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USS Stansbury (DD-180)
Encyclopedia
USS Stansbury (DD–180) was a Wickes class
destroyer
in the United States Navy
during World War II
. She was named for John Stansbury
.
Stansbury was laid down on 9 December 1918 by Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation
, Union Iron Works
at San Francisco, California
, launched on 16 May 1919, sponsored by Miss Mary Eleanor Trevorrow, and commissioned at Mare Island Navy Yard on 8 January 1920, Commander
J. W. Lewis in command.
for over two years during which time she received the designation DD-180. On May 27, 1922, she was decommissioned and berthed at San Diego, California
. She remained inactive for more than 12 years, but the onset of World War II
in September 1939 necessitated her reactivation along with that of many of her sister ships. Accordingly, Stansbury was recommissioned at San Diego on August 29, 1940, Lieutenant Commander
R. N. McFarlane in command. From there, she moved to the Mare Island Navy Yard to begin her conversion to a high-speed minesweeper
. In October, she proceeded to Norfolk, Virginia
, where the conversion was completed. On 19 November, she was redesignated a destroyer
minesweeper, DMS-8.
from October 1940 to December 1943. She spent her first year in the Atlantic in minesweeping exercises, in coastwise escort duties, and in conducting maneuvers in the Caribbean Sea. On 30 June 1942, while escorting from Norfolk to Bermuda
, she attacked a German
U-boat
with depth charge
s. A rough sea and rescue operations for survivors of the torpedo
ed merchantmen handicapped her during the unsuccessful attack. However, her humanitarian effort proved successful, for on 1 July, she pulled into Bermuda with 390 survivors embarked.
The destroyer minesweeper set out from Norfolk on 24 October 1942 to join Task Force (TF) 34, the North Africa invasion force
. Stansbury was assigned to Mine Squadron (MinRon) 7 of the Center Attack Group for the landings. The group's assault area was at Fedala
just up the coast from Casablanca
. The ships arrived off the objective area on 7 November. Stansbury and the other minesweepers made an exploratory sweep of the approaches and then she joined the screen in patrolling the transport area. On 15 November, was torpedoed, but thanks to the efforts of Stansbury, , and she remained afloat throughout the night and was beached at Casablanca the following morning. The destroyer minesweeper returned to Hampton Roads, Va., on 26 December 1942. For the next year, she plied the eastern coastal waters of the United States
and the North Atlantic as far east as Iceland
.
On 4 December 1943, Stansbury transited the Panama Canal
and joined the Pacific Fleet. She conducted minesweeping exercises off the coast of California
for about a month; then stood out of San Diego on 13 January 1944 and headed west with TF 53. The task force reached Lahaina Roads
, in the Hawaiian Islands
, on 22 January and sailed for the Marshalls
the following day. Stansbury operated in the antisubmarine screen both during the voyage to Kwajalein
and during the assault itself. She remained in the vicinity from 1 to 7 February, and then joined an amphibious group in returning to Funafuti
in the Ellice Islands. On 13 February, she sailed to Noumea, New Caledonia, arriving on the 20th. For almost four months, Stansbury made the South Pacific
circuit, screening numerous amphibious and logistics groups. She visited the Solomons
and New Hebrides
groups, New Britain
, and escorted part of the Admiralty Islands
assault force to its objective in mid-April. She returned to the central Pacific, in May, at Eniwetok.
On 10 June, she and nine other destroyer minesweepers departed Eniwetok and, three days later, rendezvoused off Saipan
with TF 58, Vice Admiral
Marc Mitscher
's Fast Carrier Task Force
. The minesweepers swept off the west coast of the island while TF 58 covered them. After about five hours of clearing mines, they retired and joined an advance bombardment group from TF 53. Stansbury helped screen the big warships from enemy submarine
s until the arrival of the initial invasion forces on 15 June, then she joined in a bombardment of Guam
. Returning to the vicinity of Saipan and Tinian
, she provided fire support for the troops ashore until 26 June when she headed back to Eniwetok. On 21 July, after almost four weeks absence, she returned to the Marianas
with TF 53 to support the recapture of Guam. For a week, she screened the task force from submarines and performed picket patrol for the amphibious units.
On 28 July, she returned to Eniwetok as part of the escort for a transport group. On 7 August, the destroyer minesweeper got underway from Eniwetok for San Francisco, via Pearl Harbor
. She reached her destination on 26 August and entered the yard of the General Engineering & Dry Dock Co. Her overhaul was completed on 17 January 1945, and Stansbury sailed to San Diego, arriving the following day. There she reported for duty with the San Diego Shakedown Group.
For the remainder of the war, she served as a training ship for the Fleet Operational Training Command, Pacific Fleet. Her designation was changed from DMS-8 to AG-107 on 5 June 1945. In September 1945, Stansbury transited the Panama Canal again and headed for Norfolk, Va. She was decommissioned at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard
on 11 December 1945, and her name was struck from the Navy list on 3 January 1946. Her hulk was sold to Luria Bros. Co. of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
, on 26 October, and she was scrapped on 25 January 1947.
As of 2004, no other ship in the United States Navy has borne this name.
Wickes class destroyer
The Wickes-class destroyers were a group of 111 destroyers built by the United States Navy in 1917-1919. Along with the 6 preceding Caldwell class and 155 subsequent Clemson-class destroyers, they formed the "flush-deck" or "four-stack" class. Only a few were completed in time to serve in World...
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...
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...
. She was named for John Stansbury
John Stansbury
John Stansbury was an officer in the United States Navy killed during the War of 1812.Stansbury was born in Baltimore, Maryland. He served under Stephen Decatur as a midshipman in United States during the capture of the British ship, Macedonian...
.
Stansbury was laid down on 9 December 1918 by Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation
Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation
Bethlehem Steel Corporation Shipbuilding Division was created in 1905 when Bethlehem Steel Corporation acquired the San Francisco shipyard Union Iron Works in 1905...
, Union Iron Works
Union Iron Works
Union Iron Works, located in San Francisco, California, on the southeast waterfront, was a central business within the large industrial zone of Potrero Point, for four decades at the end of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth centuries.-History:...
at 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 on 16 May 1919, sponsored by Miss Mary Eleanor Trevorrow, and commissioned at Mare Island Navy Yard on 8 January 1920, Commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
J. W. Lewis in command.
Service history
Stansbury served with the Pacific FleetUnited States Pacific Fleet
The United States Pacific Fleet is a Pacific Ocean theater-level component command of the United States Navy that provides naval resources under the operational control of the United States Pacific Command. Its home port is at Pearl Harbor Naval Base, Hawaii. It is commanded by Admiral Patrick M...
for over two years during which time she received the designation DD-180. On May 27, 1922, she was decommissioned and berthed at 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...
. She remained inactive for more than 12 years, but the onset of 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...
in September 1939 necessitated her reactivation along with that of many of her sister ships. Accordingly, Stansbury was recommissioned at San Diego on August 29, 1940, 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...
R. N. McFarlane in command. From there, she moved to the Mare Island Navy Yard to begin her conversion to a high-speed 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:...
. In October, she proceeded to 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....
, where the conversion was completed. On 19 November, she was redesignated a 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...
minesweeper, DMS-8.
World War II
Stansbury was assigned to the Atlantic FleetU.S. Atlantic Fleet
The United States Fleet Forces Command is an Atlantic Ocean theater-level component command of the United States Navy that provides naval resources that are under the operational control of the United States Northern Command...
from October 1940 to December 1943. She spent her first year in the Atlantic in minesweeping exercises, in coastwise escort duties, and in conducting maneuvers in the Caribbean Sea. On 30 June 1942, while escorting from Norfolk to 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...
, she attacked a German
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
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...
with 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...
s. A rough sea and rescue operations for survivors of the 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...
ed merchantmen handicapped her during the unsuccessful attack. However, her humanitarian effort proved successful, for on 1 July, she pulled into Bermuda with 390 survivors embarked.
The destroyer minesweeper set out from Norfolk on 24 October 1942 to join Task Force (TF) 34, the North Africa invasion force
Operation Torch
Operation Torch was the British-American invasion of French North Africa in World War II during the North African Campaign, started on 8 November 1942....
. Stansbury was assigned to Mine Squadron (MinRon) 7 of the Center Attack Group for the landings. The group's assault area was at Fedala
Mohammedia
Mohammedia is a port city on the west coast of Morocco located between Casablanca and Rabat in the region of Greater Casablanca. It hosts the most important oil refinery of Morocco, Samir, which makes it the center of the Moroccan petrol...
just up the coast from 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 ships arrived off the objective area on 7 November. Stansbury and the other minesweepers made an exploratory sweep of the approaches and then she joined the screen in patrolling the transport area. On 15 November, was torpedoed, but thanks to the efforts of Stansbury, , and she remained afloat throughout the night and was beached at Casablanca the following morning. The destroyer minesweeper returned to Hampton Roads, Va., on 26 December 1942. For the next year, she plied the eastern coastal waters of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and the North Atlantic as far east as Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
.
On 4 December 1943, Stansbury transited 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...
and joined the Pacific Fleet. She conducted minesweeping exercises off the coast of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
for about a month; then stood out of San Diego on 13 January 1944 and headed west with TF 53. The task force reached Lahaina Roads
Lahaina Roads
Lahaina Roads, also called the Lahaina Roadstead is a channel of the Pacific Ocean in the Hawaiian Islands. The surrounding islands of Maui, and Lānai make it a sheltered anchorage....
, in the Hawaiian Islands
Hawaiian 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...
, on 22 January and sailed for the Marshalls
Marshall 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...
the following day. Stansbury operated in the antisubmarine screen both during the voyage to 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 during the assault itself. She remained in the vicinity from 1 to 7 February, and then joined an amphibious group in returning to Funafuti
Funafuti
Funafuti is an atoll that forms the capital of the island nation of Tuvalu. It has a population of 4,492 , making it the most populated atoll in the country. It is a narrow sweep of land between 20 and 400 metres wide, encircling a large lagoon 18 km long and 14 km wide, with a surface of...
in the Ellice Islands. On 13 February, she sailed to Noumea, New Caledonia, arriving on the 20th. For almost four months, Stansbury made the South Pacific
South Pacific Area
The South Pacific Area was a multinational U.S.-led military command active during World War II. It was a part of the U.S. Pacific Ocean Areas under Admiral Chester Nimitz.Instructions to the senior U.S...
circuit, screening numerous amphibious and logistics groups. She visited the Solomons
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
and 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...
groups, New Britain
New Britain
New Britain, or Niu Briten, is the largest island in the Bismarck Archipelago of Papua New Guinea. It is separated from the island of New Guinea by the Dampier and Vitiaz Straits and from New Ireland by St. George's Channel...
, and escorted part of the Admiralty Islands
Admiralty Islands
The Admiralty Islands are a group of eighteen islands in the Bismarck Archipelago, to the north of New Guinea in the south Pacific Ocean. These are also sometimes called the Manus Islands, after the largest island. These rainforest-covered islands form part of Manus Province, the smallest and...
assault force to its objective in mid-April. She returned to the central Pacific, in May, at Eniwetok.
On 10 June, she and nine other destroyer minesweepers departed Eniwetok and, three days later, rendezvoused off 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...
with TF 58, Vice Admiral
Vice Admiral
Vice admiral is a senior naval rank of a three-star flag officer, which is equivalent to lieutenant general in the other uniformed services. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral...
Marc Mitscher
Marc Mitscher
Admiral Marc Andrew "Pete" Mitscher was an admiral in the United States Navy who served as commander of the Fast Carrier Task Force in the Pacific in the latter half of World War II.-Early life and career:...
's Fast Carrier Task Force
Fast Carrier Task Force
The Fast Carrier Task Force was the main striking force of the United States Navy in the Pacific Ocean theatre of World War II.The Fast Carrier Task Force was known under two designations. The Navy made use of two sets of upper command structures for planning the upcoming operations...
. The minesweepers swept off the west coast of the island while TF 58 covered them. After about five hours of clearing mines, they retired and joined an advance bombardment group from TF 53. Stansbury helped screen the big warships from enemy 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...
s until the arrival of the initial invasion forces on 15 June, then she joined in a bombardment of 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...
. Returning to the vicinity of Saipan and Tinian
Tinian
Tinian is one of the three principal islands of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.-Geography:Tinian is about 5 miles southwest of its sister island, Saipan, from which it is separated by the Saipan Channel. It has a land area of 39 sq.mi....
, she provided fire support for the troops ashore until 26 June when she headed back to Eniwetok. On 21 July, after almost four weeks absence, she returned to the Marianas
Mariana Islands
The Mariana Islands are an arc-shaped archipelago made up by the summits of 15 volcanic mountains in the north-western Pacific Ocean between the 12th and 21st parallels north and along the 145th meridian east...
with TF 53 to support the recapture of Guam. For a week, she screened the task force from submarines and performed picket patrol for the amphibious units.
On 28 July, she returned to Eniwetok as part of the escort for a transport group. On 7 August, the destroyer minesweeper got underway from Eniwetok for San Francisco, via 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...
. She reached her destination on 26 August and entered the yard of the General Engineering & Dry Dock Co. Her overhaul was completed on 17 January 1945, and Stansbury sailed to San Diego, arriving the following day. There she reported for duty with the San Diego Shakedown Group.
For the remainder of the war, she served as a training ship for the Fleet Operational Training Command, Pacific Fleet. Her designation was changed from DMS-8 to AG-107 on 5 June 1945. In September 1945, Stansbury transited the Panama Canal again and headed for Norfolk, Va. She was decommissioned at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard
Norfolk Naval Shipyard
The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard and abbreviated as NNSY, is a U.S. Navy facility in Portsmouth, Virginia, for building, remodeling, and repairing the Navy's ships. It's the oldest and largest industrial facility that belongs to the U.S. Navy as well as the most...
on 11 December 1945, and her name was struck from the Navy list on 3 January 1946. Her hulk was sold to Luria Bros. Co. of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, on 26 October, and she was scrapped on 25 January 1947.
Awards
Stansbury was awarded three battle stars during World War II.As of 2004, no other ship in the United States Navy has borne this name.