Pope returned to Manila in late June on neutrality duty and remained on station there until 11 December 1941, when she got underway for Balikpapan, Dutch East Indies. Originally built in New Orleans by Higgins Industries, she was a critical asset for the US Navy during World War II, serving in European waters from 1944 to the end of the war. The enemy took avoiding action and no hits were obtained. At this time Piet Hein was hit several times, resulting in her to come to a stop. After a refit, Pope departed 12 May for duty in the Pacific. Now Tromp went in. We had one 3.25" AA. Besides the ships themselves their crews were also suffering from fatigue due the immense strain they had been under the past weeks. The ships are ordered to try to escape through the Sunda Strait to Tjilatjap. These forces were split into two groups. The action was later the subject of a book[3][4] Around 1120 hours, HMS Exeter received a vital hit in 'A' boiler room which started a large fire and the boiler room had to be evacuated. They had their hands full like those of us below decks, and were sweating to keep up the pace. She proceeded to receive temporary repairs here in Surbaja. Their fire was immediately returned by HMS Exeter. The U-boat War in World War Two (Kriegsmarine, 1939-1945) and World War One (Kaiserliche Marine, 1914-1918) and the Allied efforts to counter the threat. We then got the feeling that things would start getting a little tougher for us, and that we would probably be engaging the enemy in more and more sea battles in the future. Though Marblehead had been knocked out of action and Houston and De Ruyter damaged, Doorman still had a sizable fighting force under his command. On 5 May 2010, after resting nearly forty years at anchor in Suisun Bay, the General John Pope was towed to Pier 70 dry dock for hull cleaning at BAE Shipyards, in San Francisco Bay. The Exeter's anit-aircraft guns turned loose a salvo and the plane was blown to bits. After about 15 minutes Piet Hein was illuminated by a Japanese searchlight and taken under fire. Upon reaching shore, many of the men immediately found themselves prisoners of the Japanese. She was then transferred to the Army where she served as USAT General John Pope. They then worked round to the northward and resumed their course of 345 degrees at about 0430 hours. She passed through the Straits of Gibraltar 3 July and transited the Suez Canal 1525 July. Pope fired all of her torpedoes and 140 salvoes of naval gunfire. He further angered Asiatic Fleet Commander ADM Thomas C. Hart when he judged Marblehead worthy to make her own way the day following the attack, and steamed ahead independently to Java. She later served in the Korean and Vietnam Wars as a civilian-crewed Military Sea Transportation Service vessel, as USNS General John Pope (T-AP-110). Military Wiki is a FANDOM Lifestyle Community. Asashio and Oshio when went after them. USS Pope (Lt.Cdr. I felt assured that our well trained crew would give their all, even though the task was hot and demanding. [11][12] These survivors had been adrift for about 22 hours in rafts and life jackets, or clinging to floats, many coated in oil, and some blinded. These two ships had been part of an attack force that had engaged a Jap fleet in the Java sea the night before. Course was immediately altered to try to evade and it was though possible that with the advantage of the light HMS Exeter had not been sighted. USS General John Pope (AP-110) was a troop transport that served with the United States Navy in World War II. From 15 July to 20 September 1938, she cruised in Chinese waters off Chinwangtao and returned 5 June 1939 with the South China Patrol force removing American consulates and nationals. We had received a message from the C-in-C (commander in chief), with the instructions to "defend the isle of Java to the last". The other group was made up of the heavy cruisers Ashigara and Myoko and the destroyers Akebono and Inazuma. Their turn towards was perhaps only for flying off operations to launch their aircraft to conduct a search. Piet Hein was a little ahead of the US destroyers and opened fire with her 4.7 guns and also fired two torpedoes. The four US destroyers were ahead of the Tromp. Sailors spent hours peering into gray seas, searching for and dreading the prospect of locating a submarine. H.C. The action was later the subject of several books and articles [13][11][12] Doorman, RNN) and HrMs Java (Capt. This page is not available in other languages. The second wave was made up of the Dutch light cruiser HrMs Tromp (Cdr. Abandon ship was ordered at 1135 hours. The Oshio on her turn was seriously damaged by the Tromp. They were steaming in column, on both our port and starboard sides. The Shark was attacked and destroyed at the same time, adding 87 more Americans to the missing. These had already been expended. This was my grandfather's terse review of the Steven Spielberg movie back in 1998. From 1931 until 1937, the Pope continued to "show the flag" off the China coast, during the summers and spent the winters in the Philippines engaging in division maneuvers. Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company, D Company, 2nd Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion (Mechanized), 50th Infantry, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, "Deck Plans: USS General John Pope (AP-110)", General John Pope, Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet, Benicia, Solano County, CA, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=USS_General_John_Pope&oldid=1149452080, This page was last edited on 12 April 2023, at 09:54. and a 2007 TV programme.[5][6][7]. September 2 1945 Location Europe Pacific Atlantic Japanese forces deployed to intercept the Allied ships trying to escape. My ship, the USS Pope, developed a bad leak in the hotwell (an evaporator to make fresh water, without which a ship cannot operate), and was unable to accompany the task force. Ethereum's Shanghai Hard Fork Now Has Official Target Date Developers agreed to April 12 for the long-awaited upgrade that will enable staked ETH withdrawals Apr 12, 2023. They were steering to the south-south-west and were thought to be two transports escorted by a cruiser or a destroyer. When the two British ships were destroyed by gunfire shortly before noon 1 March 1942, Pope found temporary refuge in a rain squall. Troopships were operated by the Army Transportation Service, with "civilian" mariners; by the U.S. Navy; and the War Shipping Administration. On 9 January 1942 Pope was one of five destroyers in an escort composed of the cruisers Boise and Marblehead, with the other destroyers Stewart, Bulmer, Parrott, and Barker departing from Darwin to Surabaya escorting the transport Bloemfontein. A short time later, we were listing heavily to port and the afterdeck was awash, in fact under water. General John Pope debarked them at Nouma 23 December and returned via Pago Pago to San Francisco 10 January 1944 with 2,500 veterans. Edited by Clay Ramsey. Around 0600 hours course was altered to 290 degrees and one hour later to 280 degrees. Most of the records date between 1941 and 1946. Pope was stationed off Swatow and Pehtaiho during 14 June 19 August, observing the Japanese Navy en route to Swatow and the subsequent bombing and occupation of the city. In early January 1967, the General John Pope returned to San Francisco Bay. During the Korean War she carried American troops to Japan and Korea to take part in the giant effort to hold back the Communist invasion. Only 123 are liberated which include the Commanding officer and 29 died in captivity. P. van Rees, RNN), HrMs TM-8 (Lt. J.G. Returning via Nouma to embark casualties, the ship reached San Francisco 18 May 1944. Shortly afterwards two more Japanese heavy cruisers were sighted bearing approximately 330 degrees. The motor whaleboat went out and brought him back to the group. It was not until about 0935 hours that the topmasts of two enemy heavy cruisers were sighted bearing about 170 degrees, steering to the westward. If you have a small window it would look really nice hung in it! It had been intended to alter course to 290 degrees at 0400/1 but shortly before this three ships, two large and one smaller were sighted to the westward in the light of the setting moon. While doing so her smoke generator was started. Very attractive oak framed stained glass window panel. She was the first ship named for John Pope . General John Pope received numerous awards for service in the Second World War, Korean War and Vietnam War: American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, [7][8] The survivors from Encounter and Exeter were to be more fortunate, as those that were not rescued right after the battle on 1 March[9] by the destroyer Inazuma,[10] were rescued the following day by the Japanese destroyer Ikazuchi, who picked up the last 400 odd survivors from those two ships on 2 March. . Around this time all the Allied ships also engaged Japanese destroyers with gunfire. Getting back to the action itself, while this was taking place, we were being continuously bombed, shelled, and strafed. This was attempted in a final effort to save the ship. She must have been hit in the ammunition magazine, as she blew up and sunk immediately. In the evening of the 19th they departed for Badoeng Strait. We were sure the Pope would go down in the annals of naval history, if not for no other reason than that of having participated in the first successful night torpedo attack against an enemy. Increased tension on China's northern borders due to the Japanese invasion of Manchuria made it necessary for Pope to evacuate Americans from northern Chinese ports such as Lao Yao and Tsingtao to Shanghai beginning 19 September 1937. I would like to describe the weaponry at our disposal to fight this battle. We in the engine rooms had by now set the bilge pumps in operation. She served for many years with the Asiatic Fleet . Her 30 or so seriously wounded, including Goggins, were taken by train to the Dutch Petrinella hospital at Jogjakarta. USS General John Pope (AP-110) was a troop transport that served with the United States Navy in World War II.After the war she was transferred to the Army and redesignated USAT General John Pope.She later served in the Korean and Vietnam Wars as a civilian-crewed Military Sea Transportation Service vessel, as USNS General John Pope (T-AP-110).. General John Pope was launched under a Maritime . I was unlucky enough to have been hit by a machine gun bullet that cut the flesh off my right knee. The Japanese landed around 0200/19 on the south coast of Bali. She engaged in maneuvers with the battleship divisions off Guantanamo Bay from 12 January until her return to Philadelphia 27 April. It was expected that the Japanese would soon land (night of 19/20 February 1942) on the south-east coast of Bali (Badoeng Strait). 1,090. Some records, however, date as far back as 1917 and some up to 1967. The destroyer eventually turned away to the westward under the cover of smoke. Pope was laid down 9 September 1919 and launched 23 March 1920 from William Cramp & Sons; sponsored by Mrs. William S. Benson; and commissioned 27 October 1920 at Philadelphia. USS Pillsbury (DD-227) commissioned 15 December 1920, 1,190 tons, 4- 4" guns, 12 TT. We in the engine room were surprised when told that we were surrounded by enemy ships, thirteen to be exact, five cruisers and eight destroyers. World War 2 (WW2 WWII) veteran, casualty, and military unit records search by WW2 Researcher Bill Beigel. Though my wound was of a superficial nature, several others received more serious wounds. Targets were engaged by HMS Exeter whenever these were sighted through the smoke but it was seldom to fire more then four or five salvoes at a time. O.L. During the Battle of Balikpapan she made close-quarter torpedo and gun attacks which helped delay Japanese landings at Balikpapan and later in the Battle of Badung Strait she impeded the invasion of the island of Bali. At this point, the skipper had one of the crewmen lie down on his back with a pair of binoculars. USS Pope temporary managed to escape from the Japanese warships hiding in rain squalls. It is not completely clear but it is possible that one of these US destroyers then engaged Piet Hein with gunfire thinking she was Japanese. It is also possible that it were the Japanese that engaged Piet Hein. Three hours after nightfall on Sept. 15, 1942, the U.S.S. Destroyers of World War TwoWhitley, M. J. Departing Okinawa the following day she arrived at Qui Nhon, South Vietnam on 21 November 1967 and disembarked the 61st Assault Helicopter Company. This section includes over 21.000 Allied Warships and over 11.000 Allied Commanders of WWII, from the US Navy, Royal Navy, Royal Canadian Navy, Royal Australian Navy, The Polish Navy and others. 's) and started dive-bombing / strafing runs against us. By bleeding the hydraulic lines and yoking the rudder gears with chains Goggins and the damage control parties were able to lock the rudder amidships. It is 13.75 x 15.75 wide, although it could be hung vertically also. Eventually, they dropped a bomb that narrowly missed the ship and exploded in the water on our after port quarter. After earning two battle stars and ferrying soldiers and aircraft in the European and Pacific theaters of World War II, it was downed by Japanese torpedoes while transporting reinforcements to . Shortly afterwards two more torpedoes were fired but none found their intended target. Also another enemy report was made. Pope was initially placed in reduced commission at Philadelphia and assigned to Squadron 3, Division 39 of the Atlantic Reserve Fleet. [3] In the evening of 28 February 1942, Exeter and the two destroyers left Soerabaja and proceeded north. J.E. During the summer of 1944, the far-ranging transport made two round-trip voyages from San Francisco: on the first she got underway 27 May for New Guinean ports, Guadalcanal, and the Russell Islands, debarking 3,800 men of the famous 1st Marine Division at San Diego, California before returning to San Francisco; and on the second she departed 26 July for Honolulu and returned 8 August. It would mean a break in the monotony, but it could just as well be certain death. Both sides launched torpedoes but all missed their intended targets and then a gunfight was started. In a very few minutes, an aircraft was spotted; it was identified as an enemy. This destroyer was then engaged with gunfire at ranges between 20000 and 14000 yards. 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