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USS Breeman (DE-104)
Encyclopedia
USS Breeman (DE-104) was a Cannon class destroyer escort
in the United States Navy
. The ship was named for George Breeman
, a Navy seaman
who was awarded the Medal of Honor
for extraordinary heroism during a turret
explosion on USS Kearsarge (BB-5)
.
shipyard in Wilmington, Delaware
; launched on 4 September 1943, sponsored by Mrs. Marie Breeman Schellgell, niece of the late Chief Turret Captain Breeman; completed at the Norfolk Navy Yard; and commissioned there on 12 December 1943, with Lieutenant Commander
Edward N. W. Hunter, USNR, in command.
The destroyer escort
spent the remainder of 1943 and the first week in 1944 outfitting at Norfolk. On 11 January 1944, she embarked upon her shakedown cruise to the waters around Bermuda
. She completed the training period on 1 February and returned to Norfolk on 5 February for post-shakedown repairs. On 16 February, Breeman steamed out of Chesapeake Bay
as an element of Escort Division (CortDiv) 48 which itself made up a part of the screen of Task Group (TG) 21.16, a hunter-killer group built around Block Island (CVE-21)
. After fueling off Fayal in the Azores
, the task group headed north to provide antisubmarine support for transatlantic convoy
s. Though Breeman appears to have taken no direct part in the attacks, the task group accounted for at least two U-boat
s before entering Casablanca
on 8 March. The destroyer escort put to sea with the Block Island task group again on 12 March. On the 19th, planes from Block Island sank U-1059
, and Breeman assisted in the rescue of the U-boat's survivors.
Breeman and Bronstein (DE-189)
parted company with TG 21.16 on 23 March. The following day, the two destroyer escorts put into Dakar
, French West Africa
, and began loading an unusual cargo — 60 million dollars in gold
belonging to the Bank of Poland
. The two warships departed Dakar on 26 March and proceeded to New York by the most direct and safest route and arrived there on 3 April. Following repairs, Breeman returned to sea on 12 April with another hunter-killer force which formed a portion of the screen for Convoy UGS-39. She and her convoy entered Bizerte, Tunisia, safely on 3 May. On the return voyage, the destroyer escort helped to screen Convoy GUS 39, arriving in Norfolk on 29 May. After an availability at the New York Navy Yard, she spent nine days during mid-June engaged in training at Casco Bay, Maine.
On 21 June, the destroyer escort headed south to the vicinity of Bermuda where she joined TG 22.10—another hunter-killer group built around Card (CVE-11)
. Once again, the task group attacked a number of sonar
contacts and sank at least one U-boat. Breeman, however, shared none of the credit for the sinking. The warship returned to New York late in August and, after repairs, conducted training at Casco Bay in early September. On 18 September, she rejoined the Card task group near Bermuda for further training. Soon thereafter, Breeman suffered propeller
damage that forced her to return to the New York Navy Yard. She completed repairs by 23 October, and put to sea that same day for torpedo training at the Submarine Base, New London, Connecticut
, and in Casco Bay. On 24 November the destroyer escort and the rest of CortDiv 48 joined company with Card once again to form TG 22.2. For about a month, the warship trained in anti-submarine warfare
(ASW) tactics in the waters surrounding Bermuda. She returned to New York on 29 December.
Breeman rejoined TG 22.2 on 12 January 1945 to act as plane guard and escort during carrier qualifications off Quonset Point, Rhode Island. On 22 January, the destroyer escort and her colleagues of CortDiv 48 joined Bogue (CVE-9)
in shaping a course for Norfolk. In late February and early March, Breeman returned to sea with a hunter-killer group built around Bogue for a fruitless search for German weather submarines purportedly operating to the south of Iceland
. She and the rest of her task group entered New York on 17 March. During the first part of April, the destroyer escort conducted training at New London as a unit of a hunter-killer group built around Card. Between 15 April and 5 May, that task group hunted for submarines off the Virginia capes. Later, in May, Breeman moved north to Quonset Point where she served as a plane guard during carrier qualifications.
In mid-August, the warship joined Mission Bay (CVE-59)
in a voyage to Port Everglades, Florida. Once again plane guard operations occupied her time during the visit to the Florida coast.
On 2 October, however, she headed north once again. At the New York Navy Yard, Breeman began the inactivation process. That phase lasted until 13 November when she got underway for Florida again. On 16 November, the destroyer escort arrived in Green Cove Springs, Florida
, to begin final preparations for decommissioning. Breeman was decommissioned on 26 April 1946 and berthed with the Green Cove Springs Group, Atlantic Reserve Fleet. She remained there until 29 October 1948 at which time she was transferred to the Nationalist Chinese government based on Taiwan
. She was commissioned in their Navy as Tai Chong (DE-24). Her name was struck from the Navy list on 22 December 1948.
Cannon class destroyer escort
The Cannon class destroyer escorts were built primarily for ocean Anti-Submarine Warfare escort service during World War II. The lead ship, was commissioned on 26 September 1943 at Wilmington, Delaware. The class was also known as the DET type from their Diesel Electric Tandem drive. Of the 116...
in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
. The ship was named for George Breeman
George Breeman
George Breeman was a United States Navy sailor who received the Medal of Honor for his heroism following a turret explosion in 1906 on board the battleship .-Biography:...
, a Navy seaman
Seaman
Seaman is one of the lowest ranks in a Navy. In the Commonwealth it is the lowest rank in the Navy, followed by Able Seaman and Leading Seaman, and followed by the Petty Officer ranks....
who was awarded the Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
for extraordinary heroism during a turret
Turret
In architecture, a turret is a small tower that projects vertically from the wall of a building such as a medieval castle. Turrets were used to provide a projecting defensive position allowing covering fire to the adjacent wall in the days of military fortification...
explosion on USS Kearsarge (BB-5)
USS Kearsarge (BB-5)
USS Kearsarge , the lead ship of her class of battleships, was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named, by act of Congress, in honor of the famous American Civil War sloop-of-war . Her keel was laid down by the Newport News Shipbuilding Company of Newport News, Virginia on 30 June...
.
History
Breeman (DE-104) was laid down on 20 March 1943 at the Dravo CorporationDravo Corporation
Dravo Corporation was a shipbuilding company with shipyards in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Wilmington, Delaware. It was founded by Frank and Ralph Dravo in Pittsburgh during the 1890s.-Facilities:...
shipyard in Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...
; launched on 4 September 1943, sponsored by Mrs. Marie Breeman Schellgell, niece of the late Chief Turret Captain Breeman; completed at the Norfolk Navy Yard; and commissioned there on 12 December 1943, with Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander...
Edward N. W. Hunter, USNR, in command.
The destroyer escort
Destroyer escort
A destroyer escort is the classification for a smaller, lightly armed warship designed to be used to escort convoys of merchant marine ships, primarily of the United States Merchant Marine in World War II. It is employed primarily for anti-submarine warfare, but also provides some protection...
spent the remainder of 1943 and the first week in 1944 outfitting at Norfolk. On 11 January 1944, she embarked upon her shakedown cruise to the waters around Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
. She completed the training period on 1 February and returned to Norfolk on 5 February for post-shakedown repairs. On 16 February, Breeman steamed out of Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
as an element of Escort Division (CortDiv) 48 which itself made up a part of the screen of Task Group (TG) 21.16, a hunter-killer group built around Block Island (CVE-21)
USS Block Island (CVE-21)
USS Block Island was a for the United States Navy during World War II. She was the first of two escort carriers named after Block Island Sound off Rhode Island. Block Island was launched on 6 June 1942 by Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation of Seattle, Washington, under a Maritime Commission...
. After fueling off Fayal in the Azores
Azores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
, the task group headed north to provide antisubmarine support for transatlantic convoy
Convoy
A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support, though it may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.-Age of Sail:Naval...
s. Though Breeman appears to have taken no direct part in the attacks, the task group accounted for at least two U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
s before entering Casablanca
Casablanca
Casablanca is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Grand Casablanca region.Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It is also the biggest city in the Maghreb. The 2004 census recorded a population of 2,949,805 in the prefecture...
on 8 March. The destroyer escort put to sea with the Block Island task group again on 12 March. On the 19th, planes from Block Island sank U-1059
Unterseeboot 1059
German submarine U-1059 was a Type VIIF submarine of the German Kriegsmarine during World War II.Commissioned on 1 May 1943, U-1059 was one of four Type VIIF torpedo transport submarines, which could carry 39 torpedoes, and were used to re-supply other U-boats at sea...
, and Breeman assisted in the rescue of the U-boat's survivors.
Breeman and Bronstein (DE-189)
USS Bronstein (DE-189)
USS Bronstein was a built for the United States Navy during World War II. She served in the Atlantic Ocean and provided escort service against submarine and air attack for Navy vessels and convoys. She returned home at war's end with a three battle stars...
parted company with TG 21.16 on 23 March. The following day, the two destroyer escorts put into Dakar
Dakar
Dakar is the capital city and largest city of Senegal. It is located on the Cap-Vert Peninsula on the Atlantic coast and is the westernmost city on the African mainland...
, French West Africa
French West Africa
French West Africa was a federation of eight French colonial territories in Africa: Mauritania, Senegal, French Sudan , French Guinea , Côte d'Ivoire , Upper Volta , Dahomey and Niger...
, and began loading an unusual cargo — 60 million dollars in gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
belonging to the Bank of Poland
Bank of Poland
Bank Polski is the name of two former banks in Poland, each of which acted as a central bank. The first was founded by Franciszek Ksawery Drucki-Lubecki in 1828 in Congress Poland and functioned until 1885, when it was absorbed by the State Bank of the Russian Empire.The second was founded in 1924...
. The two warships departed Dakar on 26 March and proceeded to New York by the most direct and safest route and arrived there on 3 April. Following repairs, Breeman returned to sea on 12 April with another hunter-killer force which formed a portion of the screen for Convoy UGS-39. She and her convoy entered Bizerte, Tunisia, safely on 3 May. On the return voyage, the destroyer escort helped to screen Convoy GUS 39, arriving in Norfolk on 29 May. After an availability at the New York Navy Yard, she spent nine days during mid-June engaged in training at Casco Bay, Maine.
On 21 June, the destroyer escort headed south to the vicinity of Bermuda where she joined TG 22.10—another hunter-killer group built around Card (CVE-11)
USS Card (CVE-11)
USS Card was a Bogue-class escort aircraft carrier. Her hull was laid down on 27 October 1941 as a C-3 cargo ship but it was acquired from the Maritime Commission while under construction and was converted into an escort carrier.She was launched as AVG 11 on 27 February 1942 by Seattle-Tacoma...
. Once again, the task group attacked a number of sonar
Sonar
Sonar is a technique that uses sound propagation to navigate, communicate with or detect other vessels...
contacts and sank at least one U-boat. Breeman, however, shared none of the credit for the sinking. The warship returned to New York late in August and, after repairs, conducted training at Casco Bay in early September. On 18 September, she rejoined the Card task group near Bermuda for further training. Soon thereafter, Breeman suffered propeller
Propeller
A propeller is a type of fan that transmits power by converting rotational motion into thrust. A pressure difference is produced between the forward and rear surfaces of the airfoil-shaped blade, and a fluid is accelerated behind the blade. Propeller dynamics can be modeled by both Bernoulli's...
damage that forced her to return to the New York Navy Yard. She completed repairs by 23 October, and put to sea that same day for torpedo training at the Submarine Base, New London, Connecticut
New London, Connecticut
New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States.It is located at the mouth of the Thames River in New London County, southeastern Connecticut....
, and in Casco Bay. On 24 November the destroyer escort and the rest of CortDiv 48 joined company with Card once again to form TG 22.2. For about a month, the warship trained in anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare is a branch of naval warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, or other submarines to find, track and deter, damage or destroy enemy submarines....
(ASW) tactics in the waters surrounding Bermuda. She returned to New York on 29 December.
Breeman rejoined TG 22.2 on 12 January 1945 to act as plane guard and escort during carrier qualifications off Quonset Point, Rhode Island. On 22 January, the destroyer escort and her colleagues of CortDiv 48 joined Bogue (CVE-9)
USS Bogue (CVE-9)
USS Bogue was the lead ship in the Bogue-class of escort aircraft carriers in the United States Navy during World War II. She was originally classified AVG-9, but was changed to ACV-9, 20 August 1942; CVE-9, 15 July 1943; and CVHP-9, 12 June 1955.Bogue was laid down on 1 October 1941 as Steel...
in shaping a course for Norfolk. In late February and early March, Breeman returned to sea with a hunter-killer group built around Bogue for a fruitless search for German weather submarines purportedly operating to the south of Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
. She and the rest of her task group entered New York on 17 March. During the first part of April, the destroyer escort conducted training at New London as a unit of a hunter-killer group built around Card. Between 15 April and 5 May, that task group hunted for submarines off the Virginia capes. Later, in May, Breeman moved north to Quonset Point where she served as a plane guard during carrier qualifications.
In mid-August, the warship joined Mission Bay (CVE-59)
USS Mission Bay (CVE-59)
USS Mission Bay was a of the United States Navy. Named for Mission Bay, California, she was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name....
in a voyage to Port Everglades, Florida. Once again plane guard operations occupied her time during the visit to the Florida coast.
On 2 October, however, she headed north once again. At the New York Navy Yard, Breeman began the inactivation process. That phase lasted until 13 November when she got underway for Florida again. On 16 November, the destroyer escort arrived in Green Cove Springs, Florida
Green Cove Springs, Florida
Green Cove Springs is a city in Clay County, Florida, United States. The population was 5,378 at the 2000 census. As of 2010, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 6,908. It is the county seat of Clay County....
, to begin final preparations for decommissioning. Breeman was decommissioned on 26 April 1946 and berthed with the Green Cove Springs Group, Atlantic Reserve Fleet. She remained there until 29 October 1948 at which time she was transferred to the Nationalist Chinese government based on Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
. She was commissioned in their Navy as Tai Chong (DE-24). Her name was struck from the Navy list on 22 December 1948.