Higbee (DDR 806) - Naval Cruise Book

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ff. I L 1 l 1 l w F V v l s, it ' kt Q w tx, . I A 'St- 4 1 ln ty , l I 'IL 1 R l mx- r sz R qt '-Si. kg' 5 3 ' 'E i. , I ta ... kv xl., 53- K vq. - an iii .... -.M ...,,,, its X iii, E 'li ' at Q12 ga! me '55 sf' 145 .-gf if-- 2532 P433 33 at I rf V f If ic- Y rf' 'fi It 6 f W . 54 4, ef IE 'J 6 It 4 .1 :J - ' fl I lj W by if or 5 off the coast of Korea. The 806 arrived in San Diego 8 February 1951, to be greeted by photographers, a Navy band, and best of all, a lot of friends and relatives that the men had been waiting to see for so long. On 26 March the HIGBEE proceeded to Mare Island Naval Shipyard for routine repairs, departing for San Diego 6 July. On the morning of 27 August, the HIG- BEE was underway with DesDiv 31 and DesDiv 72 for Pearl Harbor, arriving there 1 September, at which time, Commander V. J. Soballe, USN, relieved as Command- ing Officer. DesDiv 31 was underway for WestPac on 7 September, arriving in Yokosuka 17 September, her second trip to the Far East since the outbreak of the Korean hostilities. She joined Task Force 77 again on the 20th of Sep- tember in the Sea of Japan. On the 211-th, there was a fight with two losers, a huge hammer-head shark became tangled in the shafts, and both engines had to be backed down to get free of it. The shark lost its life and the HIGBEE lost time. The HIGBEE reported on 19 December for duty with the Formosa Strait Patrol, assigned to the task of pre- venting possible communist aggression against Formosa. Christmas Day was celebrated at sea with holiday rou- tine and a turkey dinner with all the trimming. The next day while refueling in port, the crew and officers entertained 70 underprivileged children of Keelung, For- mosa, with a Christmas party aboard ship. The children were given a meal, treated to two hours of movie comedies and cartoons, and conducted on a tour of the ship. Each guest was presented with a package containing shoes, wearing apparel, toilet articles, candy and toys. The HIGBEE left Takao, Formosa, on New Yearis Day for a three day recreational visit to Hong Kong, B.C.C. After returning to Korea shortly thereafter a HIGBEE boarding party opened fire with small arms and scored several hits on the enemy boat, which escaped when the HIGBEE boat withdrew due to the heavy volume of fire. The HICBEE, standing 3000 yards off shore, quickly silenced the shore batteries and then recovered the motor whaleboat, which had sustained four hits, but there were no personnel casualties. 1 Q March 20 the 806 was relieved on station and proceed- ed to Yokosuka, before leaving for the states and arriv- ing in San Diego, 14 April. Upon completion of a short yard period, HIGBEE started on a three-week training exercise, with observers from the Fleet Training Group. These exercises were interrupted when a dummy torpedo hit on the shipis screws, repairs were accomplished in one day- in dry dock. Starting July 20th, the HIGBEE carried out inter- mittent underway training exercises, including Gunnery practice, maneuvering, damage control drills, etc. On 29 August, the HIGBEE left for Long Beach, her newly assigned home port. She spent .most of her time in port for upkeep, with underway runs for additional training. There was more work to be done in the Far Seas, so, on 10 November 1952, she got underway for the third time during the Korean' conflict. The HIGBEE arrived in Sasebo 1 December, and on the 4th left to join Task Force 77 once more, where she was assigned to screen our aircraft carriers against possible air and submarine attacks. Another Christmas Day was spent at sea, and of course, holiday routine and a huge turkey dinner. Then again an assignment was made to the Formosa Patrol, protecting the island from mainland Communist invasion. During this patrol, President Eisenhower an- nounced that the patrol was no longer- to defend the mainland of China from invasion by the Nationalist Chi- nese Forces. While on this patrol, the HIGBEE visited Takao, Formosa. The crew had a three day trip to Hong Kong, and as always, money was spent for clothes, jade, ivory, and items from all over the world, and it proved the main event of the cruise. After another short stay in Japan, the HIGBEE was assigned to Task Force 95 on the west coast of Korea. Whenthe HIGBEE was not screening our aircraft car- riers, she was patrolling far north of the front lines, observing enemy movements and bombarding troop con- centrations in support of the United Nations partisan troops. 5 The 806 left Yokosuka 12 June 1953 for her return to the States, and arrived in San Francisco, California, on the 28th. She refueled and left for Long Beach and a six month reconversion program. During her yard period, she received new equipment, and alterations designed to give her greater effective- ness as a radar picket destroyer. Some of the major new equipment which was installed was: New and better height finding radar, a larger and more complete Com- bat lnformation Center with better radar scopes, new fire control equipment, and replacements of the 40 MM mounts with 3 50s. Along with the changes in equip- ment, and alteration in the after Officers Quarters was accomplished. There were many more slnall changes made, which, when added together, made the HICBEE into what is now one of the newest type destroyers in the fleet. While undergoing her reconversion, she also had a major overhaul. Commander Maurice H. RINDSKOPF, USN, relieved Commander SOBALLE as Commanding Officer on 18 September 1953, and is still the 4'Skipper. The HIGBEE left Long Beach 28 December in prepara- tion for her scheduled underway training, which was ac- complished on 29 January. HIGBEE then joined with DesDiv 31 alongside the U.S.S. FRONTIER for 10 days before leaving for West- Pac, 9 February 1954. I The rest of the HHIGBEE storyi' is illustrated on the following pages of this book.

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HISTORY OF THE U.S.S. HIGBEE QDDR 8061 The destroyer U.S.S. HIGBEE QDDR 8061 was the first combat vessel in the history of the U. S. Navy to have been named in honor of a woman in the Service. lt was named for Mrs. Lenah S. HIGBEE, Superintendent of the Nurse Corps, and the only woman to receive the Navy Cross while stillalive. The keel for the HIGBEE was laid, 26 June 1944 at the Bath Iron Works Corporation, Bath, Maine. It was launched on 13 November and christened by Mrs. A. M. Wheaton, sister of Mrs. HIGBEE. The destroyer was commissioned 27 January 1945 with Commander Lindsey .Williamson, USN, as the first Commanding Officer. After being commissioned, the HIGBEE was con- verted to a radar picket destroyer, a watch dog for the fleet. After her shakedown cruises the HIGBEE was ready to take her place in the war, and therefore left Boston 20 May, for the far east where she joined the fast Car- rier Task Force 38 on 19 July 1945. . On the night of July 25th, during an air attack, the HIGBEE had a close call when a suicide plane almost hit her number one gun mount. However, she kept on firing and during the attack, shot down six planes, four of them in a period of 22 minutes. The ship completed her hazardous duty without a single casualty to personnel. The HIGBEE participated in the air strikes against the Japanese mainland and was at the front door when they capitulated. Even though the war was over, float- ing mines took no notice of V-J Day, so the HIGBEE and other ships of the task force was assigned the job of sinking or exploding them with gunfire. Not one to be idle, she guided the Army Forces to .Japan by pointing the way to Tokyo with her radio trans- mitters and finally after continuously steaming for 66 days knifed her way into Tokyo Bay 26 August 1945. After going there from Tokyo, the HIGBEE left Yoko- suka 3 January 1946 and after stops in' Manila, Samar, Saipan, and Guam, finally arrived in Pearl Harbor 3 April. A April 11 was a memorable day for the officers and crew, for it was on that date, that she arrived in San Diego, the first time in the States since June 1945. - Commander Bruce L. CARR, USN, relieved Com- mander Williamson as Commanding Officer 5 September 1946. . Underway again on 12 September, the ship steamed to San Diego where she joined Destroyer Divisions 31 and 171. On 9 November the HIGBEE again steamed for a tour of duty in the Western Pacific. This Far Eastern Cruise took her to various ports, including Hong Kong. Okinawa, operations in the East China Sea, Tsing- tao, and Yokosuka. Leaving Yokosuka on 31 June, the HIGBEE moored at San Diego, 6 July 1947, Commander James E. HANSEN, USN, relieved as Commanding Officer on 19 June 1948. . After an overhaul at Hunter's Point, the HIGBEE again 'sailed for China, arriving in, July 1948, this time in company with herisister ship, CHEVALIER, and the heavy cruiser TOLEDO to pay official visits of courtesy to the government of India and Pakistan. Ports of call on this cruise included Singapore, Trincomaloo on the island of Ceylon, Karachi and Bombay. j On 6 February 1949, the HIGBEE sailed for San Diego via Yokosuka and Pearl Harbor, arriving on 29 Febru- ary. Her log revealed that, upon tying up to the buoy in San Diego, she had steamed more than 43,000 miles in eight months. The HIGBEE departed in June 1949 for a Reserve Midshipman Training Cruise to Panama, -conducting drills and operations enroute, returning to San Francisco to debark the reserve group on 18 July. Commander E. MOORE, USN, relieved as Command- ing Officer on 18 April 1950. The HIGBEE left San Diego 23 June 1950 for West- Pac and another tour of overseas duty. Enroute, word was received that fighting had broke out in Korea and the HIGBEE was directed to make her trip over as quick as possible to the Far East, destination unknown. In company with the U.S.S. JAMES E. KYES, the HIGBEE was directed to proceed to the East Coast of Korea for the invasion of Po'Hong Dong, and act as a harbor patrol vessel while the troops were unloading. On 5 August, the HICBEE rendezvoued with Task Force 77 at sea and joined that group, which was conducting air strikes against the forces of North Korea. She re- mained with Task Force 77 until 3 September, when she was detached to proceed to Sasebo for tender avail- ability. Oni 11 September, the HIC-BEE was underway again in company with TF 77 to proceed to the Korean Area and to take part in the lnchon-Seoul landing on 15 September. The Task Force returned on 4 October 1950. The HIGBEE remained in Sasebo until 11 October, when orders were received to get underway and return to TF 77 and the operating area. On 1-6 October, while acting as plane guard on the BOXER, she picked up a pilot whose plane had crashed in landing. The pil0t was retained on board until 18 October when he was re- turned to his ship, at which time the BOXER had pre- sented the HIGBEE with a large and beautifully decor- ated cake for the lifesaving feat. The HIGBEE remained with Task Force 77, as eve- nings were spent at dusk alert since enemy planes had been reported in the area and the strength of the fo1'C6 was not known. F Until leaving for home on the 19th of January the HIGBEE remained as a screening unit for Task Force 77 ,f . si ., ,1 .1 F' I V - b 'f A ,354 a 1' g . .G ' - M ! I ' ' g a f :I 'I W 0' J v J' . Q-rf' 1 at is ,Y A J .J : 'vi 8,7 -1' , F . if :A I--4 ig 4 J fjff . if .1 if 1 ,q , fn -n 'J' X ,sl T j . H. 'lt fi ,Y 1-:Vi 4 Sig! ffl' gg .:,.,. 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C OUR f SKIPPER L Prior to World War II, Commander Rind- skopf served two years on the U.S.S. COLO- RADO, and attended the first mobilization three month course at the Submarine School, New London, Connecticut. Upon graduation, he became Gunnery Officer and lst Lieutenant, on the U.S.S. B-4. He was on the commis- sioning crew, as Gunnery Officer, of the U.S.S. DRUM, November, l94l. During the war, he made eleven Pacific war patrols 1n the DRUM r1s1ng to become her Command1ng Officer for the last two patrols Commander Rlndskopf was an lnstructor in the Torpedo and Gunnery Department of the New London Sub School from l945 to l947 then became Commandlng Officer of Kwik MEN the SEA CAT for two years 1n the Atlantlc and Caribbean The next three years were at BuOrd 1n research and development of fire control Materlal He spent a year on the Staff of ComSub RonONE at Pearl Harbor as Officer 1n Charge Submarine Prospective Commanding Officers School COMMANDER MAURICE H RINDSKOPF USN A US N val Ac d my Cl s of 1938 On l8 September l95i3 Commander Rlndslcopf relleved Commander V J Soballe USIN as Com' manding Officer U S S HIGBEE at Long Beach Callfornla Commander Rlndskopf wears the Navy Cross Silver Star Bronz Star with Combat V and Com mendation Rlbbon w1th Combat V for duty performed on the DRUM 1n add1t1on to the American Defense American and Paclfic Theaters World WarlIV1ctory and Ph1l1pp1ne Liberation Medals He 1S married to the former Miss Sylvia Lubow of New London Connecticut and they have one son Peter twelve His parents are Mr Herbert A Rlndskopf and the late Mrs Rlndskopf of Jamalca and Huntlngton New York a l I ' o 9 . , r p a reai X is r n s 9 b . . 9 . p . a . . . . a a e , a s . . p . . T '- 9 Q Q 7 L 7 ' 9 r 0 - 9 , . ' . I ' - ca as '- 9 a a ' ' ' 64 ,QQ . 0 . 0 a , , 7 9 , Q Q . . 1 . 0 ' . a 9 7 ' 0 , . 9 - ' ,J lil muh li dlihlfl Hr 1931