.gif)
USS Mosley (DE-321)
Encyclopedia
USS Mosley (DE 321) was an built for the U.S. Navy during World War II
. She served in the Atlantic Ocean
the Pacific Ocean
and provided destroyer escort protection against submarine
and air attack for Navy vessels and convoy
s.
She was named in honor of Walter Harold Mosley
, who was awarded a Silver Star
for his heroic actions during the early months of World War II. She was laid down by Consolidated Steel Corporation of Orange, Texas
, 6 April 1943; launched 26 June 1943; by Mrs. A. G. Mosley; and commissioned at Orange 30 October 1943, Lt. Comdr. James A. Alger, Jr., USCG, in command.
off Bermuda
, Mosley escorted a convoy out of Norfolk, Virginia
, to Texas
Gulf ports and back. Then, on 28 January 1944, she sailed to New York
for escort duty with CortDiv 46. Between 31 January and 18 March 1944, she screened a UGS GUS convoy to north Africa and back; then, following anti-submarine warfare
(ASW) training off Block Island
, she reached Norfolk 1 April for further escort duty.
18 April, and then closed the coast of North Africa. As the convoy hugged the Algeria
n coast on 20 April, the ships came under an intensive Luftwaffe
attack shortly after 2100. Junkers
and Heinkel
bombers struck in three waves. The first attack blew the troop-loaded merchantman out of the water, killing 580 men; the next wave hit two more merchant ships; and the final strike sank screening escort with a single torpedo
which split open the unlucky destroyer
. Mosley laid covering smoke and opened up with antiaircraft fire during the strikes. Her guns splashed one Ju-88 and damaged another German bomber during the first strike.
, Tunisia
on 22 April, then departed 1 May as escort for westbound GUS 38. Two days later, the convoy ran into trouble from lurking U-boats. Early on 3 May, , a sister escort, detected U-371 astern of the convoy. As she closed to attack the German submarine, Menges was damaged by an acoustic torpedo. The sub escaped, only to be hunted down and destroyed by searching escorts the next day. As the convoy neared Gibraltar early 5 May, a second U boat, U-967, harassed the screen. A single torpedo fatally damaged . Mosley, after aiding the search for the elusive sub, rejoined the convoy later that day in the Straits of Gibraltar. She reached New York via Norfolk 22 May.
Mosley resumed convoy escort duty out of Norfolk, Virginia on 11 June. During the next 8 months, she completed four round-trips to North Africa and back. She made two runs to Bizerte and two to Oran
, returning from her final Mediterranean convoy on 11 February 1945. After completing availability at New York, she joined a hunter-killer group at New London, Connecticut
, 23 February.
on 4 March. The next day, they sailed to seek out and destroy an enemy submarine reported off Newfoundland, north of Flemish Cap
. They made first contact on 13 March, and during the next 5 days carried out persistent search-and-destroy operations. On 18 March in waters west of treacherous Sable Island
, day-long hedgehog
and depth charge
attacks brought "air bubbles, wreckage, and large quantities of oil" to the surface. A violent underwater explosion at 1622 marked the end of U-866, and the hunter killer group returned to Casco Bay on 20 March.
Mosley resumed ASW patrols in the Gulf of Maine
on 24 March; then, until 4 April, she searched the stormy North Atlantic south and west of Flemish Cap. On 10 April, TG 22.14 rendezvoused at sea with a hunter-killer group built around and began barrier patrols along the 30th meridian
north of latitude 48°30'. One of four CVE-DE groups, Mission Bay and her escorts comprised the northern force of the First Barrier Force. Divided into two barrier forces, the hunter-killer groups formed two lines of defense against a harassing blitz by German snorkel
submarines dubbed Group "Seewolf".
and Mosley resumed patrols across the 45th parallel.
detected underwater explosions which were probably evasive tactics of the U-boat. At about the same time as Mosley first made contact, escorts and attacked and sank U-518 some 100 miles southward along the barrier.
resumed surface barrier patrols 2 May. She was patrolling the North Atlantic about 300 miles south of Cape Race
, Newfoundland
, as President Truman announced the German surrender on 8 May. On 14 May, she returned to New York, where she remained until 16 June, "removing the stains of North Atlantic duty." She sailed to Port Everglades, Florida, and on 25 June, began duty with the Atlantic Fleet's Antisubmarine Development Detachment, she carried out ASW test and development exercises with submarines and other escorts until 7 September. After completing overhaul at Charleston, South Carolina
, she steamed to Green Cove Springs, Florida
on 3 November.
on 2 January 1971 and was sold for scrap on 22 August 1973.
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 served in the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
and provided destroyer escort protection against submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
and air attack for Navy vessels and 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.
She was named in honor of Walter Harold Mosley
Walter Harold Mosley
-Navy career:Mosley enlisted in the Navy 12 February 1940. Appointed an aviation cadet 21 June 1940, he completed flight training at Pensacola, Florida, and was commissioned ensign 11 March 1941....
, who was awarded a Silver Star
Silver Star
The Silver Star is the third-highest combat military decoration that can be awarded to a member of any branch of the United States armed forces for valor in the face of the enemy....
for his heroic actions during the early months of World War II. She was laid down by Consolidated Steel Corporation of Orange, Texas
Orange, Texas
Orange is a city in Orange County, Texas, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 18,643. It is the county seat of Orange County, and is the easternmost city in Texas. Located on the Sabine River at the border with Louisiana, it is part of the Beaumont–Port Arthur...
, 6 April 1943; launched 26 June 1943; by Mrs. A. G. Mosley; and commissioned at Orange 30 October 1943, Lt. Comdr. James A. Alger, Jr., USCG, in command.
World War II North Atlantic operations
After shakedownSea trial
A sea trial is the testing phase of a watercraft . It is also referred to as a "shakedown cruise" by many naval personnel. It is usually the last phase of construction and takes place on open water, and can last from a few hours to many days.Sea trials are conducted to measure a vessel’s...
off 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...
, Mosley escorted a convoy out of 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....
, to Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
Gulf ports and back. Then, on 28 January 1944, she sailed to 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...
for escort duty with CortDiv 46. Between 31 January and 18 March 1944, she screened a UGS GUS convoy to north Africa and back; then, following 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) training off Block Island
Block Island
Block Island is part of the U.S. state of Rhode Island and is located in the Atlantic Ocean approximately south of the coast of Rhode Island, east of Montauk Point on Long Island, and is separated from the Rhode Island mainland by Block Island Sound. The United States Census Bureau defines Block...
, she reached Norfolk 1 April for further escort duty.
Under attack by the Luftwaffe
Three days later, Mosley sailed with convoy UGS 38 bound for the Mediterranean. The ships passed GibraltarGibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
18 April, and then closed the coast of North Africa. As the convoy hugged the 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...
n coast on 20 April, the ships came under an intensive 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....
attack shortly after 2100. Junkers
Junkers
Junkers Flugzeug- und Motorenwerke AG , more commonly Junkers, was a major German aircraft manufacturer. It produced some of the world's most innovative and best-known airplanes over the course of its fifty-plus year history in Dessau, Germany. It was founded there in 1895 by Hugo Junkers,...
and Heinkel
Heinkel
Heinkel Flugzeugwerke was a German aircraft manufacturing company founded by and named after Ernst Heinkel. It is noted for producing bomber aircraft for the Luftwaffe in World War II and for important contributions to high-speed flight.-History:...
bombers struck in three waves. The first attack blew the troop-loaded merchantman out of the water, killing 580 men; the next wave hit two more merchant ships; and the final strike sank screening escort with a single 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...
which split open the unlucky destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
. Mosley laid covering smoke and opened up with antiaircraft fire during the strikes. Her guns splashed one Ju-88 and damaged another German bomber during the first strike.
Under attack by German submarines
Mosley reached BizerteBizerte
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:...
, Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
on 22 April, then departed 1 May as escort for westbound GUS 38. Two days later, the convoy ran into trouble from lurking U-boats. Early on 3 May, , a sister escort, detected U-371 astern of the convoy. As she closed to attack the German submarine, Menges was damaged by an acoustic torpedo. The sub escaped, only to be hunted down and destroyed by searching escorts the next day. As the convoy neared Gibraltar early 5 May, a second U boat, U-967, harassed the screen. A single torpedo fatally damaged . Mosley, after aiding the search for the elusive sub, rejoined the convoy later that day in the Straits of Gibraltar. She reached New York via Norfolk 22 May.
Mosley resumed convoy escort duty out of Norfolk, Virginia on 11 June. During the next 8 months, she completed four round-trips to North Africa and back. She made two runs to Bizerte and two to 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...
, returning from her final Mediterranean convoy on 11 February 1945. After completing availability at New York, she joined a hunter-killer group at 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....
, 23 February.
Sinking of German Submarine U-866
Designated Task Group 22.14, Mosley and sister escorts, , Menges, and trained off Block Island before steaming to 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...
on 4 March. The next day, they sailed to seek out and destroy an enemy submarine reported off Newfoundland, north of Flemish Cap
Flemish Cap
The Flemish Cap is an area of shallow waters in the north Atlantic Ocean centered roughly at 47° north, 45° west or about 350 miles east of St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador....
. They made first contact on 13 March, and during the next 5 days carried out persistent search-and-destroy operations. On 18 March in waters west of treacherous Sable Island
Sable Island
Sable Island is a small Canadian island situated 300 km southeast of mainland Nova Scotia in the Atlantic Ocean. The island is a year-round home to approximately five people...
, day-long hedgehog
Hedgehog (weapon)
The Hedgehog was an anti-submarine weapon developed by the Royal Navy during World War II, that was deployed on convoy escort warships such as destroyers to supplement the depth charge. The weapon worked by firing a number of small spigot mortar bombs from spiked fittings...
and depth charge
Depth charge
A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare weapon intended to destroy or cripple a target submarine by the shock of exploding near it. Most use explosives and a fuze set to go off at a preselected depth in the ocean. Depth charges can be dropped by either surface ships, patrol aircraft, or from...
attacks brought "air bubbles, wreckage, and large quantities of oil" to the surface. A violent underwater explosion at 1622 marked the end of U-866, and the hunter killer group returned to Casco Bay on 20 March.
Mosley resumed ASW patrols in the Gulf of Maine
Gulf of Maine
The Gulf of Maine is a large gulf of the Atlantic Ocean on the east coast of North America.It is delineated by Cape Cod at the eastern tip of Massachusetts in the southwest and Cape Sable at the southern tip of Nova Scotia in the northeast. It includes the entire coastlines of the U.S...
on 24 March; then, until 4 April, she searched the stormy North Atlantic south and west of Flemish Cap. On 10 April, TG 22.14 rendezvoused at sea with a hunter-killer group built around and began barrier patrols along the 30th meridian
30th meridian west
The meridian 30° west of Greenwich is a line of longitude that extends from the North Pole across the Arctic Ocean, Greenland, the Atlantic Ocean, the Southern Ocean, and Antarctica to the South Pole....
north of latitude 48°30'. One of four CVE-DE groups, Mission Bay and her escorts comprised the northern force of the First Barrier Force. Divided into two barrier forces, the hunter-killer groups formed two lines of defense against a harassing blitz by German snorkel
Submarine snorkel
A submarine snorkel is a device which allows a submarine to operate submerged while still taking in air from above the surface. Navy personnel often refer to it as the snort.-History:...
submarines dubbed Group "Seewolf".
Sinking of German Submarines U-1235 and U-880
Between 10 and 16 April, Mosley carried out 10 mile patrols in her assigned barrier station. During the night of 15 and 16 April, escorts to the south of her blasted U-1235 and U-880 in heavy seas. Her war diary on 16 April at 0200 noted: "Lots of fun going on in southern part of barrier." That evening, the barrier patrols shifted westward to the 38th meridian38th meridian west
The meridian 38° west of Greenwich is a line of longitude that extends from the North Pole across the Arctic Ocean, Greenland, the Atlantic Ocean, South America, the Southern Ocean, and Antarctica to the South Pole....
and Mosley resumed patrols across the 45th parallel.
Hunting German Submarines U-805 and U-518
Late on the 21st of April, Mosley, in company with Lowe and made radar contact with a surfaced submarine, probably U-805. The contact disappeared at a range of 9,100 yards, and Mosley closed for attack. Bucking "short and steep" seas, Mosley fired hedgehogs, but without effect. The three escorts continued hedgehog and creeper attacks against the deep-running submarine. Shortly after 0200 on 22 April, soundmenSonar
Sonar is a technique that uses sound propagation to navigate, communicate with or detect other vessels...
detected underwater explosions which were probably evasive tactics of the U-boat. At about the same time as Mosley first made contact, escorts and attacked and sank U-518 some 100 miles southward along the barrier.
End-of-War activity
The hunter-killer group returned to Argentia on 27 April for replenishment; then, MosleyMosley
Mosley is a family name.The Mosley family were the lords of the manor of Manchester, England until 1846. They also became wealthy landowners in Staffordshire...
resumed surface barrier patrols 2 May. She was patrolling the North Atlantic about 300 miles south of Cape Race
Cape Race
Cape Race is a point of land located at the southeastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland, Canada. Its name is thought to come from the original Portuguese name for this cape, "Raso", or "bare"...
, Newfoundland
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
, as President Truman announced the German surrender on 8 May. On 14 May, she returned to New York, where she remained until 16 June, "removing the stains of North Atlantic duty." She sailed to Port Everglades, Florida, and on 25 June, began duty with the Atlantic Fleet's Antisubmarine Development Detachment, she carried out ASW test and development exercises with submarines and other escorts until 7 September. After completing overhaul at 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...
, she steamed to 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....
on 3 November.
Post-War decommissioning
Mosley was decommissioned at Green Cove Springs on 15 March 1946, and entered the Atlantic Reserve Fleet. After that time she remained in reserve, and in 1969 was berthed with the Atlantic Inactive Fleet at Orange, Texas. She was struck from the Navy ListNaval Vessel Register
The Naval Vessel Register is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from the time a vessel is authorized through its life cycle and...
on 2 January 1971 and was sold for scrap on 22 August 1973.