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The USS
ABERCROMBIE
(DE‑343), a
John C.
BUTLER-class
destroyer
escort, was
launched on
14 January
1944 at
Orange,
Texas, by
the
Consolidated
Steel
Corporation
and was
commissioned
on 1 May
1944.
Shakedown
behind her,
the warship
headed to
Norfolk en
route to
Aruba, a
transhipment
and refining
center for
Venezuelan
crude oil.
She and the
WALTER. C.
WANN
(DE‑412)
escorted the
oilers
CHEPACHET
(AO‑78) and
I. SALAMONIE
(AO‑26) into
Aruba on 15
July and,
after the
oilers
loaded
cargo,
conducted
them to the
Panama
Canal. By
August, the
ABERCROMBIE
was underway
for the
Pacific
where in
September
she escorted
the GENERAL
W. F. HASE
(AP‑146) to
Manus in the
Admiralty
Islands.
On 14
October, the
DE joined
the screen
of an escort
carrier task
group to
escort a
large convoy
of
amphibious
ships and
merchantmen
bound for
the
amphibious
landings at
Leyte in the
Philippines.
Leaving the
reinforcement
convoy in
the Leyte
Gulf, the
ABERCROMBIE
escorted the
small
carriers to
their
operating
area east of
the
Philippines.
For the next
five days,
the
destroyer
escort
screened the
carriers
against
submarine
and air
attack while
their
aviators
supported
the troops
on Leyte. By
the end of
November,
she was
preparing
for the
invasion of
Luzon.
On 27
December,
the
destroyer
escort put
to sea in
company with
a large
group of
amphibious
ships.
During the
invasion of
Luzon, she
served as
the flagship
for TG 79.9,
Control
Group Able,
of the
Lingayen
attack
force. En
route to the
Lingayen
Gulf, her
group was on
guard
against
Japanese
aircraft and
midget
submarines.
In the
Lingayen
Gulf early
on the
morning of 9
January, the
ABERCROMBIE
steamed in
close to
shore as a
control ship
for the
amphibious
craft. She
anchored
about 4,500
yards off
the main
assault
beaches near
Lingayen.
During the
final
pre-invasion
bombardment,
her guns
opened fire
on the enemy
for the
first time
when a
kamikaze
dived on the
COLUMBIA
(CL‑56). In
spite of the
defensive
efforts of
the ships
around the
cruiser, the
suicider
succeeded in
crashing the
COLUMBIA,
the third
enemy plane
to do so in
as many
days.
Subsequently,
the
ABERCROMBIE
turned to
her primary
mission
leading the
first
assault
waves for
their run to
the beaches.
Resistance
was light
and the
ABERCROMBIE
left the
assault area
to join the
antiaircraft
screen of
transports
returning to
rear area
bases.
Following
their safe
delivery,
the warship
carried out
another
convoy
escort
mission,
seeing
troops and
equipment
safely to
Mindoro.
Following a
brief period
of R & R,
the DE
returned to
Leyte to
prepare for
the invasion
of the
Ryukyu
Islands.
In March,
the
ABERCROMBIE
left Leyte
with TG 51.1
as part of
the screen
for the
Western
Islands
Attack Group
to secure
Kerama Retto
as a fleet
anchorage
for the main
assault on
Okinawa. On
1 April, the
landing
force
stormed
ashore on
Okinawa, and
the
ABERCROMBIE
spent five
days
guarding the
supporting
ships
against
attack by
Japanese
submarines
and planes.
She cleared
the Ryukyu
Islands on 5
April and,
with the
MUSTIN
(DD-413),
was bound
for Ulithi.
On 13 April
she was
again en
route to
Okinawa. The
destroyer
escort spent
the next two
months
performing a
variety of
services in
support of
the Okinawa
campaign.
During that
period, she
assumed
radar picket
duty off
Okinawa
where she
fought off
attackers on
at least 16
separate
occasions,
claiming two
definite
kills and
two assists.
When not
standing
watch on a
radar picket
station, the
ABERCROMBIE
conducted
antisubmarine
searches,
rescued
downed
American
airmen, and
provided
escort
services to
a variety of
ships.
On 14 June,
she left the
Ryukyus
bound for
the Marianas
and routine
maintenance
until the
end of the
month when
she returned
to Okinawa.
On 6 July,
she cleared
the Ryukyus
and joined
the screen
of the
larger ships
of the Third
Fleet but
was back off
Okinawa by
months’ end.
She shunted
between the
Ryukyus and
the
Philippines
through the
end of
hostilities,
then
escorted
occupation
forces to
Korea in
September
before
heading for
occupation
duty in
Japan. On 4
November,
the
destroyer
escort ended
her
assignment
in Japan and
steamed for
the United
States.
On 15 June
1946, the
ABERCROMBIE
was placed
out of
commission
in San
Diego. She
remained in
the reserve
fleet until
the mid
1950s when
she was
moved to
Bremerton,
Washington.
There, on 1
May 1967,
her name was
struck from
the navy
list. In
November,
she was
towed back
to San Diego
and, on 7
January
1968, the
ABERCROMBIE
was sunk as
a target by
ships and
aircraft
that made up
the task
group of the
BON HOMME
RICHARD (CVA‑31). |
