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USS Paul G. Baker (DE-642)
Encyclopedia
USS Paul G. Baker (DE-642) was a Buckley-class
destroyer escort
of the United States Navy
, named in honor of Lieutenant (junior grade) Paul G. Baker
(1910–42), a naval aviator
who was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross
for heroism during the Battle of the Coral Sea
.
Paul G. Baker was laid down on 26 September 1943 by Bethlehem Steel
Co., San Francisco, California
; launched
on 12 March 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Katherine E. Baker; and commissioned
on 25 May 1944, Lieutenant Commander W. Gordon Cornell, USNR, in command.
Steaming to San Diego
on 18 June 1944 for shakedown
, Paul G. Baker returned to San Francisco on 20 July for post-shakedown repairs and alterations. She departed 11 August for Seattle, Washington
, arriving two days later. After picking up a convoy
at Port Angeles
, she set course for Pearl Harbor
on the 19th and arrived on the 27th.
Paul G. Baker cleared Pearl Harbor on 8 September 1944 as part of an escort carrier task unit which called at Emirau Island
en route to Manus Island
, Admiralties, where she arrived on 19 September for escort duty under Task Force 11 (TF 11). On the 24th she headed for Port Purvis, Florida Island, arriving three days later.
Her duty in the Solomons was largely escort work. She steamed from Purvis Bay 11 October to pick up merchantman
Mormacsea at Empress Augusta Bay
, Bougainville
, for escort to Munda
, returning to her base on the 15th. She made a similar voyage 19–24 October, escorting SS Santa Monica from Lunga Point
, Guadalcanal
, to Treasury Island and Sasavelle Harbor, Munda, before returning alone to Purvis Bay. From late November through most of December, she shuttled from Purvis Bay to Espiritu Santo
, New Hebrides
. From 12 January 1945 she trained for the invasion of the Ryukyus. Departing the Russell Islands
, 15 March, she steamed via Saipan
to Ulithi
departing that port 27 March to escort troop-laden transports for the landings on Okinawa
.
The task unit arrived off Okinawa on the day of the initial landings, 1 April 1945, and Paul G. Baker took station on the inner transport screen off Hagushi Beach. Her first taste of enemy air activity came at dusk that day when she opened fire on a plane which crossed astern. She protected the transports during unloading by day and retirement by night until she departed the invasion area 5 April guarding empty transports to Guam
, arriving on the 9th thence to Ulithi
to join a convoy for Okinawa.
Arriving off Okinawa 18 April 1945, Paul G. Baker joined the dangerous but vital patrol screen which protected Allied forces fighting to capture the island stronghold. On the 22nd, at 17:45, enemy planes attacked without warning. One aircraft crashed into nearby Isherwood
(DD-520) and at 18:47 another closed Paul G. Baker. The plane swerved away and crashed into Swallow
(AM-65) which capsized in about four minutes. Baker picked up nine officers and 69 men. Other ships also steamed to aid the stricken minesweeper
, rescuing all but one of Swallow’s crew.
The air attacks continued to be heavy and frequent for patrol vessels off Okinawa. On 12 May 1945 Paul G. Baker opened fire on two suicide planes attacking New Mexico
(BB-40) and although she aided in splashing one of the kamikaze
s the other hit the battleship
. On the 24th Baker joined the fire on a single plane which had wandered into the area. On 11 June, a low-flying airplane made a dive on Lindenwald
(LSD-6), shifted the attack to Paul G. Baker, then swerved toward a merchant ship. Baker’s gunners splashed this enemy fifty feet from its intended target.
On 20 June 1945 Paul G. Baker sailed in the screen of a battleship and cruiser
force to patrol southeast of Okinawa. She returned to Kerama Retto
1 July to commence a series of five escort voyages between Okinawa and Saipan
, lasting till 30 August.
Paul G. Baker steamed from Saipan 11 September 1945 to escort Malabar
(AF-37) to Tokyo Bay
, arriving at Yokosuka Naval Base
on the 17th. Five days later she sailed singly for Saipan, arriving on the 25th. On 4 November 1945 she got underway for the United States arriving at Astoria, Oregon
, on the 21st. After overhaul at Portland, Oregon
and Bremerton, Washington
, she returned to Guam, arriving 23 May 1946.
Departing Guam
26 June, Paul G. Baker sailed to Buckner Bay, Okinawa before arriving in Tsingtao, China
, 2 July. She exercised off the China coast with destroyers, then sailed on 3 August to visit Hong Kong
. Baker paid another visit to Sasebo, Japan
before departing 10 September. She returned to Tsingtao on12 September, and for the next month conducted exercises with a small hunter-killer training group in the area.
Homeward bound for good, Paul G. Baker departed Tsingtao 12 October, called at Guam 18 October, visited Pearl Harbor 27–28 October, and arrived San Diego 4 November. She decommissioned
on 3 February 1947, and was placed in reserve at San Diego. She was struck from the Naval Vessel Register
on 1 December 1969.
Paul G. Baker received one battle star for World War II
service.
Buckley class destroyer escort
The Buckley class destroyer escorts were 102 destroyer escorts launched in the United States in 1943 - 1944. They served in World War II as convoy escorts and anti-submarine warfare ships. The lead ship was USS Buckley which was launched on 9 January 1943. The ships had General Electric steam...
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...
of 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...
, named in honor of Lieutenant (junior grade) Paul G. Baker
Paul G. Baker
Paul G. Baker was a United States Navy officer who received the Navy Cross posthumously for his actions in combat during World War II.-Biography:...
(1910–42), a naval aviator
Naval Aviator
A United States Naval Aviator is a qualified pilot in the United States Navy, Marine Corps or Coast Guard.-Naming Conventions:Most Naval Aviators are Unrestricted Line Officers; however, a small number of Limited Duty Officers and Chief Warrant Officers are also trained as Naval Aviators.Until 1981...
who was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross
Navy Cross
The Navy Cross is the highest decoration that may be bestowed by the Department of the Navy and the second highest decoration given for valor. It is normally only awarded to members of the United States Navy, United States Marine Corps and United States Coast Guard, but can be awarded to all...
for heroism during the Battle of the Coral Sea
Battle of the Coral Sea
The Battle of the Coral Sea, fought from 4–8 May 1942, was a major naval battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II between the Imperial Japanese Navy and Allied naval and air forces from the United States and Australia. The battle was the first fleet action in which aircraft carriers engaged...
.
Paul G. Baker was laid down on 26 September 1943 by Bethlehem Steel
Bethlehem Steel
The Bethlehem Steel Corporation , based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, was once the second-largest steel producer in the United States, after Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based U.S. Steel. After a decline in the U.S...
Co., San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
; launched
Ship naming and launching
The ceremonies involved in naming and launching naval ships are based in traditions thousands of years old.-Methods of launch:There are three principal methods of conveying a new ship from building site to water, only two of which are called "launching." The oldest, most familiar, and most widely...
on 12 March 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Katherine E. Baker; and commissioned
Ship commissioning
Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service, and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military...
on 25 May 1944, Lieutenant Commander W. Gordon Cornell, USNR, in command.
Steaming to 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...
on 18 June 1944 for shakedown
Shakedown (testing)
A shakedown is a period of testing or a trial journey undergone by a ship, aircraft or other craft and its crew before being declared operational. Statistically, a proportion of the components will fail after a relatively short period of use, and those that survive this period can be expected to...
, Paul G. Baker returned to San Francisco on 20 July for post-shakedown repairs and alterations. She departed 11 August for Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
, arriving two days later. After picking up 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...
at Port Angeles
Port Angeles, Washington
Port Angeles is a city in and the county seat of Clallam County, Washington, United States. The population was 19,038 at the 2010 census. The area's harbor was dubbed Puerto de Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles by Spanish explorer Francisco de Eliza in 1791, but by the mid-19th century the name had...
, she set course for 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...
on the 19th and arrived on the 27th.
Paul G. Baker cleared Pearl Harbor on 8 September 1944 as part of an escort carrier task unit which called at Emirau Island
Emirau Island
Emirau Island, also called Emira, is an island in the Bismarck Archipelago located at . It is currently part of the New Ireland Province of Papua New Guinea. The local language is a dialect of the Mussau-Emira language...
en route to Manus Island
Manus Island
Manus Island is part of Manus Province in northern Papua New Guinea and is the largest island of the Admiralty Islands. It is the fifth largest island in Papua New Guinea with an area of 2,100 km², measuring around 100 km × 30 km. According to the 2000 census, Manus Island had a...
, Admiralties, where she arrived on 19 September for escort duty under Task Force 11 (TF 11). On the 24th she headed for Port Purvis, Florida Island, arriving three days later.
Her duty in the Solomons was largely escort work. She steamed from Purvis Bay 11 October to pick up merchantman
Cargo ship
A cargo ship or freighter is any sort of ship or vessel that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year; they handle the bulk of international trade...
Mormacsea at Empress Augusta Bay
Empress Augusta Bay
Empress Augusta Bay is a major bay on the western side of the island of Bougainville, in Papua New Guinea, at . It is a major subsistence fishing area for the people of Bougainville. It is named after Augusta Viktoria of Schleswig-Holstein, wife of German Emperor William II.In November 1943, the...
, Bougainville
Bougainville Island
Bougainville Island is the main island of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville of Papua New Guinea. This region is also known as Bougainville Province or the North Solomons. The population of the province is 175,160 , which includes the adjacent island of Buka and assorted outlying islands...
, for escort to Munda
Munda (Solomon Islands)
Munda is the largest settlement on the island of New Georgia in the Western Province of the Solomon Islands, and consists of a number of villages...
, returning to her base on the 15th. She made a similar voyage 19–24 October, escorting SS Santa Monica from Lunga Point
Lunga Point
Lunga Point is a promontory on the northern coast of Guadalcanal, the site of a naval battle during World War II. It was also the name of a nearby airfield, later named Henderson Field....
, Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal is a tropical island in the South-Western Pacific. The largest island in the Solomons, it was discovered by the Spanish expedition of Alvaro de Mendaña in 1568...
, to Treasury Island and Sasavelle Harbor, Munda, before returning alone to Purvis Bay. From late November through most of December, she shuttled from Purvis Bay to Espiritu Santo
Espiritu Santo
Espiritu Santo is the largest island in the nation of Vanuatu, with an area of . It belongs to the archipelago of the New Hebrides in the Pacific region of Melanesia. It is in the Sanma Province of Vanuatu....
, New Hebrides
New Hebrides
New Hebrides was the colonial name for an island group in the South Pacific that now forms the nation of Vanuatu. The New Hebrides were colonized by both the British and French in the 18th century shortly after Captain James Cook visited the islands...
. From 12 January 1945 she trained for the invasion of the Ryukyus. Departing the Russell Islands
Russell Islands
The Russell Islands are two small islands, as well as several islets, of volcanic origin, in the Central Province of the Solomon Islands. They are located approximately 48 km northwest from Guadalcanal. The islands are partially covered in coconut plantations, and have a copra and oil factory at...
, 15 March, she steamed 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...
to 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...
departing that port 27 March to escort troop-laden transports for the landings on Okinawa
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...
.
The task unit arrived off Okinawa on the day of the initial landings, 1 April 1945, and Paul G. Baker took station on the inner transport screen off Hagushi Beach. Her first taste of enemy air activity came at dusk that day when she opened fire on a plane which crossed astern. She protected the transports during unloading by day and retirement by night until she departed the invasion area 5 April guarding empty transports 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...
, arriving on the 9th thence to 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 join a convoy for Okinawa.
Arriving off Okinawa 18 April 1945, Paul G. Baker joined the dangerous but vital patrol screen which protected Allied forces fighting to capture the island stronghold. On the 22nd, at 17:45, enemy planes attacked without warning. One aircraft crashed into nearby Isherwood
USS Isherwood (DD-520)
USS Isherwood , a Fletcher-class destroyer, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named forRear Admiral Benjamin F. Isherwood ....
(DD-520) and at 18:47 another closed Paul G. Baker. The plane swerved away and crashed into Swallow
USS Swallow (AM-65)
USS Swallow was an built for the United States Navy during World War II. The ship was the second U.S. Navy ship named after the swallow. Swallow earned two battle stars for World War II service. She was sunk by a kamikaze aircraft off Okinawa on 22 April 1945...
(AM-65) which capsized in about four minutes. Baker picked up nine officers and 69 men. Other ships also steamed to aid the stricken minesweeper
Minesweeper (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:...
, rescuing all but one of Swallow’s crew.
The air attacks continued to be heavy and frequent for patrol vessels off Okinawa. On 12 May 1945 Paul G. Baker opened fire on two suicide planes attacking New Mexico
USS New Mexico (BB-40)
USS New Mexico was a battleship in service with the United States Navy from 1918 to 1946. She was the lead ship of a class of three battleships. New Mexico was extensively modernized between 1931 and 1933 and saw service during World War II both in the Atlantic and Pacific theatres. After her...
(BB-40) and although she aided in splashing one of the kamikaze
Kamikaze
The were suicide attacks by military aviators from the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, designed to destroy as many warships as possible....
s the other hit the battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
. On the 24th Baker joined the fire on a single plane which had wandered into the area. On 11 June, a low-flying airplane made a dive on Lindenwald
USS Lindenwald (LSD-6)
USS Lindenwald was an of the United States Navy, named in honor of Lindenwald, the New York estate of President Martin Van Buren ....
(LSD-6), shifted the attack to Paul G. Baker, then swerved toward a merchant ship. Baker’s gunners splashed this enemy fifty feet from its intended target.
On 20 June 1945 Paul G. Baker sailed in the screen of a battleship and cruiser
Cruiser
A cruiser is a type of warship. The term has been in use for several hundreds of years, and has had different meanings throughout this period...
force to patrol southeast of Okinawa. She returned to 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....
1 July to commence a series of five escort voyages between Okinawa and 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...
, lasting till 30 August.
Paul G. Baker steamed from Saipan 11 September 1945 to escort Malabar
USS Malabar (AF-37)
USS Malabar was an acquired by the U.S. Navy for service in World War II. Her task was to carry stores, refrigerated items, and equipment to ships in the fleet, and to remote stations and staging areas....
(AF-37) to 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...
, arriving at Yokosuka Naval Base
United States Fleet Activities Yokosuka
U.S. Fleet Activities Yokosuka, or Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka is a United States Navy base, in Yokosuka, Japan. Its mission is to maintain and operate base facilities for the logistic, recreational, administrative support and service of the U.S. Naval Forces Japan, U.S. 7th Fleet and...
on the 17th. Five days later she sailed singly for Saipan, arriving on the 25th. On 4 November 1945 she got underway for the United States arriving at Astoria, Oregon
Astoria, Oregon
Astoria is the county seat of Clatsop County, Oregon, United States. Situated near the mouth of the Columbia River, the city was named after the American investor John Jacob Astor. His American Fur Company founded Fort Astoria at the site in 1811...
, on the 21st. After overhaul at Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
and Bremerton, Washington
Bremerton, Washington
Bremerton is a city in Kitsap County, Washington, United States. The population was 38,790 at the 2011 State Estimate, making it the largest city on the Olympic Peninsula. Bremerton is home to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and the Bremerton Annex of Naval Base Kitsap...
, she returned to Guam, arriving 23 May 1946.
Departing 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...
26 June, Paul G. Baker sailed to Buckner Bay, Okinawa before arriving in Tsingtao, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, 2 July. She exercised off the China coast with destroyers, then sailed on 3 August to visit Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. Baker paid another visit to Sasebo, 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...
before departing 10 September. She returned to Tsingtao on12 September, and for the next month conducted exercises with a small hunter-killer training group in the area.
Homeward bound for good, Paul G. Baker departed Tsingtao 12 October, called at Guam 18 October, visited Pearl Harbor 27–28 October, and arrived San Diego 4 November. She decommissioned
Ship decommissioning
To decommission a ship is to terminate her career in service in the armed forces of her nation. A somber occasion, it has little of the elaborate ceremony of ship commissioning, but carries significant tradition....
on 3 February 1947, and was placed in reserve at San Diego. She was struck from the Naval Vessel Register
Naval 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 1 December 1969.
Paul G. Baker received one battle star for 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...
service.