Macomb (DD 458 DMS 23) - Naval Cruise Book

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CTF 22, with the Port of Argentia, Newfound- land as the destination. TF 22 consisted of the U.S.S. Augusta, Ranger, Rodman, Emmons, Corry, and Macomb. The ship arrived the 5th at Arg-entia on the coast of Newfoundland, to be alerted for an air-raid just four days later. Noth- ing developed from it, however. From there the ship proceeded with training exercises for the pilots on U.S.S. Ranger off the coast of New- foundland. During the exercises, one plane glanced off the flight deck of the Ranger and crashed into the sea. The pilot was taken aboard suffering from the cold but otherwise unin- jured. After screening exercises and anti-aircraft and torpedo practice runs, the Macomb departed on the 17th of June with USS. Woolsey and U.S.S. Prairie for Boston for availability which extended to the last of the month. Then, on the 30th, while enroute to Narragansett Bay, B. I., the ship struck an unlighted buoy, damag- ing the port propeller and making it necessary to return to Boston for repairs. After repairs were made, the ship got under- way singly for Halifax, where We were joined by the U.S.S. Emmons for escorting U.S.A.T. Siboney and H.lVl.T. Aorangi on the 5th of July. The following day we met the USS. Buck with CDS 13, who took command of the Escort. On I U.S.S. Emmons comes alongside to pass mail the 12th the U.S.S. Buck left formation to pro- ceed to Londonderry, Ireland. The rest of the convoy continued up the Clyde and into Green- ock, Scotland. Upon arrival there we received on board six British enlisted naval ratings to assist in the training of our communication per- sonnel in the British system. They were a color- ful addition to the lVlac7s crew. l. fl Plane guard for U.S.S. Ranger

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its it History of the U.S.S. Nlarcrsmh gil? -gig just 75 days before the start of World War ll, on the 23rd day of September, 1941, the U.S.S. Macomb tDD458i, slid down the ways of The Bath Ironworks shipyard, Bath, Maine, water- borne for the first time. Her champagne-spat- tered bow was quickly snubbed to a waiting tug, and she was guided to an adjacent dock, where the work of preparing her for the trip to Boston went on apace. The maiden voyage of the Macomb com- menced on January 26, 1942, with a crew of Bath Ironworks men and armed guard composed of members of the Macomb's nucleus crew. On this trip, by way of structural testing, the first shots were fired from the five-inch battery. The ship arrived in Charlestown Navy Yard, Boston, in the afternoon of the same day. The commis- sioning took place at 1530, after being inspect- ed by Lieutenant Commander William H. Duvall, her commanding officer. The ship was accepted for the U.S. Navy by Captain R. C. Grady, USN tRet.D in his capacity as representative for Com- mander First Naval District. The executive officer, Jerry C. South, Lt., USN, immediately set the watch and directed Lt. M. S. Schmidling, USN, to assume his duties as 0.0.11 At 1845 that same day the first of- ficial muster at quarters was held, followed by the first fire drill at 1905. Boston was invaded by the first shore patrol from the ship on 28th of January. February 11th saw another milestone, as the ship entered a drydock for the first time since becoming a U.S. Navy ship. On the 24th the Macomb got underway under her own power for the first time as a U.S. Navy ship, for the pur- pose of calibrating the direction finder. The first trip of any length was to Newport, Rhode Island, on the 28th of February. Still adding to the list of firsts, the first load of torpedoes came aboard on March lst, then the next day saw the Mighty Mac visit Casco Bay, Maine- a spot destined to become one of her favorite haunts later on. The first of many anti-submarine exercises was held on the 4th of February. On the 20th 10 of February, the ship received her first assign. ment----a lone escort for S.S. Chatham out of Boston for Casco Bay. During the anti-aircraft practice, which took place during this assign- ment, the Mac knocked down the first of a long string of sleeves to be felled by her guns. In Casco Bay, Maine, the Board of Inspection and Survey came aboard for final acceptance trials and after a day of full power runs, ac- cepted the ship unreservedly from the Bath Ship-building Company on April 1, 1942. A rescue mission was performed when the Macomb steamed out of Boston and found a crashed plane and its survivors. Later, having completed official trials and yard availability, we proceeded from Boston to Casco Bay, and reported for duty to the U.S.S. Augusta on April 15th. The next day we got underway for Narragansett Bay, R. 1., to join Task Force 22, which was composed of U.S.S. Ranger, Augusta, Hambleton, Emmons, Ellyson. The Mac was as- signed to screen the U.S.S. Augusta in her first strictly Navy duty in company with another combatant ship. In anti-submarine exercises in Long Island Sound, the Macomb on April 17th took part in her first operation with DesDiv 19, less U.S.S. Rodman, as a unit. On the 22nd we sailed from Newport with the U.S.S. Augusta, U.S.S. Ranger, and destroy- ers Ellyson, Hambleton, Rodman, Emmons, for the Island of Trinidad, B. W. I., off the northern coast of South America. The operation plan was to proceed from there to a point off the coast of Africa, where the Ranger would launch her deck-load of Army P-40,s. This operation was successfully carried out, and the Mac arrived back in Rhode Island after 30 days underway with only one respite at anchor for a few hours, a remarkable sustained-operations trip for a new can. June 1, 1942 found the Macomb tied up in South, Boston Navy Yard. From there the ves- SCI Droceeded to Narragansett Bay on the fol- lowing day, and received orders to sortie with

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On the 14th of July we got underway in corn- pany with DesDiv 19 for passage to Scapa Flow, arriving the next day. During our stay at this naval base in Northern Scotland, the ship took part in screening and anti-aircraft exercises with various U.S. and British ships, some of the lat- ter including the H.M.S. Duke of York, H.M.S. Victorious and H.M.S. Tartar On the 26th of July the Macomb left Scapa Flow enroute to Hvalfjordur, Iceland, with Des- Div. 19. Gunnery and damage control exercises were held enroute. Arrival at Hvalfordur was on the 28th of July. The next few days were spent in patrolling the entrance to Reykjavik and Hvalfjordur, after which the ship received on board liberty parties from various British and American ships in the harbor and transport- ed them to Reykjavik. The month of August started the ship on rou- tine patrol duty. Then, after two air-raid warn- ings on the 4th, we were ordered with the U.S.S. Hambleton and H.M.S. Offa on a submarine hunt. On the 6th the Offa had a sound contact and dropped charges, but without visible re- sults. The next day we returned to Hvalfjordur for more operations with H.M.S. Duke of York and U.S.S. Hambleton. From the 9th to the 12th, the ship was in and out of the harbor for submarine patrol, but without any occurrence of importance. Then on the 16th of August a transfer of British personnel, equipment, and publications to H.M.S. Duke of York was made in preparation for a return to the United States. The ship departed for New York with the U.S.S. Hambleton and U.S.S. Wichita, and ar- rived on the 22nd. Leave was granted to all hands during the availability from the 23rd to the 30th of August. On the 1st of September we proceeded with U.S.S. Hambleton for Norfolk, Va. A quick round trip began when we left the next day with U.S.S. Hambleton, Winooski, Salamoni for Ice- land, arriving at Hvalfjordur on the 10th, de- parting on the 14th, and arriving back in Nor- folk on the 25th. The ship then took part in anti-aircraft battle practice with DesDiv 19. The beginning of October found the Macomb 1n DesDiv 19 Desron 10 and attached to TF 22 The TF consisted of Desron 10 which was com man Emmons Macomb Forrest Fitch Corry and Hobson and the USS Ranger Charger 12 Sangamon, Santee and Chenango. The Corry was later sunk off Cherbourg, France, and the Emmons was lost off Okinawa. On the 11th of October, the Mac was under- way with U.S.S. Hambleton, Tarazed, and San- gamon for Bermuda, B.W.1. Enroute the U.S.S. Sangamon launched aircraft. One plane crashed into the sea, and the Hambleton recovered per- sonnel. The force arrived in Port Royal Bay, Bermuda, where the Macomb, together with the U.S.S. Hobson and Hambleton, operated with the U.S.S. Ranger while she held launching and recovering exercises. On the 16th the ship re- turned to Bermuda Harbor. There followed more flight operations with U.S.S. Sangamon and Hobson. On the 17th the Macomb embarked Commander Submarine Division 71 for anti- submarine training. The ship then took part in various operations with Desron 10 as part of TF 22. On November 7th, the Macomb was detached to proceed with the Northern attack group off Casablanca. The next day the TBS indicated that landing operations were in progress on the beach. The Mac screened the U.S.S. San- gamon, one of the carriers launching the aircraft for the bombardment of the African coast in preparation for the invasion. We arrived on the 11th of November at Fedala Bay, French Moroc- co. Together with the U.S.S. Hambleton we were ordered in for fueling, but were told to wait until morning. We anchored close to the Hambleton that night. During the night the Winooski, Hambleton and Hughes were tor- pedoed at anchor. The Macomb was then ordered to get under- way to hunt for the sub. The next day, while proceeding for screening duty about a convoy anchorage, four explosions were observed. Three transports were torpedoed. However, we pro- ceeded with the convoy, and on 15th entered Casablanca. Later we proceeded to Safi, French Morocco, for patrol duty with U.S.S. Kearny and U.S.S. Parker, then formed screen for U.S.S. Algorab while underway for Norfolk, Va. We entered Norfolk on the 30th of November, none the worse for wear But the Hambleton was badly damaged by the torpedo which struck her and did not return to active duty unt1l after 12 months of repairs 'ind shakedown FTOITI Norfolk we proceeded to Boston Navy Yard for a much needed yard period arriving posed of the U.S.S. Fllyson, Hambleton, Rod- H in 0 i t ' t ' N '