USS SC-1012
Encyclopedia
USS SC-1012 was a submarine chaser
Submarine chaser
A submarine chaser is a small and fast naval vessel specially intended for anti-submarine warfare. Although similar vessels were designed and used by many nations, this designation was most famously used by ships built by the United States of America...
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...
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...
.
SC-1012 was built by the Fellows and Craft Shipbuilders and launched on 28 December 1942. Commissioned on 18 August 1943. She was involved in several campaigns 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...
and traveled many miles across and throughout the South Pacific
Pacific Ocean Areas
Pacific Ocean Areas was a major Allied military command in the Pacific Ocean theater of World War II. It was one of four major Allied commands during the Pacific War, and one of two United States commands in the Pacific Theater of Operations. Admiral Chester W. Nimitz of the U.S...
escorting convoys, providing Harbormaster duties and pre-invasion reconnaissance.
Service history
In February 1944, the SC-1012, commanded by Lt. (jg) E. Gordon Myers (22 January 1918–4 July 1962) was in a convoy when was torpedoed. The escort ships, and along with SC-1012, formed a Hunter-Killer group and began a systematic search for the submarine which had torpedoed her. No confirmed kill was recorded, but no further offensive action was seen from the submarine.During the SC-1012s Harbormaster duties, in the Keramerati Island Group, they had just escorted an ammunition ship
Ammunition ship
An ammunition ship is a warship specially configured to carry ammunition, usually for Navy ships and aircraft. Their cargo handling systems, designed with extreme safety in mind, include ammunition hoists with airlocks between decks, and mechanisms for flooding entire compartments with sea water in...
to dock; when SC-1012 was attacked by a 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....
. The crew was at battle stations and had just prepared to open fire when the pilot, apparently spotting a better target, broke off his attack and slammed into the ammunition ship which burned for three or four days.
During the pre-invasion reconnaissance of the islands, Col. "Squeeky" Anderson was the commanding officer for the landing forces. He would routinely board SC-1012 and go with them to map out the landing zones. During the actual invasion, SC-1012 would stand by at a preset location and the landing craft would then home in on her, aiming to the right or the left of where SC-1012 was stationed. This type of "spotting" enabled the landing ships to hit their target without using any other guidance systems.
SC-1012 was extremely fortunate in not losing any crewmembers to any sort of enemy action. However, she was damaged beyond repair when Typhoon Louise hit the Seaplane Base on Okinawa in October 1945, and the SC-1012 was destroyed on 1 January 1946.