USS Samuel B. Roberts (DE-413)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
.jpg) Samuel B. Roberts at sea. |
|
| Career (US) |  |
|---|---|
| Namesake: | Samuel Booker Roberts, Jr. |
| Builder: | Brown Shipbuilding, Houston, Texas |
| Laid down: | 6 December 1943 |
| Launched: | 20 January 1944 |
| Commissioned: | 28 April 1944 |
| Fate: | Sunk 25 October 1944 at the Battle off Samar |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | John C. Butler-class destroyer escort |
| Displacement: | 1,350 tons |
| Length: | 306 ft (93 m) |
| Beam: | 36 ft 8 in (11 m) |
| Draft: | 9 ft 5 in (3 m) |
| Propulsion: | 2 boilers, 2 geared turbine engines, 12,000 shp; 2 propellers |
| Speed: | 24 kn (44 km/h) |
| Range: | 6,000 nmi (12,000 km) @ 12 kn |
| Complement: | 14 officers, 201 enlisted |
| Armament: | 2 × 5 in (127 mm)/38 guns (2×1) • 4 × 40 mm AA guns (2×2) • 10 × 20 mm AA guns (10×1) • 3 × 21 in. torpedo tubes (1×3) • 8 × depth charge projectors • 1 × depth charge projector (hedgehog) • 2 × depth charge tracks |
USS Samuel B. Roberts (DE-413) was a John C. Butler-class destroyer escort of the United States Navy.
Samuel B. Roberts was part of the Battle off Samar, an unlikely victory in which relatively light U.S. warships prevented a superior Japanese force from attacking the amphibious invasion fleet off the large Philippine island of Leyte. This destroyer escort, along with the handful of destroyers, destroyer escorts, and escort carriers of the unit called "Taffy 3", was inadvertently left alone to fend off a fleet of heavily-armed Imperial Japanese Navy battleships, cruisers, and destroyers in this crucial action off the Island of Samar, during the Battle of Leyte Gulf of October 1944. Steaming aggressively through a gauntlet of incoming shellfire, Samuel B. Roberts scored one torpedo hit and numerous gunfire hits as she slugged it out with larger enemy warships before finally being sunk. After the battle, Samuel B. Roberts received the nickname "the destroyer escort that fought like a battleship."[1]
Named for Coxswain Samuel Booker Roberts, Jr., a Navy Cross recipient, Samuel B. Roberts was laid down on December 6, 1943, at the Brown Shipbuilding Company of Houston, Texas. She was launched January 20, 1944, sponsored by Mrs. Roberts, and was commissioned April 28, 1944, commanded by Lieutenant Commander Robert W. Copeland, USNR.
Contents |
[edit] Service history
Samuel B Roberts had a shakedown cruise off Bermuda from May 21 to June 19. After spending time at the Boston Navy Yard her port propeller was struck by a large whale 150 miles off the coast of Maine while sailing on her way to Europe. This damaged her propeller shaft and delayed her deployment. Following repairs and repainting in Norfolk, Virginia, Samuel B. Roberts departed July 22 going through the Panama Canal July 27. She joined the U.S. Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor on August 10.
Sameul B. Roberts conducted training exercises around the Hawaiian Islands, and then steamed out on August 21 with a convoy that reached Eniwetok Atoll on August 30. On September 2 Samuel B. Roberts steamed back to Pearl Harbor, arriving there with a convoy on September 10. Following further training, the destroyer escort got underway on September 21, escorted a convoy to Eniwetok, and arrived on September 30. Samuel B. Roberts next proceeded to Manus Island in the Admiralty Islands or the Southwest Pacific, and then joined Task Unit 77.4.3, nicknamed "Taffy 3". From there she steamed to the Leyte Gulf area off the eastern Philippines, and upon arrival, she commenced operations with the Northern Air Support Group off the Island of Samar.
[edit] The Battle off Samar
Shortly after dawn on October 25, Samuel B. Roberts was protecting Taffy 3's small escort carriers. These were serving as bases for small bombers and fighters that were supporting soldiers from the U.S. Army ashore. These warships were steaming off the eastern coast of Samar when the Japanese Center Force, a 23 ship task force under the command of Vice Admiral Takeo Kurita, suddenly appeared on the horizon and opened fire. At 07:35 a.m. Samuel B. Roberts turned and headed toward the battle. She charged toward heavy cruiser Chōkai. The captain announced "We're making a torpedo run. The outcome is doubtful, but we will do our duty." With smoke as cover Samuel B. Roberts steamed to within 2.5 miles (4 km) of Chōkai coming under fire from the cruiser's forward 8 inch (203mm) guns.
Sameul B. Roberts was so close that enemy gunners couldn't move their guns low enough to hit her leading to shells passing overhead. Many hit the carrier Gambier Bay. Once within torpedo range she launched her three torpedoes. One blew the bow off the Japanese cruiser Chokai. The American sailors cheered "that a way Whitey, we hit 'em" as if it were ballgame, as shells were still incoming. Roberts then fought with the Japanese ships for a further hour, firing more than 600 5 inch (127mm) shells, and while maneuvering at very close range, mauling Chokai's superstructure with her 40mm and 20mm anti-aircraft guns. At 08:51 a.m. the Japanese landed two hits, the second of which destroyed the aft gun turret. With her remaining 5 inch (127mm) gun, Roberts set the bridge of the heavy cruiser Chikuma on fire and destroyed the "Number Three" gun turret, before being hit by three 14 inch (356mm) shells from the battleship Kongo. The shells tore a hole 40 feet (12m) long and 10 feet (3m) wide in the port side of her second engine room. At 09:35 a.m. the order was given to abandon ship. She sank 30 minutes later with 89 of her sailors.
The 120 survivors of the crew clung to three life rafts for 50 hours before being rescued. During the battle, Samuel B. Roberts, designed for 23 to 24 knots (43–44 km/h), reached 28.7 knots (53 km/h) by diverting all available steam to the ship's twin turbines.
[edit] Awards
Samuel B. Roberts was included in the Presidential Unit Citation given to Task Unit 77.4.3 "for extraordinary heroism in action." Samuel B. Roberts earned one battle star for her World War II service.
She was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on November 27, 1944.
[edit] Notes
[edit] References
- This article includes text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
- "Samuel B. Roberts". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/s4/samuel_b_roberts.htm. Retrieved February 3, 2007.
- Drooker, Arthur (Writer / Producer). (2007). "Dogfights: Death of the Japanese Navy". [TV-Series]. United States: The History Channel.
- Lost Evidence of the Pacific: The Battle of Leyte Gulf. History Channel. TV. Based on book by Hornfischer, James D. (2004). The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors.
[edit] Further reading
- Copeland, RADM Robert W. (with O'Neill, Jack E.) (reprinted 2007). The Spirit of the Sammy B. USS Samuel B. Roberts Survivors Association http://de413.wordpress.com/2008/05/12/7/.
- Cutler, Thomas. The Battle of Leyte Gulf: 23–26 October 1944. ISBN.
- Doscher, J. Henry Jr. (1996). Little Wolf at Leyte: The Story of the Heroic USS Samuel B. Roberts (DE-413) in the Battle of Leyte Gulf During World War II. Eakin Press. ISBN 1-57168-082-9.
- Hornfischer, James D. (2004). The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors. Bantam. ISBN 0-553-80257-7.
- Samuel Eliot Morison, History of United States Naval Operations in World War II, Volume 12, "Leyte."
[edit] External links
- Copeland's memoirs
- DE 413 timeline
- The Samuel B. Roberts Survivors Association
- The Battle Off Samar - Taffy III at Leyte Gulf website by Robert Jon Cox
