hang on to the lines with running bowlines on them long enough to secure the lines under their arms so that they could be hauled on board. It was for this reason that the retrievers were put over the side. These "retrievers" were developed by the Escanaba's Executive Officer, LT Robert H. Prause. The retrievers, clad in special rubber exposure suits and secured to their ship via a line, would climb overboard and get a hold of the men or of the rafts and the men tending the retrievers' lines could pull the group close to the ship. The retrievers could then quickly put lines around the survivors and they were hauled aboard in short order. This system saved much valuable time and many lives. The ship did not have to wait until it drifted the last twenty yards or so to a raft but the retrievers got the raft to the ship immediately. Thus the ship was able to contact that many more groups before exposure could freeze them to death. At the same time it made it possible to haul on board unconscious survivors, many of whom later recovered. Even when a victim looked dead he was brought on board and only 12 out of 50 apparently dead thus rescued, were actually found to be dead by the ships doctor, Assistant Surgeon Ralph R. Nix of the U.S. Public Health Service. He worked valiantly, with the assistance of member of the crew and of those survivors who had recovered, on those who showed signs of life and was posthumously awarded a Letter of Commendation on 18 August 1943. Ensign Richard A. Arrighi, USCGR, who was posthumously awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal on 18 August 1943, was the first to go over the side as a retriever. This act boosted the morale of the whole crew and gave confidence to the other retrievers. During the early hours of the rescue operations, one lifeboat, was contacted which was in fair condition. This boat had picked up the other survivors and was fairly crowded. As the lifeboat was made fast to Escanaba's side, one of its helpless members fell in between the cutter and the lifeboat. This poor man was covered with oil and the men in the lifeboat simply could not extricate him from his perilous position. Arrighi, who was working in the water at the time, swam in between the boat and the ship, pulled the man out so that he would not be crushed, held him up so that a line could be put around him and helped the men in the boat get him on aboard. Arrighi was in grave danger of being himself crushed between the boat and the ship's side, but due to his disregard of his own safety and to his quick action he was spared, only to lose his life in June when Escanaba sank. Arrighi was in and out of the water rescuing survivors, working in the dark with a rough sea running and quitting only when his, rubber suit became worn and filled with water. After that he had to be hauled on board and treated for exposure. The Navy and Marine Corps Medal also went posthumously to Forrest O. Rednour, Ship's Cook, Second Class, and Warren T. Deyampert, Steward's Mate, Third Class, who worked between three and four hours in the water during darkness, pulling rafts in close to the ship, securing them with lines from the ship, securing bowlines about the survivors so that they could be hauled aboard Escanaba, and at times keeping helpless survivors afloat until they could put lines about them. They, too, were often in danger of being crushed by the life rafts as they brought them close to the ship's side. Rednour stuck with a raft loaded with survivors as it drifted under the ship's counter and the propeller had to be backed to get the raft in position where the survivors could be unloaded. Deyampert stuck with a single floating survivor as he drifted astern under the counter, in order to keep him clear of the propeller, just in case it turned. He disregarded this danger to himself, in order that the survivor might be kept clear of it. Rednour worked the longest of all retrievers and accounted for the greatest number of survivors, but finally had to quit when his rubber suit became torn. Lieutenant Commander Carl U. Peterson, USCG, commanding officer of Escanaba was awarded the Legion of Merit posthumously. He and Executive Officer, Lieutenant Robert H. Prause, to whom a Letter of Commendation was awarded, did outstanding jobs of organizing and supervising on the scene all the rescue operations. The handling, by Prause, of the survivors and crew members in the water while the ship was maneuvering, plus the prompt recovery of two crew members who were pulled overboard as they tried to keep the survivors alongside, displayed sound judgment and excellent seamanship. Despite the lack of illumination there was no confusion. Everyone worked with grim determination to cheat the enemy out of as many victims as possible, despite the constant threat of submarine action. Prause had previously planned the retriever method of rescue and had gone into the icy water off the dock at Bluie West One, Greenland, in a rubber suit with a line attached. The experiment paid great dividends. The total number rescued by the Escanaba was 133 alive, of which one died on board. Twelve bodies were also recovered. Her enviable record of service would not continue for long, however, and she became a casualty of the brutal war on the North Atlantic. On the 13th of June, 1943, at 0510 Escanaba blew up and sank within three minutes in the North Atlantic. All but two of her crew of 103 were lost. These were Melvin Baldwin, Boatswain's Mate, Second Class, USCG, and Raymond F. O'Malley, Seaman First Class, USCG. Observers aboard the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Storis, the vessel nearest Escanaba, said a cloud of smoke and flame billowed upwards into the air and the cutter sank, leaving only small bits of wreckage afloat. The ship sank so quickly it had no time to send out signals. At the time of the sinking Escanaba was part of Task Unit 24.8.2 which was escorting convoy GS-24 from Narsarssuak, Greenland to St. Johns, Newfoundland. The convoy had departed Greenland on the 10th of June and was made up of Mojave (flag), Tampa, and Escanaba, all of which were escorting the USAT Fairfax and USS Raritan. On the 12th Storis and Algonquin joined as escorts. Before their departure the Storis and Algonquin had been ordered to conduct a search for a submarine reported by the Army to be in Bred Fjord. Other vessels anchored in the fjord had been ordered to prepare for action and had listened on their hydrophones for any indication of the presence of a submarine but without result. The convoy, accordingly at 2200 on the 10th of June, 1943 had gotten underway. On the 12th many bergs and growlers were encountered and dense fog at tints made navigation difficult and dangerous. The convoy proceeded to the northwest in order to pass around the ice. Early in the morning of the 13th they had passed to the west and south around the ice field and had reached position 60° 50' N x 52° 00' W, when at 0510 dense black and yellow smoke was reported rising from the Escanaba's position. She sank at 0513. Storis and Raritan were

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ordered to investigate and rescue survivors and the convoy began zigzagging and steering evasive courses to avoid any submarine that may have been in the vicinity. At 0715 Storis reported returning with Raritan to the convoy, having rescued two survivors and found the body of LT Robert H. Prause, which was on the Raritan. No explosion had been heard by the other escort vessels and no signals had been either seen or heard. Although Storis and Raritan were at the position of the sinking within ten minutes after the disappearance of Escanaba, only these two survivors could be found. Raymond O'Malley, one of the survivors who was helmsman at the time stated that a noise which sounded like three or four bursts of 20 mm machine gun fire was clearly heard in the pilot house immediately preceding the explosion. He further stated that such firing on Escanaba was virtually impossible and no other ship was sufficiently close at the time to have done such firing. One remote but possible explanation would be the hydrophone effect of a torpedo heard thru the loud speaker, which was connected and clearly audible in the pilothouse. The most probable explanation is that a mine, torpedo or internal explosion of magazine and depth charges caused the loss, but the evidence is not sufficiently conclusive to attach a cause directly or even remotely to any of these. After the war a search through captured German records indicated that at least six U-boats were operating in the area at the time of Escanaba's loss. They were conducting a radio deception scheme off Iceland in which, it was hoped, the Allies would believe that there were many more U-boats operating in the North Atlantic than were actually at sea. None of the four U-boats that survived their patrol claimed to fire a torpedo at an Allied vessel in this area on this date. Nevertheless the two that were sunk on patrol, U-334 and U-388, were lost before they could report on any attacks on Allied convoys. It is therefore possible that one of these U-boats sank Escanaba. On 4 August, 1943, the District Coast Guard Officer of the Chicago, Ninth Naval District, visited Grand Haven, Michigan, for many years the permanent station of Escanaba. The city authorities participated in the ceremonies celebrating Coast Guard Day and in the evening held a religious service in the city park, with three ministers of the gospel taking part. This was attended by about 20,000 persons and the relatives of the men lost on Escanaba.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Source: http://www.jacksjoint.com/eskie-1.htm

USCGC Escanaba (WPG-77): Lost Yet Not Forgotten by J. C. Carney

Webmaster's Notes - On Friday, July 31, 1998 at 4 p.m. EDT, The National Coast Guard Memorial Service was held in Grand Haven, Michigan. This is an annual event and is part of a weeklong celebration conducted there each year. This commemorates the loss of the Cutter Escanaba that was home-ported there prior to World War II. Mr. Carney has done an excellent job of chronicling the birth, life and death of the Escanaba I. He offers a convincing argument about the demise of the ship after having done extensive research. Mr. Carney is a former Coast Guardsman who was stationed on the second Coast Guard Cutter Escanaba in the early 1960's. This is a copyrighted article and is not released to the public domain. You may download it for your own reading pleasure. You may extract small portions to be used in the development of other works. You may NOT download it for re-publication in any form whatsoever without Mr. Carney's express written permission. This article first appeared in the March 1998 issue of Sea Classics. JAE - 5/5/98

No one knew that the mysterious sinking of this intrepid little cutter would become one of the greatest and longest lasting controversies in Coast Guard history.

The ship's engine stopped and her American Flag was slowly lowered to half-mast as a delegation, consisting of the Captain, officers, and enlisted crew-members of the USCGC Escanaba II (WPG-64) assembled on the fantail for a unique ceremony. A memorial, in which prayers were uttered, a salute fired, and the mournful sound of Taps, carried on the moderate breeze, echoed across the sea. The Escanaba had come to this desolate spot in the North Atlantic to pay respect to her fallen namesake.

Commander John E. Day, who on June 13, 1943, had witnessed the sinking of the USCGC Escanaba I (WPG-77) on this very spot in the wind-swept expanse of ocean known as the Davis Straits, stepped to the taffrail and gently tossed a wreath onto the swirling waters. This solemn observance---initiated to honor the first Escanaba and her brave crew---was concluded and the ship again got underway, while the wreath floated gently on the waves.

The Grand Haven Years: On 10 November 1931, the keel of what was to be the USCGC Escanaba (WPG-77) was laid at the DeFoe Boat and Motor Works of Bay City, Michigan. The vessel, first of six identical Tribal-class ships contracted using PWA funds, rapidly gained form. And it wasn't long before her hull dimensions, measuring 165' in length; 36.1' abeam, with a mean-draft of 13.7' deep, were completed.

The ship was launched on the crisp clear day of 17 September 1932, amid the pageantry accorded all new ships when first taking to the waters. Many well-wishers and yard-workers had gathered for the proceedings. At the words, "I hereby christen you Escanaba," the traditional champagne bottle shattered against her ice-breaking bow. Massive chocks were hammered away. And the hull---sounding like a speeding train---clattered down the runway, sliding "side-to" into the waiting arms of the bay. She rolled to starboard once engulfed in a shower of spray; thereafter gracefully righting herself.

The Cutter Escanaba was commissioned on the 23 November, 1932, while banners festooned about the dock and ship, blew gently under a fickle sky. She was immediately ordered to her first (and only) stateside duty station: Grand Haven, Michigan. The ship, already under the command of her Captain, LCDR Louis W. Perkins, was assigned ice-breaking duties, regatta control, and search and rescue (SAR) on turbulent Lake Michigan. Ironically, Lt (jg) Edwin J. Roland, her first navigator, would in later years, 1962-1966, serve as the Coast Guard Commandant.

Lake Michigan, probably the most vicious of the Great Lakes, had given ship owners "fits" for years. Between raft ice and gale-force winds in winter; the regattas with their occasional boating accidents in summer, the need for a rescue ship---utilized strictly on Lake Michigan--- proved eminent: The waters at times were hell! The final straw being the Fall/Winter of 1929, when a number of commercial vessels, among them the car-ferry Milwaukee, freighter Andaste, steamer Wisconsin, and the freight-hauler Senator, were lost. It was then, however, that a resolution by Congressman McLaughlin and Senator Arthur Vandenberg---both of Michigan---was passed calling for a Coast Guard Cutter with ice-breaking capabilities to be built specifically for the big lake. It was at a cost of $500,000 that the Escanaba came into being. A meager sum considering the shipping she would save in the future.

On 9 December 1932, at 10:45, while caught in the teeth of a biting Lake Michigan blizzard, the USCGC Escanaba---appearing more like a

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moving iceberg than a ship, as she was sheathed in a shimmering coat of solid ice---docked alongside her new home-port pier. At the order "Double-up all lines, Secure the special sea detail," LCDR Perkins, noted there was a huge gathering awaiting the vessel, for it seemed that even the inclement weather couldn't dampen the spirits of the Grand Haven residents. The entire population, the town's 45 member high school band included, along with Commander John Kelly, head of the 10th Coast Guard District, had turned out to welcome her. Moreover, the city schools had canceled classes---not due to the storm---but to greet "their" ship.

A bond was formed. A nexus which has survived even after all these years. The people of Grand Haven idolized the "Esky," as she lovingly came to be called: The crew in turn reciprocated, holding "open-ship" whenever feasible. Through the years many visited the "White Lady, " and as her fame grew, thusly did her number of visitors. She had, literally, become a celebrity.

The USCGC Escanaba was powered by a 1500 horse-power DeLaval double-reduction geared steam turbine. Steam was supplied by two Babcock and Wilcox oil-burning water-tube boilers. The cutter had a cruising range of 3000 miles and could readily maintain a cruising speed of 13.1 knots at full speed [15.5 flank speed]. Also, a large-capacity towing capstan had been installed aft, with which she could supposedly tow a disabled freighter with relative ease.

On 21 December 1932, just twelve days after arriving at Grand Haven, the Escanaba received her first "SOS." The Tuscarora, a fishing tug, had become mired in slush-covered ice off Muskegon, Michigan. The Esky---fighting a head wind that howled like a banshee---passed a towline and hauled the tug to safety while crushing heavy ice with her double-thick bow; thereupon cutting a channel for the tug (and others) to follow. The towing rig, coupled with her ice-breaking bow, had become invaluable assets for this and future rescues. To quote her captain: "The Escanaba was built to safeguard life and property on Lake Michigan, to rescue boats and men in cases of emergency, and to make such inspections as would keep navigation to a high standard. The cutter is a tug, rescue ship, and icebreaker." In the coming years these words would prove all too true.

A rescue ship she surely was. In the wee morning hours of 29 December 1933, the Esky's radio-room received an exigent message: A plane had ditched mid-lake. The Kohler airplane, carrying two men, H.D. Gossett [pilot]; Ben Craycraft [co-pilot] and 4 bags of U.S. Mail, was forced down due to raging winds and icing. The Esky's crew, battling high seas, knew all-to-well that every minute . . . every second . . . counted, as the frigid lake temperatures could numb limbs in minutes. However, finding a small plane amidst towering waves, especially in pitch darkness, was next to impossible, even with the searchlights on. Yet, thanks to flares, sent up by the pilot, find them they did. For, by clinging to the wings for eight hours, the two men managed to keep the plane balanced and afloat until the cutter arrived. Expediency in hauling the men and mail aboard ship had saved their lives, for the plane sank just five minutes after the rescue.

The 1,005 ton Escanaba was soon to garner a new title: that of "mercy ship." On 22 January 1934, during an exceptionally cold winter, the Esky, because of her ice-breaking abilities, was called upon to bring emergency supplies to the starving citizens and livestock of ice-bound Beaver Island, located 32 miles off Charlevoix, Michigan. It was through the diligence of the crew of the cutter that the island's children had milk: Its people and livestock did not starve.

The doggedness of the cutter's crew would again be tested on 30 November 1934. In one of the worst gales ever recorded on Lake Michigan, the whaleback tanker Henry W. Cort---in losing the battle to extreme sea conditions---had been driven up onto a breakwater outside Muskegon's harbor entrance. Riding the vicious storm, the Esky swung into action. The ship's 26 foot motorized whaleboat slammed through mountainous seas; thereupon rescuing 25 members of the tanker's crew---only to lose one of their own. John Diepert, a Coast Guardsman, was swept from the lifeboat to drown in the crashing waves. Yet, even after this tragic loss, the Cort's crew was brought safely to shore from the ice-encrusted breakwater. Diepert had given his life that others might live.

Another duty assigned the Escanaba was more pleasant. She was to patrol the Chicago-Mackinaw Sailboat Regatta each summer. And, because of her presence, many a potential disaster was averted. There was no ice to break, yet the summer storms hovered over the lake quite frequently, causing the crew of the cutter to be on the alert for any signs of trouble. Nevertheless, trouble did exist, for during the summer months millions of dollars worth of shipping and many lives were saved by the observant keen-eyed crew: The radio room was always active. Still it wasn't all work, as the ship's company held many an "Open Ship" during the warm summer months, inviting people aboard to tour the cutter whenever feasible. The town reciprocated by invited the officers, enlisted, and their families to parties held in their honor. Surprisingly, as 60% of the crew were married, there were very few incidences of rowdiness while the crew was on liberty. A genuine respect existed between the crew and their home-port citizens.

The Escanaba received a new captain on 8 July 1935, as LCDR Louis B. Olson assumed command. He would command the cutter for one year, only to be relieved by LCDR Raymond J. Mauerman on 11 December 1936. The noteworthy list of rescues and lives saved under these to officers was truly impressive. In 1936, there were six recorded incidents of ships and lives being saved, including the ship C.J. Bos, which had been stuck in ice and had to be broken free. In July1937, the racing yacht Dorello, caught in a 60mph gale, was found disabled and towed to port by CDR Mauerman and the Escanaba. The year also saw 2 persons rescued and 15 ships saved from peril. Whereas, in 1938, the Esky was responsible for the rise in the number of people rescued to 11 with 6 ships aided; 1939 witnessed only two vessels in distress. No lives were lost. The year 1939, also brought with it a new C.O. to the Escanaba, as LCDR John P. Murray, Jr. took command of the vessel on 10 November 1939.

Again, in 1940, the Escanaba set an imposing record with 11 persons saved; 20 ships safeguarded. She had more than paid the cost to build her. In fact---according to Coast Guard files---the value of vessels assisted was by 1940 estimated to be over six-million dollars; cargo value salvaged was well-over one-million dollars.

Escanaba Readies For War: 1941. The war in Europe was full-swing. Hitler's U-Boats were slaughtering British merchant ships and sailors by the score, sinking thousands of tons of much needed war material. A secret meeting, however, was held between President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill at Argentia, Newfoundland, in which an idea inculcated. Both knew that America would soon be sucked into war's abyss, so an ingenious plan was devised: Make our ships [American] ready for war, yet do so without a declaration as Congress was adamantly against our involvement. President Roosevelt sought (and received) permission from the exiled Danish King, to base our Coast Guard Cutters in Greenland, thereafter forming an impetus---The Greenland Patrol.

In February 1941, the Escanaba put to sea, sailing for the Manitowoc Shipyard of Wisconsin, to be outfitted and altered for possible convoy duty. She returned to Grand Haven four months later, one vastly different ship. For example: a new foremast had been installed abaft the

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wheelhouse, as the view through the wheelhouse center-ports had---with the old mast in place---been highly restrictive; the main mast was removed entirely. Two anti-aircraft guns had replaced the old six-pounders, machine gun mounts were now visible, and a platform was implanted on the flying bridge to accommodate a high-frequency direction-finder or "Huff-Duff," which picks-up radio signals helping to plot an assailants position. Also, new ammunition handling rooms were created and the ship was provisioned with bases for depth charge racks and a "Y-gun" that would be located astern.

Moreover, living spaces had been reconstructed to accommodate 77 enlisted and 5 more officers. The renovations made the ship look cramped and indeed she was. . . .

Commander Murray still held command, and at least for the time being the altered Esky would continue with her SAR duties. In 1941, her rescue work netted 2 lives saved; 12 ships recovered. And, in early winter 1942, her crew rescued from death's clutches 1 sailor and saved 5 more ships. The total score from 1936 to 1942: 27 persons rescued, 63 vessels aided, and 17 miscellaneous assists. A enviable record indeed for a ship just ten years old.

Even before the Japs invaded Pearl Harbor, the people of Grand Haven harbored an uncomfortable feeling that they might lose their ship. In early 1942, the Esky was ordered to the Fisher Boat Yards in Canada for further refitting and on 19 March, LCDR Carl Uno Peterson, her Executive Officer, assumed command of the ship. She no longer looked the "White Lady," as she now sported a coat of camouflage paint. She, like the warriors of old, was decorated in warpaint.

In the same month, the USCGC Escanaba (WPG-77) quietly took in all lines, silently leaving Grand Haven for the last time. There was not the fuss and fanfare that had greeted the ship upon her arrival ten years before. She mutely slipped away, heading for the battle for the Atlantic. The Lady was off to war.

The Esky was assigned to Greenland Patrol, which, as of 1 November 1941, was placed under Navy jurisdiction. Her duties were roughly the same as when on the Great Lakes: search and rescue, ice-breaking, and weather patrol. After a few months patrolling Greenland's approaches, the Navy re-assigned the Escanaba to convoy duty escorting merchant ships across the harsh, bitter-cold North Atlantic: Here, heavy weather tossed ships around like corks in a bathtub. The warships ordered to this area also fought an elusive, unpredictable enemy that would strike---sinking Allied shipping without warning. The small cutters were well armed, yet were inadvertently equipped with the oldest form of sonar and no radar, whatsoever. They were for the most part sailing blind! The Navy expected the small "buck sixty-fives" to perform the same tasks as their larger [radar-equipped] 327 foot cousins. In retrospect, the 165's worked well as slow convoy escorts, but would never function as destroyers, as they were much to slow.

However, on 15 June 1942, while escorting a convoy bound for Cape Cod from Halifax, Nova Scotia, a definite underwater contact was established on the Esky's "QC" machine. The PA system crackled to life, gongs sounded, and "General Quarters: All hands to battle stations," resounded throughout the ship. Amid the hullabaloo raised by the crew's rush to their assigned billets, the "Old Man" could be heard yelling out orders to the helmsman, while the ship turned to attack. The sound contact was held until within 200 yards from the target. As the Esky closed contact, she dropped eight depth charges, which when exploded, shock the cutter like Jello in a bowl.

Advantageously, the stern lookouts watched the U-Boat: "breakwater, 'turn turtle,' and disappear, stern first, beneath the waves." At 800 yards the Escanaba reversed heading , setting-up for a second run. The ship, however, lost the bearing on the sound of her contact, and shortly after, a lookout noticed air bubbles coming to the surface---soon after which sound contact was regained. A pattern of six depth charges were immediately dropped over the "wounded" submarine. Suddenly, all contact was lost and the U-Boat had apparently been destroyed: The incubus resolved.

A second U-Boat was contacted at 1820 hours. The relative speed indicated to the Esky's sound operator that the sub was slowly moving away. Overtaking the contact, the cutter laid down a fusillade of eight depth charges in an attempt to drive the U-Boat to the surface. No such luck! Therefore, the ship made a second run dropping 5 more deadly "ash cans," after which dense smoke rose to the surface indicating that the U-Boat had been either badly damages---or sunk. To further punctuate this, a large oil slick rapidly spread across the water, accompanied by a mass of brown substance and debris. The Escanaba could not regain contact. And, one hour later, after scouring the surface for survivors, the cutter sailed on. Notwithstanding eye-witness reports, these sinkings were not confirmed by German records uncovered after the war and are not included in the list of "enemy submarines sunk," put out by the Navy in its release of 27 June 1946.

At 2315, the same day, flares and rockets issued from convoy vessels indicating that a U-Boat attack was underway; the USS Cherokee had been torpedoed and sunk. Survivors were milling in the dark unfriendly waters, while a monomoy surfboat with a volunteer crew, was lowered from the Escanaba to attempt a rescue: The order from CDR Peterson being to pick-up first the men swimming alone. The ship herself would attempt to rescue men clustered nearest her leeward side. The seas being heavy; the men numbed by the cold; plus the ever- present threat of attack, made it impossible for the ship to stay in the area too long.

The methods utilized to rescue these men proved tedious and downright dangerous. Yet, in spite of all the danger, they worked! The monomoy returned carrying 11 survivors, while the ship rescued another 11, employing everything from bowlines to fire hoses; thus bringing the total rescued to 22 men. The Escanaba was herself in peril, as she was using searchlights to locate survivors---making herself an easy target for torpedoes. And soon, a destroyer making a sound contact informed the Esky of her own plight. The cutter hoisted her boat, and contrary to her wishes to remain, reluctantly got underway. The Esky then set a zig-zag course for Boston.

Although she had gained fame as a "U-Boat Killer," the Lady was at heart more a savior than a warrior. This fact became evident when the USAT Dorchester was torpedoed on 3 February 1943, while attached to convoy SG-19. The 5,252 ton Army Transport departed St. Johns, Newfoundland enroute Greenland on 29th of January. She carried 751 soldiers---reinforcements for our Greenland Bases. The Dorchester also carried 1,000 tons of supplies, 130 crew members, and an Armed Guard Unit of 23 men. She was in convoy with two other freighters, SS Lutz and SS Biscaya, making a total of three merchant ships and three escorts, USS/USCGC Tampa (WPG-48), USS/USCGC Comanche (WPG-76), and the Escanaba. However, all six of these vessels experienced hostile weather right from the start. And, owing to a reduction in speed caused by heavy icing, the Esky and Comanche had trouble keeping up. They sometimes had to "heave-to" to de-ice using live steam, as the superficial icing had frozen the guns and depth charges, rendering them inoperable until the expulsion of ice was complete. Likewise their sonar proved useless, due to excessive water noise.

Early on 2 February, the weather moderated and the Comanche picked-up the presence of a U-Boat. The Tampa commenced the chase.

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Yet, while racing at full-speed, ranging 10 miles ahead; 5 miles flank, she never located the submersible. Failing this, she resumed her station.

Suddenly, at 0102, and without any warning---when within 150 miles of Cape Farewell, Greenland---the Dorchester was torpedoed! And, as she was sinking rapidly by the bow, Captain Joseph Greensspun [convoy Commodore] ordered abandon ship. No flares were launched, as there was no time. . . .

In the meantime, the escorts were yet unaware of the drama unfolding on the darkened sea. They apparently didn't even hear the explosions due to the heavy winds. Meanwhile, the "abandon ship" procedures aboard the Dorchester were being poorly executed, as only 2 of 14 lifeboats and a number of liferafts were successfully launched. And, in the final minutes before she sank, four chaplains: Father John P. Washington, Rabbi Alexander D. Goode, and Ministers George Lansing Fox and Clark V. Poling, gave-up their life jackets so others might live, thereby giving the full-measure of bravery.

Upon learning of the sinking, the Escanaba and Comanche commenced a fruitless search for U-Boats; thereafter returning to hunt for survivors, while the Tampa rushed the two remaining ships to Greenland. Meanwhile, the Comanche, while screening the Esky against possible attack, had snatched 40 survivors from one of the two Dorchester lifeboats; all total rescuing 93 persons. The Escanaba, for the most part using a new retriever method concocted by Lt. Prause, her "Exec," rescued 133 survivors of which one died aboard ship. Twelve bodies were recovered as well. LCDR Peterson, Lt. Prause, and Ensign Richard Arrighi, who had risked his life numerous times during the rescue, all received medals for their performances. The sad part is, however, they were all to receive them---posthumously. . .

The Loss of the Escanaba: On the 13th of June 1943, the Escanaba, while accompanying convoy GS-24, bound from Marsarssuak, Greenland to St. Johns, Newfoundland, reached position 60 degrees-50' N, by 52 degrees-00' W. The warships in Task Group 24.8.2, besides the Esky were: USS/USCGC Storis (WAGL-38), USS/USCGC Mojave (WPG-47---Flagship), USS/USCGC Tampa, and USS/USCGC Algonquin. They were escorting the USAT Fairfax, the tanker USS Laramie and tugboat USS/USCGC Raritan. The Storis and Algonquin had joined the convoy late, after searching for a U-Boat in a nearby fjord, where nothing was found.

At 0500, Raymond O'Malley (Seaman 1c), who was not actually a member of the regular crew but was assigned to the ship for the return trip, relieved the helmsman on watch. And, at approximately 0510, O'Malley heard what he later described as: "What sounded like four pops of 20mm fire." Adding, "The echo was clearly heard throughout the wheelhouse." Seconds later, O'Malley was literally lifted off his feet by an explosion, and would have slammed into the overhead had he not held the wheel so tightly. The Escanaba had been hit and was going down fast! She slid under the waves at 0513. She sank so quickly that there was no time to send signals or fire a flare and all that was seen by the rest of the convoy was a pale of yellow-black smoke. Angelo Valeriani, a soldier on the transport Fairfax, who happened to be on deck watching the Esky zig-zag, states: "I came up on deck as the weather was nice, and happened to look towards the cutter, which was sailing just outboard of us [port]. When suddenly I heard what sounded like a 'boom' and then the Escanaba just disappeared." Another witness, a sailor aboard one of the other cutters, later described the sinking thusly: "She was there one minute; a couple of minutes later, she was gone. . . ."

The Storis and Raritan were immediately dispatched to investigate, while the convoy, hastily heading away from the scene, steered evasive courses to avoid any U-Boat that might be lurking. At 0715, the two ships returned to convoy, Raritan having rescued seaman O'Malley and Melvin Baldwin, BM2, the only two---out of a crew of 103---to survive. Both men had been found clinging to a wooden strongback, which for all intents had saved their lives. The Raritan also recovered the body of Lt. Prause, Executive Officer of the sunken Escanaba. All that remained of the stout little warship was: an oil slick, some floating cork, a number of unused lifejackets, and the strongback to which the survivors had clung.

The sinking in 1943 was for years accredited to a torpedo. Yet, according to Herr Horst Bredow of the Unterseeboote Archiv in Cuxhaven- Attenbruch, Germany, there were no U-Boats in that area, nor had they laid any mines there at that time. They had all---under orders of Gross Admiral Karl Donitz, issued in May of 1943---been either ordered south [Caribbean] or to the submarine pens in France. The reason being that the Allies were now employing escort carriers, and long-range Liberator Bombers with their large fuel capacity, to cover that area of the North Atlantic. "Happy Time," was over for the U-Boats, as an unusually high number had been destroyed by Allied planes from late March until early June. The nearest U-Boat to that area west of Ivigtut, Greenland, where the Escanaba sank, was 150 miles away and heading south---fast. Admiral Donitz had also issued a standing order that warships were to be avoided, unless a U-Boat was attacked, . "Sink the merchant ships; not warships," was his command. Had it been a U-Boat, why would her captain fire just one torpedo and why at a small warship; thereby disobeying Donitz's order, when just inboard of this little ship was positioned the Fairfax, a large troop transport loaded with soldiers? No self-respecting submarine commander would forego an attack on the bigger prize.

To further augment the mine theory: In early June, while heading to Greenland to pick-up convoy GS-24, the Tampa found a mine floating in the exact route they would take on returning in convoy. They attempted to sink the mine with gunfire, but failed. The mine, according to Mr. Karl Stein, an officer aboard the Tampa, was left intact, as they hurried on their way enroute Greenland. The mine was never recorded in the ship's log; nor, due to radio silence, was it ever reported. Could it be that this "floating disaster" was, on the return trip, the death of the proud little cutter: This Great Lakes mercy ship? Perhaps, we will never know. . . . - The End -

Epilog: On 4 August 1943, the city authorities of Grand Haven, Michigan, along with the Ninth District Coast Guard Commander, John Kelly, participated in a ceremony observing Coast Guard Day, and to honor "their" brave cutter and crew of the USCGC Escanaba. 20,000 people attended, including the families of the men who went down with their ship. This memorial service has become ritual. The proud Esky has thusly been remembered each and every year at Grand Haven. She was lost, but never forgotten.

1997. J.C. Carney First North American Rights 113 1/2 West 3rd. Street #1 Park Rapids, MN 56470-1572

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Source: http://gcaptain.com/remembering-uscgc-Escanaba-wpg/

Remembering USCGC Escanaba (WPG 77) by Mike Schuler On June 13, 2010

For many, June 13th is a day just like any other. However, for the crew of the USCGC Escanaba(WMEC 907) and the citizens of Grand Haven, Michigan, it is a day of somber remembrance. The that we know and love today is not the first Coast Guard Cutter to bear the name. In fact, this is the third Escanaba that the United States Coast Guard has seen. The first USCGC Escanaba (WPG 77) sank sixty-seven years ago on June 13th, while performing escort duty of an Allied convoy in the North . 101 men lost their lives that fateful night. WPG 77 was built at the Defoe Shipyard in 1932 and made her maiden voyage to her homeport in Grand Haven, Michigan on December 9th, 1932 during a Lake Michigan blizzard. She was 165 ft long and 36 ft wide with a draft of 13ft. She was designed for light icebreaking, law enforcement, and rescue work on the Great Lakes. The cutter was an integral part of the city and was endearingly called the “Eskie” by those who knew of her. From protecting its citizens on Lake Michigan to breaking ice to promote commerce, the “Eskie” helped keep Grand Haven running. WPG 77 broke countless vessels free of ice and saved hundreds more. One of its greatest missions on Lake Michigan was in 1934 when the cutter delivered much needed food supplies to the residents of Beaver Island, who had been without supplies for months during an exceptionally rough winter.

At the outbreak of World War II, the USCGC Escanaba(WPG 77) answered the call to serve her country in a time of war. The Navy adapted the cutter with additional armament and crew to combat potential submarine attacks while in the line of duty. Once outfitted, WPG 77’s homeport was moved to Boston, Massachusetts. The cutter was then tasked as an ice breaker and an escort to merchant convoys in the North Atlantic. The cutter endured rough seas and frigid weather, having to chip, chop and steam ice off to maintain stability. The cutter also had to keep a sharp lookout for submarines, which could quickly sink a merchant vessel.

During its time in the North Atlantic the Escanaba performed several rescues saving over 170 people. Its biggest rescue was in February of 1943 when the Escanaba saved 145 people from the torpedoed Army transport Dorchester. During this rescue the Commanding Officer of Escanaba, LCDR Carl Peterson, made the first use of rescue swimmers. LT Robert Prause, ENS Richard Arrighi, Seaman Forest Rednour, and Steward Warren Deyempert went into the water wearing rubber suits to pull survivors from the freezing waters. Many of the men were too weak to pull themselves up the cargo nets to safety, 50 of the men in the water were suspected dead. However, the swimmers utilized lines to hoist the bodies aboard the Escanaba. Once aboard the warm ship, 38 of the 50 men were revived and found to be severely hypothermic, but alive. If it were not for the courageous efforts of the Escanaba and her swimmers these men would have perished in the icy waters. The cutter placed lines in the water to aid the swimmers and Steward Deyempert spent hours dangerously close to the propellers in freezing waters to keep the manropes from getting entangled in the props. The swimmers, as well as LCDR Peterson and Doctor Nix received medals for heroism. Unfortunately, this would be the cutters last rescue.

The above is a excerpt of a full article originally posted at USCGCEscanaba.blogspot.com and is posted here in a collaborative effort by a number of maritime bloggers to remember USCGC Escanaba’s rich tradition, history and the lives lost when the vessel sank on June 13, 1943. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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