USS Shubrick (DD639)

HISTORY OF USS SHUBRICK (DD 639)
During World War II

Taking German bombs and Japanese Kamikazes in her stride, the tough little tin can USS SHUBRICK weathered two hits which might well have sent her to the bottom except for excellent damage control measures in earning four battle stars during World War II.

The ship, third of the name, was built by the Norfolk Navy Yard at Norfolk, Virginia, where her keel was laid on 17 February 1942. Launched on 18 April 1942, she was christened by Mrs. Grosvenor: Bemis, a great-great-granddaughter of Rear Admiral Shubrick, USN. The vessel was placed in commission on 7 February 1943, when Lieutenant Commander Louis A. Bryan, USN, assumed command.

Rear Admiral William B. Shubrick, for whom the ship was named, was appointed as a midshipman in 1806 and as a Lieutenant was awarded the medal for service in the War of 1812 and in defense of the USS CONSTELLATION at Norfolk. He commanded the Pacific Squadron in 1847 during the Mexican War, commanding the naval forces at the capture of Mazattan, Guyannas and other towns; He was placed on the retired list in 1861, but was on duty in important shore stations during the Civil War. He was born 31 October 1790 in Bull's Island, South Carolina.

Torpedo Boat 31 and DD 268 were also named SHUBRICK. The first was launched in 1899 and sold in 1920. DD 268 was one of the 50 so called four pipers transferred to Great Britain in 1940 under,Lend-Lease. It was launched in 1918.

After her shakedown cruise in Casco Bay, Maine, and a post-shakedown availability at Norfolk, the new destroyer got underway on 8 June l943 with Task Force 65, escorting a convoy of 18 transports and six auxiliaries to North Africa in preparation for the invasion of Sicily. On 9 July the ship began the approach to Sicily and her first amphibious assault.

The sky was brightly illuminated with the red and green tracers that the Germans were throwing up against paratroopers. The landing craft hit the beach at 0300 on the 10th, with the SHUBRICK standing by for fire support. Unable to establish contact with her fire control party ashore, the ship fired at gun flashes and searchlights throughout the area. After daylight, she was called on to break up a German tank concentration in column heading for the beachhead, and did so with great success, routing the entire column and destroying several tanks

The Luftwaffe hit the landing force again and again, but not without cost to themselves. Gunners aboard the SHUBRICK spotted one bomber coming through the smoke and haze at 2230 on the 11th and knocked him down 1500 yards away. On the l2th they shot down a fighter over the landing beach, and then proceeded to Algiers, screening the cruisers BROOKLYN, BOISE, and SAVANNAH. Returning on 19 July 1943, the ship gave fire support to the advancing troops, making one more voyage to Bizerte, Africa before screening the SAVANNAH to Palermo, Sicily.

Air raids were.still heavy in this area, and on 4 August, shortly after 0530 hour while screening the port side of the Savannah, one of the enemy aircraft caught the destroyer, straddled her with two bombs and scored a direct hit with another 500 pound missile. The bomb, hit just aft of the torpedo tubes, penetrated the main deck and exploded in the forward engine room, splitting the hull from waterline port side to starboard, flooding that space and the after fire room. The explosion left the ship entirely without power. The USS SPEED and SC 693 came to her aid, however, and towed her into the inner harbor of Palermo, where she began salvage attempts.

After unloading all her ammunition and taking off all topside weight, the ship was towed to Malta, where she was drydocked and given temporary repairs. The raid had cost her sixteen of her crew killed and 20 wounded.

Using one screw, the ship returned to the United States, arriving in New York on 9 October 1943 for further repairs. On 22 November 1943 Lieutenant Commander J. V. Smith, USN, assumed command. He was relieved on 7 January 1944 by Lieutenant Commander William Blenman.

After repairs and refresher training, the ship sailed again on 18 January 1944 from New York, escorting a convoy to Ireland. Returning to the United States, she made one voyage to Gibraltar and return before steaming to the United Kingdom for preparation for the invasion of France.

Rendezvousing with the bombardment group in Belfast, the ship made the approach to her bombardment area on 6 June 1944 without interference. The SHUBRICK began firing on the beach at 0550 on D-Day, and soon was joined by a terrific air bombardment, together with landing craft rockets and other ships' gunfire, so that the blast shook her even though she was 6000 yards from the beach. The smoke obscured the beach so much that fire had to be checked several times to avoid hitting friendly troops, who were a mile southeast of their assigned positions due to a strong current which carried their landing craft along the shore.

Return fire from the beach began at about 0700 and was landing close aboard at 0740. The battery could be seen at a position near a church steeple, but after the SHUBRICK had worked the position over twice, the gun was not seen to fire again. Escorting a convoy back to England, the SHUBRICK was on station again on 8 June 1944. On the 9th she relieved the LAFFEY on fire support duty and that evening rescued the pilot of a P-51, shot down by mistake by friendly merchant vessels. Although most of the results of her shore bombardment could not be determined, during this period four batteries, two 6-barrled mortars and an ammunition dump were blown up. Relieved on the 12th, the ship steamed back to Plvmouth, England for fuel, ammunition and engineering repairs.

She was off France again on 14 June for another tour of duty. Two German aviators were picked up on the 23rd from their rubber raft, and made prisoners. Four days later the SHUBRICK received orders for a hazardous sweep north of the Contenin Peninsula, at Cherbourg, France, to determine enemy resistance there.

In company with six motor torpedo boats, the SHUBRICK was to run north as close to shore as possible, detaching two PTs under Lieutenant Commander J. D. Bulkeley, USN, to make a high speed dash close to the Cherbourg outer breakwater to draw fire, and return. The group got underway as planned, but near the breakwater began coming under fire from shore batteries. The SHUBRICK was straddled by the opening salvo and began retiring at flank speed, laying a smoke screen. One PT was hit near the breakwater, but was able to get away. After being straddled again, the group returned to their station with the information they had gathered. The last salvo, presumably from 20" tunnel guns, landed 300 yds. astern when the ship was 30,000 yards offshore.

In July the ship joined a carrier group and got underway again for an invasion, this time sailing south to the Mediterranean again for the landings in Southern France. Assembling at Malta, the group sortied on 12 August 1944 for the assault area. Their mission was to provide air support for the initial landings in Southern France and the subsequent operations. The SHUBRICK was part of the destroyer screen around the escort carriers USS TULAGI and KASAAN BAY and SAS HUNTER, STALKER and CALEDON. Approximately 350 enemy planes were known to be available in the general vicinity, along with five submarines and a small number of torpedo boats.

Flight operations were carried out according to plan on D day, 15 August 1944. Float lights were dropped around the formation during the night retirement, but no attack developed. No attacks were made during the rest of the operations, and on 30 August SHUBRICK retired with the last of the carriers to Ajaccio, Corsica. On 6 September she departed from Oran for the United States.

After a yard period in the States, the destroyer again crossed the Atlantic to Taranto, Italy, with a convoy, returning to New York by 17 November 1944. Exercises in the Casco Bay, Maine, area occupied her until mid-January 1945, when she was ordered to Norfolk, There, on 22 January 1945, Lieutenant Commander John C. Jolly, USN, relieved Commander Blenman. Acting as a plane guard and escort for the carrier BON HOMME RICHARD, the SHUBRICK escorted her south to Trinidad, then traversed through the Panama Canal and proceeded to San Diego, California and Mare Island Navy Yard, arriving there on 23 February 1945.

Following a yard period and refresher training out of San Diego, the ship sailed for Pearl Harbor on 4 April. Proceeding to Eniwetok with the MISSISSIPPI and DOUGLAS H. FOX, she was assigned to the invasion forces around Okinawa, and arrived there on 5 May 1945, taking her place in the screen.

The SHUBRICK and COMPTON got underway on 12th May with various landing craft as Task Group 51.24 to capture the small island of Tori Shima. The two destroyers began shore bombardment at 0626, the troops went ashore at 0649, and the island was secure by 0745. During the return, at 1910, lookouts sighted three Corsairs attacking one twin-engine bomber, who was taken under fire by all guns as he began a dive on the ship. Ringing up flank speed, the ship narrowly escaped when the Kamikaze passed over the ship just aft of the #2 stack to crash 50 feet away. Another plane in the five-plane attack came too close to the ship and was shot down shortly thereafter at 4000 yards. Of the five planes which attacked, three were shot down by the combat air patrol, with the SHUBRICK assisting on one. The SHUBRICK and COMPTON disposed of the other two.

Radar picket duty was next on the destroyer's duty. Sent out to form a ring around Okinawa, the ships were to detect any air raids and to direct interception by their fighter cover. Since they were the first ships spotted by the suicide pilots coming down from Japan, they received fierce attacks which exacted a heavy toll. Their vigilance, however, saved many lives in the transport fleets lying to off the beachheads.

The SHUBRICK completed one six-day tour on station without damage; but her second period of duty was not so fortunate. She had been ordered out to a radar picket station and was enroute, when, at 0008 on 29 May 1945, two planes were sighted.

The ship was making ten knots, trying to keep her wake down to reduce visibility. When it became evident that the plane had spotted her, she increased speed to 25 knots, opened fire and splashed the plane at 3500 yards. The main battery slewed immediately to the second target as the ship swung full left to bring her on the beam. The attacking plane changed course and immediately the SHUBRICK swung right, but could not change course quickly enough to keep her target abeam. At 0013 the plane, a twin-engine bomber, reversed course sharply, coming in over the starboard quarter to strike the ship just above the after engine room.

The resulting bomb explosion tore a hole about 30 feet in diameter, leaving the starboard side open to the sea. The after engine room flooded immediately, along with an adjoining living compartment. and the after fire room began to flood rapidly. Both 40 mm guns and director, the emergency radio shack, crew's head, midship repair locker, ship's store, loading machine, searchlight, clipping room and one 20 mm gun were demolished. The 40 mm ready ammunition began to explode, covering the main deck with a hail of flying shrapnel. All power and light was lost aft, and all communications cut.

The repair parties, in spite of having lost most of their gear in the explosion, got hoses on the fire immediately. Fifteen minutes later a depth charge cooked off in the blaze, killing one man and throwing debris the length and height of the ship, but also putting out most of the blaze. The ship was settling rapidly by the stern, but good damage control measures checked the flooding, while all topside weight was jettisoned. Then it was discovered that three men were trapped in the lower 5" ammunition handling room aft, under one of the flooded compartments.

Seventeen of the more seriously wounded were transferred to the VAN VALKENBURGH soon after the hit. By 0130, with the fantail awash and the fire room still flooding, all unnecessary personnel were sent over to the VAN VALKENBURGH, who pulled clear to reduce the strain caused by her pounding against the side. With the aid of pumps borrowed from the rescuing ship, the SHUBRICK's men brought the flooding under control. At 0510 they were taken in tow by ART 9, and reached Kerama Retto by noon. it was not until 2030 that they were able to construct a cofferdam to rescue the three men trapped in the handling room, however. After 20-1/2 hours of suspense, though, the trio showed little ill effects.

Eleven men were killed in the blast, 21 were missing and 28 injured. The fast, efficient work of the damage control parties brought a commendation from Commander Task Group 31.5: "The safe return of the SHUBRICK to port can be attributed to the determination and courage of a well-trained organization that refused to admit defeat."

It was not until 15 July 1945 that the ship was able to get underway on one engine to Guam, Eniwetok and Pearl Harbor. She arrived in Pearl Harbor on 2 August and got underway independently the next day for Puget Sound. There the ship was decomissioned on 16 November 1945, and disposed of by sale under a directive of September 1947.

The USS SHUBRICK earned three battle stars on the European-African- Middle Eastern Area Service Medal for participating in the following operations

1 Star/Sicilian occupation: 9-15 July, 28 July - 17 August 1943
1 Star/Invasion of Normandy: 6-25 June 1944
I Star/Invasion of Southern France:- 15 August - 25 September 1944

She was also awarded one battle star on the Asiatic-Pacif'ic Area Service Medal for participating in the assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto during the period 5 May - 30 June 1945-

Division of Naval History
Ships' Histories Section
Navy Department

Compiled: 24 December 1953

Note: The nucleus of the Shubrick's crew had originally been formed from the survivors of the USS Duncan (DD485), which had been sunk in the Pacific in the Battle of Cape Esperance (Second Savo), 11-12 October 1942.

For information and History of the USS Duncan (DD485) Click on text below:
USS Duncan (DD485) Home Page

For information on the Shubrick-Duncan Association and reunions, click on text below:
LilHoke's Home Page 3