USS Fogg - DE 57
Torpedo Damage
In the morning on 20 Dec, 1944, U-870 fired torpedoes at a convoy of landing ships about 370 miles from Sao Miguel, Azores and reported USS LST-350, USS LST-369 and an escort vessel sunk. In fact, USS LST-359 was sunk and USS Fogg (DE 57) damaged by a Gnat.
USS Fogg (DE 57) was hit by a Gnat in the stern, killing four men and wounding two others. The crew fought two days to made it for the Azores, then the stern sheared off and only skeleton crew stayed aboard. Finally she reached the Azores in tow of the US Army tug USS LT-643 and USS Chinaberry (AN 61) the next day, escorted by USS Lee Fox (DE 65) and USS Ira Jeffery (DE 63). A first attempt to tow her to Boston failed due bad weather, but she at last arrived on 9 Mar, 1945. The destroyer escort was repaired and returned to service in June 1945.
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Image of the back of the damaged DE 57.
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Specification:
Class: Buckley
Type: TE (turbine-electric drive, 3" guns)
Displacement: 1400 tons (light), 1740 tons (full)
Length: 300' (wl), 306' (oa)
Beam: 36' 9" (extreme)
Draft: 10' 6" (draft limit)
Propulsion: 2 "D" Express boilers, G.E. turbines with electric drive, 12000 shp, 2 screws
Speed: 24 kts
Range: 6,000 nm @ 12 knots
Armament: 3 x 3"/50 Mk22 (1x3),
1 twin 40mm Mk1 AA,
8 x 20mm Mk 4 AA,
3 x 21" Mk15 TT (3x1),
1 Hedgehog Projector Mk10 (144 rounds),
8 Mk6 depth charge projectors,
2 Mk9 depth charge tracks Complement: 15 / 198 |
Signature of crew
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