William V Seiverling (DE 441) - Naval Cruise Book

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'CortRonNine, CortRonNine' 1- These words, signifying the ar- rival on board of the Squadron Com- mander, were often heard aboard the SEIVERLING. During a large part of the cruise this ship served as a flagship for the Squadron, and was privileged to have aboard Com- CortRonNine and his staff. The Squadron, too, had a change of command when CDR OGLE relieved CDR BJARNASON during the latter part of the cruise. Other staff mem- bers are: LT Hand, LT Brooks, Davis RDC, and Tompkins QMC, The SEIVERLING is a member of Escort Division Ninety-one of Escort Squadron Nine. Other Divi- sion ships making the cruise were the Moore, the Wiseman, and the Lewis. 'SeiverIing, Seiverling' As the new commanding officer, it is appropriate that I say, I'm glad to be aboard. By the Grace of God, and with the blessings of the Bureau of Naval Personnel, this is my third command, but with all honesty I can say that llook forward to my tour on the WILLIAM SEI- VERLING with more pleasure and eagerness than even that of my first command. I hope that our relationships in the months to come are both pleas- ant and profitable. HAL M, WINNER, LCDR, USN

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The USS WILLIAM SEIVERLING was first commissioned in June 1944, in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. After passing through the Panama Canal, she proceeded to the Hawaiian Islands to engage in her first assign- ment, that of hunting enemy sub- marines. In November she steamed to Ulithu via Eniwetok. Under various task group designations, the ship participated in many operations, includ-ing the invasions of Luzon in January 1945, and Iwo Jima in February 1945, experiencing enemy action in both campaigns. From March until June the SEI- VERLING was in the Okinawa cam- paign with a hunter-killer group. This group kept the area free from submarine penetration. Although the other three ships suffered damages from many air attacks, the Willie came through unscathed. From the twentieth through the twenty-eighth of May, after a brief overhaul, the SEIVERLING was assigned to picket duty at Okinawa. During these nine days the Japa- nese suiciders were making theirlheaviest attacks on the ships in the vicinity and the SEIVERLING saw more action in these few days than in the rest of her time in the Pacific. The crew was at General Quarters more than half the time and on several occasions remained at battle stations throughout the entire night and part of the next day. During the night of May 24th and the morning of the 25th the ship was under direct attack by at least nine enemy planes. The ship's guns positively destroyed three of them and scored numerous hits on others. All were destroyed or driven off without damage to the ship or injury to the crew, though a number of ships in' company were damaged by the suiciders. On the completion of the Okinawa campaign and for a period of the next four months the SEIVER- LING took part in other operations including the covering of the Third Fleet's entry to Tokyo Bay in September 1945. In the following month of October, the ship carried out her last mission overseas and pointed her bow for San Diego where she was decom- missioned early in December 1945. RE COMMISSIONING The ship remained inactive for better than five years until December 1950, when she was brought out of moth balls to become flagship for the newly formed Escort Squadron Nine under the command of LCDR Walter C, Cole. After a brief shaping-up ' ow, hear this... period the ship departed in April 1951 with a final destination of Keelung, Formosa. ' FIRST CRUISE The period from June through Augusttwas spent in making three trips to Korea where the Willie was engaged in shore bombardment. In the final mission at Wonsan Harbor the ship sustained three direct hits from shore batteries. Though the after fire room was flooded, no casualties were inflicted. A month of repairs in Sasebo enabled the ship to make one more f cruise to Wonsan after which she departed for the States, arriving in November, 1951. BACK HOME Following a month of leave periods, the SEI- VERLING went into dry dock at Hunters Point, San Francisco. By April she was back operating out of San Diego with various anti-sub and hunter-killer groups. October 18th saw the ship headed once more for WestPac via Hawaii, Yokosuka, and Sasebo. SECOND CRUISE The first duty assignment was a tough one - thirty days in Wonsan Harbor. The ship was fired on several times but received no damage and re- turned safely to Sasebo for Christmas. On the 28th of December, 1951, the Willie headed for Okinawa to participate in hunter-killer exercises but was forced to return to Yokosuka after afew days under- way due to an engineering casualty. It took two months to install a new turbine.