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USS Jeffers (DD-621)
Encyclopedia
USS Jeffers (DD-621) (later DMS-27), a , was the only ship of the United States Navy
to be named for Commodore
William N. Jeffers
.
Jeffers was laid down by Federal Shipbuilding & Drydock Co., Kearny, New Jersey
, 25 March 1942; launched 26 August 1942; sponsored by Mrs. Lucie Jeffers Lyons, great-granddaughter of Commodore Jeffers; and commissioned 5 November 1942, Lieutenant Commander
W. G. McGarry in command.
, Maine
, Jeffers operated briefly on the East Coast until departing Norfolk
on 18 February 1943 on her first transatlantic voyage escorting a convoy
to Casablanca
and returning 14 April. The ship patrolled off NS Argentia
, Newfoundland
, for a week before steaming to Norfolk to prepare for the coming invasion of Sicily
.
Jeffers sailed from Norfolk 8 June with Task Force 65 (TF 65) and arrived Oran
, Algeria
, 22 June. While preparing for the giant assault on Sicily
, she patrolled off other African ports, shooting down a German bomber during 6 July Luftwaffe
raid on Bizerte
. Jeffers sailed two days later with Rear Admiral John Hall's
force for Gela
; and, upon arrival 9 June, she guarded the transports. Early next day the great assault began, with Jeffers assigned the task of shooting out shore searchlights and providing fire support. As the landing proceeded with great success in the following days, the ship fired support missions and served on antisubmarine patrol. She sailed to Bizerte 18 July, but was back at Palermo
on 31 July with cargo ships. Jeffers sailed to Oran the next day, and from that port continued to New York, arriving 22 August.
After repairs at New York, the destroyer was assigned to convoy duty between East Coast ports and Scotland
. As the Allies began the great buildup of men and materiel in Britain for the landings in northern France, Jeffers made five voyages between 5 September 1943 and 22 April 1944. On her second convoy crossing to Scotland, 21 October the ship picked up survivors from , after that destroyer had been cut in two by a tanker. She also took part in salvage operations which saved the stern of the stricken vessel.
After training operations, Jeffers sailed from New York 5 May 1944 for the United Kingdom, where she prepared for the invasion of Normandy in June. She departed Belfast
3 June for Utah Beach
, where she patrolled and provided fire support as troops stormed ashore on D-Day
. The veteran destroyer remained off the beach until 29 June, driving off several enemy planes and assisting damaged ships. For the next two weeks she convoyed transports from Belfast to Utah Beach as more troops and supplies were poured in to the beachhead, finally departing for the Mediterranean on 16 July.
Next on the Allied timetable for the defeat of Germany was another invasion of France, this one in the south. Assigned to screen escort carriers covering the operation, Jeffers departed Malta
12 August to join her task group. Three days later, as troops landed between Cannes
and Toulon
, the ship remained with supporting carriers, continuing to cruise off shore until 28 September. She then sailed for New York, arriving 7 October to prepare for duty in the far Pacific.
at New York, and was reclassified DMS-27 on 15 November, She sailed 3 January 1945 for the Panama Canal
and California
, arriving San Diego
for training 17 January. In February she moved on to Pearl Harbor
and from there to the great advance base at Ulithi
to prepare for the Okinawa invasion
, last and largest amphibious operation of the war against Japan. As part of the preliminary minesweeping group, Jeffers arrived off Okinawa on 24 March, one week before the landings, and began clearing mines and marking boat lanes. During the assault 1 April the ship moved to antisubmarine screening and air defense. During the great Japanese air attack of 6 April she downed a twin-engine bomber. Six days later, while on radar picket station, she again was under heavy air attack. She downed at least one of the attackers and was nearly hit by one of the deadly Yokosuka MXY-7 Ohka
s as the attack was repulsed. Jeffers then assisted survivors of sunken .
The veteran ship steamed into Kerama Retto
to repair battle damage later that afternoon, emerging 16 April to join a carrier group operating off Okinawa in support of ground forces. She then sailed to Guam
on 3 May for further repairs. Departing again 26 June, Jeffers sailed via Saipan
and Ulithi to Kerama Retto, and spent the next 6 weeks on minesweeping operations north of Okinawa. She was at anchor off Okinawa when the news of the Japanese acceptance of terms was received 15 August 1945.
Jeffers steamed into Tokyo Bay
on 29 August with occupation forces, and was present for the surrender ceremonies 2 September. She then joined a minesweeping group for vital sweeping operations around Japan, including hazardous operations in Tsushima Strait
. Operating out of Sasebo, she continued to sweep in the Yellow Sea
during November, getting underway 5 December for the United States.
After making a short cruise to the Caribbean in early 1949, Jeffers sailed 6 September from Charleston for her first Mediterranean cruise. This was the period of unrest in Greece and Israel
, and the ship took part in maneuvers around Malta until October, as America showed her might in the cause of peace and stability. She returned to Charleston 13 October.
The next year was spent at Charleston, except for a training cruise to Guantanamo Bay
in March. She got underway again, however, 9 January 1951 for another cruise to the troubled Mediterranean. She visited Oran, Palermo, Athens
, and Naples
during this deployment, again taking part in U.S. 6th Fleet's important peace-keeping operations. Arriving Charleston 17 May 1951, Jeffers engaged in minesweeping and antisubmarine exercises until her next scheduled Mediterranean cruise, 5 June 1952. She operated with 6th Fleet carriers and destroyers until returning to her home port 13 October.
Jeffers spent the first half of 1953 in training off the Virginia Capes, departing Norfolk 16 September for operations with carrier and units of the Royal Canadian Navy
in the Mediterranean. She returned to Charleston 3 February 1954. Operations from New York to Key West
and Havana
occupied the veteran destroyer-minesweeper until she decommissioned at Charleston 23 May 1955. She entered the Charleston Group, Atlantic Reserve Fleet as DD-621, having been reclassified 15 January 1955. Jeffers was stricken from the register 1 July 1971 and later sold 25 May 1973 and broken up for scrap.
Jeffers received seven battle stars for World War II service.
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...
to be named for Commodore
Commodore (rank)
Commodore is a military rank used in many navies that is superior to a navy captain, but below a rear admiral. Non-English-speaking nations often use the rank of flotilla admiral or counter admiral as an equivalent .It is often regarded as a one-star rank with a NATO code of OF-6, but is not always...
William N. Jeffers
William Nicholson Jeffers
Commodore William Nicholson Jeffers was a U.S. Navy officer of the 19th century. He took part in combat operations during the Mexican-American War and the Civil War, and during the 1870s and early 1880s served as Chief of the Bureau of Ordnance.-Early life and career:Jeffers was born in...
.
Jeffers was laid down by Federal Shipbuilding & Drydock Co., Kearny, New Jersey
Kearny, New Jersey
Kearny is a town in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. It was named after Civil War general Philip Kearny. As of the United States 2010 Census, the town population was 40,684. The town is a suburb of the nearby city of Newark....
, 25 March 1942; launched 26 August 1942; sponsored by Mrs. Lucie Jeffers Lyons, great-granddaughter of Commodore Jeffers; and commissioned 5 November 1942, 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...
W. G. McGarry in command.
Atlantic and Mediterranean service
After shakedown and training in Casco BayCasco Bay
Casco Bay is an inlet of the Gulf of Maine on the southern coast of Maine, New England, United States. Its easternmost approach is Cape Small and its westernmost approach is Two Lights in Cape Elizabeth...
, Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, Jeffers operated briefly on the East Coast until departing Norfolk
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
on 18 February 1943 on her first transatlantic voyage escorting a 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...
to 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...
and returning 14 April. The ship patrolled off NS Argentia
Naval Station Argentia
Naval Station Argentia is a former base of the United States Navy that operated from 1941-1994. It was established in the community of Argentia in what was then the Dominion of Newfoundland, which later became the tenth Canadian province .-Construction:Established under the British-U.S...
, Newfoundland
Dominion of Newfoundland
The Dominion of Newfoundland was a British Dominion from 1907 to 1949 . The Dominion of Newfoundland was situated in northeastern North America along the Atlantic coast and comprised the island of Newfoundland and Labrador on the continental mainland...
, for a week before steaming to Norfolk to prepare for the coming invasion of Sicily
Allied invasion of Sicily
The Allied invasion of Sicily, codenamed Operation Husky, was a major World War II campaign, in which the Allies took Sicily from the Axis . It was a large scale amphibious and airborne operation, followed by six weeks of land combat. It launched the Italian Campaign.Husky began on the night of...
.
Jeffers sailed from Norfolk 8 June with Task Force 65 (TF 65) and arrived Oran
Oran
Oran is a major city on the northwestern Mediterranean coast of Algeria, and the second largest city of the country.It is the capital of the Oran Province . The city has a population of 759,645 , while the metropolitan area has a population of approximately 1,500,000, making it the second largest...
, Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
, 22 June. While preparing for the giant assault on Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
, she patrolled off other African ports, shooting down a German bomber during 6 July Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
raid on Bizerte
Bizerte
Bizerte or Benzert , is the capital city of Bizerte Governorate in Tunisia and the northernmost city in Africa. It has a population of 230,879 .-History:...
. Jeffers sailed two days later with Rear Admiral John Hall's
John L. Hall, Jr.
John Lesslie Hall, Jr. was an admiral of the United States Navy, who served during World War II.-Education:...
force for Gela
Gela
Gela is a town and comune in the province of Caltanissetta in the south of Sicily, Italy. The city is at about 84 kilometers distance from the city of Caltanissetta, on the Mediterranean Sea. The city has a larger population than the provincial capital, and ranks second in land area.Gela is an...
; and, upon arrival 9 June, she guarded the transports. Early next day the great assault began, with Jeffers assigned the task of shooting out shore searchlights and providing fire support. As the landing proceeded with great success in the following days, the ship fired support missions and served on antisubmarine patrol. She sailed to Bizerte 18 July, but was back at Palermo
Palermo
Palermo is a city in Southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Province of Palermo. The city is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,700 years old...
on 31 July with cargo ships. Jeffers sailed to Oran the next day, and from that port continued to New York, arriving 22 August.
After repairs at New York, the destroyer was assigned to convoy duty between East Coast ports and Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. As the Allies began the great buildup of men and materiel in Britain for the landings in northern France, Jeffers made five voyages between 5 September 1943 and 22 April 1944. On her second convoy crossing to Scotland, 21 October the ship picked up survivors from , after that destroyer had been cut in two by a tanker. She also took part in salvage operations which saved the stern of the stricken vessel.
After training operations, Jeffers sailed from New York 5 May 1944 for the United Kingdom, where she prepared for the invasion of Normandy in June. She departed Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
3 June for Utah Beach
Utah Beach
Utah Beach was the code name for the right flank, or westernmost, of the Allied landing beaches during the D-Day invasion of Normandy, as part of Operation Overlord on 6 June 1944...
, where she patrolled and provided fire support as troops stormed ashore on D-Day
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
. The veteran destroyer remained off the beach until 29 June, driving off several enemy planes and assisting damaged ships. For the next two weeks she convoyed transports from Belfast to Utah Beach as more troops and supplies were poured in to the beachhead, finally departing for the Mediterranean on 16 July.
Next on the Allied timetable for the defeat of Germany was another invasion of France, this one in the south. Assigned to screen escort carriers covering the operation, Jeffers departed Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
12 August to join her task group. Three days later, as troops landed between Cannes
Cannes
Cannes is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, a busy tourist destination and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival. It is a Commune of France in the Alpes-Maritimes department....
and Toulon
Toulon
Toulon is a town in southern France and a large military harbor on the Mediterranean coast, with a major French naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur region, Toulon is the capital of the Var department in the former province of Provence....
, the ship remained with supporting carriers, continuing to cruise off shore until 28 September. She then sailed for New York, arriving 7 October to prepare for duty in the far Pacific.
Pacific service
Jeffers was converted to a destroyer-minesweeperMinesweeper (ship)
A minesweeper is a small naval warship designed to counter the threat posed by naval mines. Minesweepers generally detect then neutralize mines in advance of other naval operations.-History:...
at New York, and was reclassified DMS-27 on 15 November, She sailed 3 January 1945 for the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
and California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, arriving San Diego
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
for training 17 January. In February she moved on to Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
and from there to the great advance base at Ulithi
Ulithi
Ulithi is an atoll in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean, about 191 km east of Yap. It consists of 40 islets totalling , surrounding a lagoon about long and up to wide—at one of the largest in the world. It is administered by the state of Yap in the Federated States of...
to prepare for the Okinawa invasion
Battle of Okinawa
The Battle of Okinawa, codenamed Operation Iceberg, was fought on the Ryukyu Islands of Okinawa and was the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific War of World War II. The 82-day-long battle lasted from early April until mid-June 1945...
, last and largest amphibious operation of the war against Japan. As part of the preliminary minesweeping group, Jeffers arrived off Okinawa on 24 March, one week before the landings, and began clearing mines and marking boat lanes. During the assault 1 April the ship moved to antisubmarine screening and air defense. During the great Japanese air attack of 6 April she downed a twin-engine bomber. Six days later, while on radar picket station, she again was under heavy air attack. She downed at least one of the attackers and was nearly hit by one of the deadly Yokosuka MXY-7 Ohka
Ohka
The Yokosuka MXY-7 Ohka was a purpose-built, rocket powered human-guided anti-shipping kamikaze attack plane employed by Japan towards the end of World War II...
s as the attack was repulsed. Jeffers then assisted survivors of sunken .
The veteran ship steamed into Kerama Retto
Kerama Retto
The are a group of 22 islands located southwest of Okinawa Island in Japan. Four of the islands are inhabited:,., and. The islands are within Shimajiri District. The Kerama-shotō coral reef is a Ramsar Site....
to repair battle damage later that afternoon, emerging 16 April to join a carrier group operating off Okinawa in support of ground forces. She then sailed to Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
on 3 May for further repairs. Departing again 26 June, Jeffers sailed via Saipan
Saipan
Saipan is the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean with a total area of . The 2000 census population was 62,392...
and Ulithi to Kerama Retto, and spent the next 6 weeks on minesweeping operations north of Okinawa. She was at anchor off Okinawa when the news of the Japanese acceptance of terms was received 15 August 1945.
Jeffers steamed into Tokyo Bay
Tokyo Bay
is a bay in the southern Kantō region of Japan. Its old name was .-Geography:Tokyo Bay is surrounded by the Bōsō Peninsula to the east and the Miura Peninsula to the west. In a narrow sense, Tokyo Bay is the area north of the straight line formed by the on the Miura Peninsula on one end and on...
on 29 August with occupation forces, and was present for the surrender ceremonies 2 September. She then joined a minesweeping group for vital sweeping operations around Japan, including hazardous operations in Tsushima Strait
Tsushima Strait
is the eastern channel of the Korea Strait, which lies between Korea and Japan, connecting the Sea of Japan and the East China Sea.The Tsushima Strait is the broader eastern channel to the east and southeast of Tsushima Island, with the Japanese islands of Honshū to the east and northeast, and...
. Operating out of Sasebo, she continued to sweep in the Yellow Sea
Yellow Sea
The Yellow Sea is the name given to the northern part of the East China Sea, which is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean. It is located between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula. Its name comes from the sand particles from Gobi Desert sand storms that turn the surface of the water golden...
during November, getting underway 5 December for the United States.
1946 – 1955
Jeffers arrived San Diego 23 December and steamed via the Panama Canal to Norfolk, where she arrived 9 January 1946. The ship then began her peacetime duty, arriving Charleston 12 June. She remained there for the rest of 1946 except for a short training cruise to Casco Bay. 1947 was spent on maneuvers in the Caribbean during April and May, followed by exercises on the East Coast of the United States; and 1948 was spent entirely at various East Coast ports on training duty.After making a short cruise to the Caribbean in early 1949, Jeffers sailed 6 September from Charleston for her first Mediterranean cruise. This was the period of unrest in Greece and Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, and the ship took part in maneuvers around Malta until October, as America showed her might in the cause of peace and stability. She returned to Charleston 13 October.
The next year was spent at Charleston, except for a training cruise to Guantanamo Bay
Guantanamo Bay Naval Base
Guantanamo Bay Naval Base is located on of land and water at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba which the United States leased for use as a coaling station following the Cuban-American Treaty of 1903. The base is located on the shore of Guantánamo Bay at the southeastern end of Cuba. It is the oldest overseas...
in March. She got underway again, however, 9 January 1951 for another cruise to the troubled Mediterranean. She visited Oran, Palermo, Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, and Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
during this deployment, again taking part in U.S. 6th Fleet's important peace-keeping operations. Arriving Charleston 17 May 1951, Jeffers engaged in minesweeping and antisubmarine exercises until her next scheduled Mediterranean cruise, 5 June 1952. She operated with 6th Fleet carriers and destroyers until returning to her home port 13 October.
Jeffers spent the first half of 1953 in training off the Virginia Capes, departing Norfolk 16 September for operations with carrier and units of the Royal Canadian Navy
Royal Canadian Navy
The history of the Royal Canadian Navy goes back to 1910, when the naval force was created as the Naval Service of Canada and renamed a year later by King George V. The Royal Canadian Navy is one of the three environmental commands of the Canadian Forces...
in the Mediterranean. She returned to Charleston 3 February 1954. Operations from New York to Key West
Key West
Key West is an island in the Straits of Florida on the North American continent at the southernmost tip of the Florida Keys. Key West is home to the southernmost point in the Continental United States; the island is about from Cuba....
and Havana
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
occupied the veteran destroyer-minesweeper until she decommissioned at Charleston 23 May 1955. She entered the Charleston Group, Atlantic Reserve Fleet as DD-621, having been reclassified 15 January 1955. Jeffers was stricken from the register 1 July 1971 and later sold 25 May 1973 and broken up for scrap.
Jeffers received seven battle stars for World War II service.