USS Silverstein (DE-534)
Encyclopedia
USS Silverstein (DE-534) was a acquired by the U.S. Navy during World War II
. The primary purpose of the destroyer escort was to escort and protect ships in convoy
, in addition to other tasks as assigned, such as patrol or radar picket
.
Silverstein was named in honor of Lt. Max Silverstein
who was awarded the Silver Star
posthumously for his valiant efforts during the Battle of the Coral Sea
.
She was laid down on 8 October 1943 at the Boston Navy Yard
, Boston, Massachusetts; launched on 8 November 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Ruth B. Silverstein; and commissioned on 14 July 1944, Lt. Comdr. F.A. Reece, Jr., USNR, in command.
training at Bermuda
and returned on 7 September for post-shakedown overhaul. On the 17th, she reported for duty at Norfolk, Virginia
, to begin training prospective escort vessel crews, but, eight days later, cleared Hampton Roads
for the Panama Canal
enroute to Hawaii
. Along the way, she served as escort to ATR-56, towing YF-728 and YF-729 to Miami, Florida
. A month after her departure from Norfolk, she entered Pearl Harbor
, Hawaii.
After two months training in the islands around Pearl Harbor, Silverstein got underway for the Western Pacific Ocean
. She made overnight stops at Eniwetok and Saipan
and arrived at Guam
on 14 January 1945. The next day, she and stood out of Apra Harbor
, Guam, bound for Ulithi
. Upon entering that harbor in the Carolines
, Silverstein commenced upkeep. From Ulithi, she sailed for Eniwetok on 1 February, arrived four days later, and joined the logistics support group of the U.S. 5th Fleet. She remained there until the 9th when she sortied with a group of oilers to join the main replenishment group, Task Group
50.8, at that time refueling and rearming the Fast Carrier Task Force which, in turn, was in the process of pounding Iwo Jima
.
soldiers, some enemy army manuals and various other papers. She then sank the vessel by gunfire and depth charges. On the next day, suffered an internal explosion, and Silverstein screened her against submarine
attack while two other escorts helped fight the fires. Once the fires were out, Silverstein shepherded the crippled oiler to the relative safety of Saipan. By 21 February, the destroyer escort was back with the replenishment group off Iwo Jima. She remained in the screen of TG 50.8 until early March when she cleared the area for Ulithi. She arrived there on 7 March and began preparations for the Okinawa invasion to come in April.
, about 20 miles from Okinawa. On the 28th, after seeing her charges into the anchorage, she joined TG 50.8, and screened it as it resupplied the Fast Carrier Task Force. She cleared Okinawa in early June for overhaul at Ulithi, from 17 June to 3 July.
in the Philippines
, where she arrived on 5 July. She was then released from the U.S. 3rd Fleet, which had been so designated upon Admiral Halsey's assumption of command on 27 May, and reassigned to Task Force
94 for convoy escort duty. She returned to Ulithi on 13 July; and, from then until 16 September, she protected the supply echelons on the Ulithi-Okinawa shuttle. Silverstein had one break in the convoy routine between 2 and 5 September when she sailed to Guam and screened back.
troops from Yap
Island to Japan. She was overhauled at Guam between 22 October and 5 November, then she got underway to return to the United States
via Eniwetok and Pearl Harbor. She arrived at San Pedro, California, on 23 November and began inactivation at the Todd Shipyard soon thereafter. She was moved to San Diego, California
, on 18 April 1946, and was placed in reserve, but still in commission, on 30 November 1946. On 15 January 1947, she was placed out of commission, in reserve, berthed at San Diego.
n coast in company with .
She left McGinty at Wonsan
Harbor, Korea, on 21 November and continued on to the bomb line where she patrolled until 24 November. Returning to Wonsan on that day, she remained until the 27th, bombarding enemy positions in that harbor; then got underway for Mororan, Japan. She provisioned at Mororan on 29 and 30 November, then departed on 1 December for Inchon, Korea, and barrier patrol duty. After two days at Inchon, she returned to Japan, visiting Otaru on 11 and 12 December, Atami on 14 December and then putting to sea for four days of antisubmarine warfare (ASW) training. On 18 December 1951, Silverstein put into Yokosuka for 10 days of repair and upkeep.
on 5 January 1952. Silverstein came off patrol duty on 17 February and returned to Okinawa to resume ASW training, then to act as plane guard for . On 29 February, she returned to Japan at Sasebo
. On 6 March, she stood out of Sasebo and headed back to patrol duty off Wonsan and on the bomb line. Later, the escort joined a task group of the United Nations
blockading and escort force and participated in the siege of Hungnam
. Her duties were divided between bombardments, anti-mining duty, and patrolling against enemy fishing activities.
n troops operating against it from sampans. She arrived at Sasebo on 30 April, sailed for Yokosuka on 10 May, and arrived there on the 12th. On 15 May, she departed Yokosuka for Pearl Harbor, arriving at that port on 24 May.
. On 9 May 1953, she headed back to the Far East
for another tour of duty along the Korean coast. She sailed into Sasebo on 21 May and stood out again the next day. After screening a replenishment group and escorting to Sasebo, she reported for patrol duty at Pusan, Korea. Relieved from patrol duty in the Southern Defense Zone, she put into Sasebo on 26 June and, by 8 July, was back off Korea at Cheju Do. After this and another routine patrol off Korea, Silverstein headed east for Pearl Harbor on 1 December.
The destroyer escort arrived in Hawaii 10 days later. While at Pearl, she participated in more ASW exercises, took part in an unsuccessful search for a Royal New Zealand Air Force
bomber lost in the vicinity of Kwajalein
, and was overhauled. Following overhaul, she conducted refresher training in preparation for another deployment to the Western Pacific. On 17 November 1954, she exited Pearl Harbor and set course for Yokosuka.
, Korea, and arrived the following day. While on this deployment, she patrolled the waters off the Korean coast, assisted in the evacuation of Nationalist Chinese forces from the Tachen
Islands, and conducted training exercises.
. There she participated in the nuclear tests of Operation Redwing
. Upon returning to Pearl Harbor, she began an overhaul which lasted until 7 January 1957. Overhaul completed, she conducted refresher training and other exercises until 17 June 1957, when she sailed once more for the Far East.
, she made Yokosuka on 30 August and Kobe
on 1 September. She put to sea again on 4 September to evade a typhoon and entered Yokosuka again on the 5th.
off Olimarao Island and had to put into Apra Harbor, Guam, for repairs on 20 October. On 9 November at the completion of repairs, she sailed for Pearl Harbor, via Midway Island. On 16 November, she entered homeport and commenced a period of repairs, upkeep, and holiday leave.
. In May, she suffered an explosion in the depth charge
impulse charge locker; and, on the 28th, she collided with during exercises. Silverstein, , and joined in the successful rescue of all 82 men in the submarine's crew. However, all efforts to save the submarine itself came to naught; and, at 1957, she made her last dive.
, Pago Pago, and Swains Island
. From the South Pacific, she moved north to the Central Pacific visiting Eniwetok Atoll
and Guam. Returning to Pearl Harbor, via Eniwetok, she reentered her homeport on 18 September 1958. A little over a month later, Silverstein sailed east to San Francisco. She arrived on 1 November and immediately entered the Bethlehem Pacific Coast Steel Shipyard for inactivation overhaul.
where, on 30 January 1959, she decommissioned. Silverstein remained at San Francisco, berthed as a unit of the Pacific Reserve Fleet until 1 December 1972 when her name was struck from the Navy List
. A year later, on 3 December 1973, her hulk was sold to Levin Metals Corp. of San Jose, California
, for scrapping.
.
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...
. The primary purpose of the destroyer escort was to escort and protect ships in 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...
, in addition to other tasks as assigned, such as patrol or radar picket
Radar picket
A radar picket is a radar-equipped ship, submarine, aircraft, or vehicle used to increase the radar detection range around a force to protect it from surprise attack. Often several detached radar units encircle a force to provide increased cover in all directions.-World War II:Radar picket ships...
.
Silverstein was named in honor of Lt. Max Silverstein
Max Silverstein
-Navy career:Silverstein was appointed midshipman at the U.S. Naval Academy on June 18, 1928. He was commissioned ensign on June 2, 1932 and went to sea in on the 26th as an aircraft gunnery observer....
who was awarded the 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....
posthumously for his valiant efforts 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...
.
She was laid down on 8 October 1943 at the Boston Navy Yard
Boston Navy Yard
The Boston Navy Yard, originally called the Charlestown Navy Yard and later Boston Naval Shipyard, was one of the oldest shipbuilding facilities in the United States Navy. Established in 1801, it was officially closed as an active naval installation on July 1, 1974, and the property was...
, Boston, Massachusetts; launched on 8 November 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Ruth B. Silverstein; and commissioned on 14 July 1944, Lt. Comdr. F.A. Reece, Jr., USNR, in command.
World War II Pacific Theatre operations
Silverstein departed Boston on 5 August 1944 for 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...
training at 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...
and returned on 7 September for post-shakedown overhaul. On the 17th, she reported for duty at 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 begin training prospective escort vessel crews, but, eight days later, cleared Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads is the name for both a body of water and the Norfolk–Virginia Beach metropolitan area which surrounds it in southeastern Virginia, United States...
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...
enroute to Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. Along the way, she served as escort to ATR-56, towing YF-728 and YF-729 to Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
. A month after her departure from Norfolk, she entered 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...
, Hawaii.
After two months training in the islands around Pearl Harbor, Silverstein got underway for the Western 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...
. She made overnight stops at Eniwetok 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...
and arrived at 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 14 January 1945. The next day, she and stood out of Apra Harbor
Apra Harbor
Apra Harbor is a deep-water port on the western side of Guam in the Mariana Islands. The harbor is formed by Orote Peninsula in the south and Cabras Island in the north. To the south, the harbor narrows and then widens again to form an inner harbor. The southern end of the harbor is the location...
, Guam, bound for 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...
. Upon entering that harbor in the Carolines
Caroline Islands
The Caroline Islands are a widely scattered archipelago of tiny islands in the western Pacific Ocean, to the north of New Guinea. Politically they are divided between the Federated States of Micronesia in the eastern part of the group, and Palau at the extreme western end...
, Silverstein commenced upkeep. From Ulithi, she sailed for Eniwetok on 1 February, arrived four days later, and joined the logistics support group of the U.S. 5th Fleet. She remained there until the 9th when she sortied with a group of oilers to join the main replenishment group, Task Group
Task force
A task force is a unit or formation established to work on a single defined task or activity. Originally introduced by the United States Navy, the term has now caught on for general usage and is a standard part of NATO terminology...
50.8, at that time refueling and rearming the Fast Carrier Task Force which, in turn, was in the process of pounding Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima, officially , is an island of the Japanese Volcano Islands chain, which lie south of the Ogasawara Islands and together with them form the Ogasawara Archipelago. The island is located south of mainland Tokyo and administered as part of Ogasawara, one of eight villages of Tokyo...
.
Rescue operations
On her way to rendezvous with task group TG 50.8, Silverstein encountered a small fishing vessel on 16 February. A boarding party found six emaciated JapaneseEmpire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
soldiers, some enemy army manuals and various other papers. She then sank the vessel by gunfire and depth charges. On the next day, suffered an internal explosion, and Silverstein screened her 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...
attack while two other escorts helped fight the fires. Once the fires were out, Silverstein shepherded the crippled oiler to the relative safety of Saipan. By 21 February, the destroyer escort was back with the replenishment group off Iwo Jima. She remained in the screen of TG 50.8 until early March when she cleared the area for Ulithi. She arrived there on 7 March and began preparations for the Okinawa invasion to come in April.
Okinawa operations
Silverstein departed Ulithi on 25 March escorting a convoy of eight LST's, a tanker, and an oiler to the anchorage at Kerama RettoKerama 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....
, about 20 miles from Okinawa. On the 28th, after seeing her charges into the anchorage, she joined TG 50.8, and screened it as it resupplied the Fast Carrier Task Force. She cleared Okinawa in early June for overhaul at Ulithi, from 17 June to 3 July.
Philippine Islands invasion
Afterward, she sailed for San Pedro BaySan Pedro Bay (Philippines)
San Pedro Bay is a bay in the Philippines, at the northwest end of Leyte Gulf, about 15 km east-west and 20 km north-south. The bay is bounded on the north and east by Samar and on the east by Leyte Island. It is connected by San Juanico Strait to Carigara Bay of the Samar Sea. The...
in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, where she arrived on 5 July. She was then released from the U.S. 3rd Fleet, which had been so designated upon Admiral Halsey's assumption of command on 27 May, and reassigned to Task Force
Task force
A task force is a unit or formation established to work on a single defined task or activity. Originally introduced by the United States Navy, the term has now caught on for general usage and is a standard part of NATO terminology...
94 for convoy escort duty. She returned to Ulithi on 13 July; and, from then until 16 September, she protected the supply echelons on the Ulithi-Okinawa shuttle. Silverstein had one break in the convoy routine between 2 and 5 September when she sailed to Guam and screened back.
End-of-war activity
From late September until mid-October, she participated in the supervision of the evacuation of Japanese garrisonGarrison
Garrison is the collective term for a body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it, but now often simply using it as a home base....
troops from Yap
Yap
Yap, also known as Wa'ab by locals, is an island in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean. It is a state of the Federated States of Micronesia. Yap's indigenous cultures and traditions are still strong compared to other neighboring islands. The island of Yap actually consists of four...
Island to Japan. She was overhauled at Guam between 22 October and 5 November, then she got underway to return to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
via Eniwetok and Pearl Harbor. She arrived at San Pedro, California, on 23 November and began inactivation at the Todd Shipyard soon thereafter. She was moved to San Diego, California
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 April 1946, and was placed in reserve, but still in commission, on 30 November 1946. On 15 January 1947, she was placed out of commission, in reserve, berthed at San Diego.
Reactivated during Korean War
Silverstein recommissioned at San Diego on 28 February 1951 under the command of Lt. Comdr. J. R. Kittrell. By 8 July, she completed shakedown training and post-shakedown overhaul and was on her way to her new home port, Pearl Harbor. Arriving at Pearl Harbor on 14 July 1951, she resumed training, particularly antisubmarine warfare training, until 29 October, when she headed from Pearl Harbor to Yokosuka, Japan. She made her destination on 9 November and, 10 days later, set out for the KoreaKorea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
n coast in company with .
She left McGinty at Wonsan
Wonsan
Wŏnsan is a port city and naval base in southeastern North Korea. It is the capital of Kangwŏn Province. The population of the city is estimated to have been 331,000 in 2000. Notable people from Wŏnsan include Kim Ki Nam, diplomat and Secretary of the Workers' Party.- History :The original name of...
Harbor, Korea, on 21 November and continued on to the bomb line where she patrolled until 24 November. Returning to Wonsan on that day, she remained until the 27th, bombarding enemy positions in that harbor; then got underway for Mororan, Japan. She provisioned at Mororan on 29 and 30 November, then departed on 1 December for Inchon, Korea, and barrier patrol duty. After two days at Inchon, she returned to Japan, visiting Otaru on 11 and 12 December, Atami on 14 December and then putting to sea for four days of antisubmarine warfare (ASW) training. On 18 December 1951, Silverstein put into Yokosuka for 10 days of repair and upkeep.
ASW training at Okinawa
She resumed ASW training on the 28th while in transit to the Okinawa operating area. After a brief period at Buckner Bay, she assumed patrol duty in the Taiwan StraitTaiwan Strait
The Taiwan Strait or Formosa Strait, formerly known as the Black Ditch, is a 180-km-wide strait separating Mainland China and Taiwan. The strait is part of the South China Sea and connects to East China Sea to the northeast...
on 5 January 1952. Silverstein came off patrol duty on 17 February and returned to Okinawa to resume ASW training, then to act as plane guard for . On 29 February, she returned to Japan at Sasebo
Sasebo, Nagasaki
is a city located in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. As of 2011, the city has an estimated population of 259,800 and the density of 609 persons per km². The total area is 426.47 km². The locality is famed for its scenic beauty. The city includes a part of Saikai National Park...
. On 6 March, she stood out of Sasebo and headed back to patrol duty off Wonsan and on the bomb line. Later, the escort joined a task group of the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
blockading and escort force and participated in the siege of Hungnam
Hungnam
Hŭngnam was the third largest city in North Korea.It is a port city on the eastern coast, in South Hamgyong Province, on the Sea of Japan . The city covers an area of 250 square kilometers...
. Her duties were divided between bombardments, anti-mining duty, and patrolling against enemy fishing activities.
Destroying a Korean shore battery
On 20 March 1952, she reentered Sasebo for upkeep. Eleven days later, she departed again for Korea. She arrived at Wonsan on 1 April and was again directed to patrol the bomb-line. During one of her bombardments, Silverstein destroyed a shore battery. On the 4th, she headed back to Wonsan; then continued south to guard against enemy submarines and mining activity. On the 6th, she was again in the Wonsan-Hungnam area. She dueled with a shore battery on the 26th and rescued South KoreaSouth Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
n troops operating against it from sampans. She arrived at Sasebo on 30 April, sailed for Yokosuka on 10 May, and arrived there on the 12th. On 15 May, she departed Yokosuka for Pearl Harbor, arriving at that port on 24 May.
Another Korean tour of duty
For the next 12 months, Silverstein operated out of Pearl Harbor, was overhauled twice and visited San Francisco, CaliforniaSan 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...
. On 9 May 1953, she headed back to the Far East
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
for another tour of duty along the Korean coast. She sailed into Sasebo on 21 May and stood out again the next day. After screening a replenishment group and escorting to Sasebo, she reported for patrol duty at Pusan, Korea. Relieved from patrol duty in the Southern Defense Zone, she put into Sasebo on 26 June and, by 8 July, was back off Korea at Cheju Do. After this and another routine patrol off Korea, Silverstein headed east for Pearl Harbor on 1 December.
The destroyer escort arrived in Hawaii 10 days later. While at Pearl, she participated in more ASW exercises, took part in an unsuccessful search for a Royal New Zealand Air Force
Royal New Zealand Air Force
The Royal New Zealand Air Force is the air arm of the New Zealand Defence Force...
bomber lost in the vicinity of Kwajalein
Kwajalein
Kwajalein Atoll , is part of the Republic of the Marshall Islands . The southernmost and largest island in the atoll is named Kwajalein Island. English-speaking residents of the U.S...
, and was overhauled. Following overhaul, she conducted refresher training in preparation for another deployment to the Western Pacific. On 17 November 1954, she exited Pearl Harbor and set course for Yokosuka.
Additional Korean operations
She escorted to Sasebo, arriving on 29 November. On 7 December, she sailed for PohangPohang
Pohang is a city in North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea, and a main seaport in the Daegu-Gyeongbuk region. The built-up area of Pohang is located on the alluvium of the mouth of the Hyeongsan River...
, Korea, and arrived the following day. While on this deployment, she patrolled the waters off the Korean coast, assisted in the evacuation of Nationalist Chinese forces from the Tachen
Tachen
The Dachen Islands or Tachen Islands is a group of islands off the coast of Zhejiang, the People's Republic of China. Currently it is part of Jiaojiang District of Taizhou, Zhejiang.-ROC evacuation:...
Islands, and conducted training exercises.
Pacific nuclear testing
Silverstein returned to Pearl Harbor on 24 May 1955; and, after almost a year of normal operations out of that port, she departed in April for the Marshall IslandsMarshall Islands
The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...
. There she participated in the nuclear tests of Operation Redwing
Operation Redwing
Operation Redwing was a United States series of 17 nuclear test detonations from May to July 1956. They were conducted at Bikini and Enewetak atolls. The entire operation followed Operation Wigwam and preceded Operation Plumbbob. The primary intention was to test new, second-generation...
. Upon returning to Pearl Harbor, she began an overhaul which lasted until 7 January 1957. Overhaul completed, she conducted refresher training and other exercises until 17 June 1957, when she sailed once more for the Far East.
Visit by CNO to Republic of Korea
Silverstein entered Yokosuka on 27 June and remained until 15 July. From there she sailed, via Sasebo, to Chinhae, Korea. At Chinhae, the Republic of Korea's principal naval base, she was visited by the Chief of Naval Operations of the Republic of Korea (ROK) and trained with several ROK Navy ships. By 5 August, she had moved south to the Republic of the Philippines and trained sailors from that nation's navy until the 19th. Returning to Japan via Hong KongHong 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...
, she made Yokosuka on 30 August and Kobe
Kobe
, pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka...
on 1 September. She put to sea again on 4 September to evade a typhoon and entered Yokosuka again on the 5th.
Striking a reef in the Marianas
After six days of convoy screening exercises and 12 days in Yokosuka, the destroyer escort departed Japan for two months' duty in the Marianas Islands. During the latter part of this tour, she struck a reefReef
In nautical terminology, a reef is a rock, sandbar, or other feature lying beneath the surface of the water ....
off Olimarao Island and had to put into Apra Harbor, Guam, for repairs on 20 October. On 9 November at the completion of repairs, she sailed for Pearl Harbor, via Midway Island. On 16 November, she entered homeport and commenced a period of repairs, upkeep, and holiday leave.
Collision and sinking of submarine Stickleback
In early 1958, Silverstein resumed ASW training in the Hawaiian IslandsHawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...
. In May, she suffered an explosion in the 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...
impulse charge locker; and, on the 28th, she collided with during exercises. Silverstein, , and joined in the successful rescue of all 82 men in the submarine's crew. However, all efforts to save the submarine itself came to naught; and, at 1957, she made her last dive.
South Pacific tour of duty
In August, Silverstein sailed to the South Pacific. During this cruise, she visited TahitiTahiti
Tahiti is the largest island in the Windward group of French Polynesia, located in the archipelago of the Society Islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. It is the economic, cultural and political centre of French Polynesia. The island was formed from volcanic activity and is high and mountainous...
, Pago Pago, and Swains Island
Swains Island
Swains Island is an atoll in the Tokelau chain. Culturally a part of Tokelau, it is an unincorporated unorganized territory of the United States administered by American Samoa. Swains Island has also been known at various times as Olosenga Island, Olohega Island, Quiros Island, Gente Hermosa...
. From the South Pacific, she moved north to the Central Pacific visiting Eniwetok Atoll
Atoll
An atoll is a coral island that encircles a lagoon partially or completely.- Usage :The word atoll comes from the Dhivehi word atholhu OED...
and Guam. Returning to Pearl Harbor, via Eniwetok, she reentered her homeport on 18 September 1958. A little over a month later, Silverstein sailed east to San Francisco. She arrived on 1 November and immediately entered the Bethlehem Pacific Coast Steel Shipyard for inactivation overhaul.
Final decommissioning
On 22 January 1959, she moved to the San Francisco Naval ShipyardSan Francisco Naval Shipyard
The San Francisco Naval Shipyard was a United States Navy shipyard in San Francisco, California, located on of waterfront at Hunters Point in the southeast corner of the city...
where, on 30 January 1959, she decommissioned. Silverstein remained at San Francisco, berthed as a unit of the Pacific Reserve Fleet until 1 December 1972 when her name was struck from the Navy List
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...
. A year later, on 3 December 1973, her hulk was sold to Levin Metals Corp. of San Jose, California
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
, for scrapping.
Military awards and honors
Silverstein earned two battle stars for World War II and three battle stars for the Korean WarKorean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
.