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USS Laub (DD-613)
Encyclopedia
USS Laub (DD-613) was a in the United States Navy
during World War II
. She was the second ship named for Henry Laub
, who was killed during the Battle of Lake Erie
in 1813.
Laub was laid down 1 May 1941 by Bethlehem Steel Corporation, San Pedro, California; launched 28 April 1942; sponsored by Miss Barbara Mohun Handley, a collateral descendant of Henry Laub; and commissioned 24 October 1942, Lieutenant Commander
J. F. Gallaher in command.
, arriving Norfolk, Virginia
1 February 1943. She departed New York
7 February, escorting a convoy to North Africa. After reaching Casablanca
, the destroyer patrolled the Africa
n coast until departing 14 March with a return convoy to the United States.
The following month, she sailed with another convoy. On 26 May, while escorting a return convoy, she joined other escorts in chasing off an enemy U-boat
set on attacking the vulnerable supply ships in the convoy. The destroyer departed New York on her third extended voyage 11 June to join Allied forces in north Africa preparing for the invasion of Sicily
. On 5 July she sailed from Oran
to screen the transports and their passage to the strategic Sicilian beaches.
The amphibious force arrived off Sicily 4 days later, made a dramatic night landing, and the next day fought off Nazi aircraft. On the 11th, while bombarding the shore, Laub assisted in downing an aircraft. Continuing fire support operations, Laub destroyed four tanks and damaged strategic bridges.
The destroyer returned to Mers el Kebir 15 July and continued operations in the Mediterranean Sea
until joining a convoy for America on 28 July. Laub made additional convoy runs to north Africa and the United Kingdom
before returning to Oran to support the Allied campaigns in the Mediterranean.
Off north Africa 6 November, six planes made a torpedo
attack on Laubs convoy, scoring several hits. Laub proceeded to assist the stricken ships, Beatty, Maraix, and Ruys, and rescued 341 survivors. From November 1943 until April 1944, the destroyer continued escort operations in the Mediterranean, and made several cross-Atlantic cruises from New York to the British Isles.
Returning to Oran 2 May, Laub sailed 10 days later with to provide fire support off the Anzio
beachhead on the west coast of Italy. On the 23rd while bombarding the Italian
coast, Laub collided with Philadelphia. Following temporary repairs at Naples
and additional ones at Boston, Massachusetts the destroyer was back in Oran 2 December.
For the rest of the European campaign, she performed escort and fire support missions off the French-Italian coast. Departing Oran 15 May 1945, she reached Boston on the 23rd and began training in the Caribbean
in preparation for Pacific duty. Laub returned to Casco Bay, Maine, when the Japan
ese surrender was announced.
The destroyer arrived Charleston, South Carolina
, 2 November and decommissioned there 2 February 1946, joining the Atlantic Reserve Fleet. Laub was stricken from the Naval Register on 1 July 1971. She was then sold on 14 January 1975, and broken up for scrap.
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...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. She was the second ship named for Henry Laub
Henry Laub
Henry Laub was an officer in the United States Navy during the War of 1812.-Biography:Born in York, Pennsylvania, Laub was appointed midshipman 1 October 1809 under Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry...
, who was killed during the Battle of Lake Erie
Battle of Lake Erie
The Battle of Lake Erie, sometimes called the Battle of Put-in-Bay, was fought on 10 September 1813, in Lake Erie off the coast of Ohio during the War of 1812. Nine vessels of the United States Navy defeated and captured six vessels of Great Britain's Royal Navy...
in 1813.
Laub was laid down 1 May 1941 by Bethlehem Steel Corporation, San Pedro, California; launched 28 April 1942; sponsored by Miss Barbara Mohun Handley, a collateral descendant of Henry Laub; and commissioned 24 October 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...
J. F. Gallaher in command.
Service history
After shakedown along the west coast, Laub steamed through the Panama CanalPanama 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...
, arriving Norfolk, Virginia
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....
1 February 1943. She departed New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
7 February, escorting a convoy to North Africa. After reaching 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...
, the destroyer patrolled the Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
n coast until departing 14 March with a return convoy to the United States.
The following month, she sailed with another convoy. On 26 May, while escorting a return convoy, she joined other escorts in chasing off an enemy 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...
set on attacking the vulnerable supply ships in the convoy. The destroyer departed New York on her third extended voyage 11 June to join Allied forces in north Africa preparing for the 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...
. On 5 July she sailed from 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...
to screen the transports and their passage to the strategic Sicilian beaches.
The amphibious force arrived off Sicily 4 days later, made a dramatic night landing, and the next day fought off Nazi aircraft. On the 11th, while bombarding the shore, Laub assisted in downing an aircraft. Continuing fire support operations, Laub destroyed four tanks and damaged strategic bridges.
The destroyer returned to Mers el Kebir 15 July and continued operations in the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
until joining a convoy for America on 28 July. Laub made additional convoy runs to north Africa and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
before returning to Oran to support the Allied campaigns in the Mediterranean.
Off north Africa 6 November, six planes made a torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
attack on Laubs convoy, scoring several hits. Laub proceeded to assist the stricken ships, Beatty, Maraix, and Ruys, and rescued 341 survivors. From November 1943 until April 1944, the destroyer continued escort operations in the Mediterranean, and made several cross-Atlantic cruises from New York to the British Isles.
Returning to Oran 2 May, Laub sailed 10 days later with to provide fire support off the Anzio
Anzio
Anzio is a city and comune on the coast of the Lazio region of Italy, about south of Rome.Well known for its seaside harbour setting, it is a fishing port and a departure point for ferries and hydroplanes to the Pontine Islands of Ponza, Palmarola and Ventotene...
beachhead on the west coast of Italy. On the 23rd while bombarding the Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
coast, Laub collided with Philadelphia. Following temporary repairs at 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...
and additional ones at Boston, Massachusetts the destroyer was back in Oran 2 December.
For the rest of the European campaign, she performed escort and fire support missions off the French-Italian coast. Departing Oran 15 May 1945, she reached Boston on the 23rd and began training in the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
in preparation for Pacific duty. Laub returned to Casco Bay, Maine, when the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese surrender was announced.
The destroyer arrived Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
, 2 November and decommissioned there 2 February 1946, joining the Atlantic Reserve Fleet. Laub was stricken from the Naval Register on 1 July 1971. She was then sold on 14 January 1975, and broken up for scrap.