USSTrever
 USSTrever(DD-339) off the coast ofCaliforniawhile serving withDestroyerDivision 10,Battle Force,circa 1931.
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Namesake | Lieutenant CommanderGeorge A. Trever |
| Builder | Mare Island Naval Shipyard |
| Laid down | 12 August 1919 |
| Launched | 15 September 1920 |
| Commissioned | 3 August 1922 |
| Decommissioned | January 1923 |
| Recommissioned | 2 June 1930 |
| Reclassified |
|
| Decommissioned | 23 November 1945 |
| Stricken | 5 December 1945 |
| Fate | Sold for scrapping 12 November 1946 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Clemson-classdestroyer |
| Displacement | 1,308 tons |
| Length | 314 feet4+1⁄2inches (95.822 m) |
| Beam | 30 feet11+1⁄2inches (9.436 m) |
| Draft | 9 feet 10 inches (3.00 m) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 35 knots (65 km/h) |
| Range | |
| Complement | 122 officers and enlisted |
| Armament | 4 ×4 in (100 mm)guns, 1 ×3 in (76 mm)gun, 12 ×21 inch (533 mm)tt. |
USSTrever(DD-339/DMS-16/AG-110)was aClemson-classdestroyerof theUnited States Navyin commission from 1922 to 1923 and from 1930 to 1945. Converted to adestroyer minesweeperin 1940, she served in thePacificthroughoutWorld War II,including during the Japaneseattack on Pearl Harbor,theGuadalcanal campaign,and theNew Georgia campaign.
Treverwas named in memory ofLieutenant CommanderGeorge A. TreverArchived28 October 2020 at theWayback Machine.No other U.S. Navy ship has been namedTrever.
Construction and commissioning
[edit]Treverwas built at theMare Island Navy YardinCalifornia.She waslaunchedon 15 September 1920, sponsored by Mrs. Bess McMillan Trever (George Trever's widow) and wascommissionedon 3 August 1922.
Service history
[edit]Aftershakedown,Treverwasdecommissionedin January 1923. She was recommissioned on 2 June 1930, operating fromSan Diego,California,with theBattle Force.She was reclassified as adestroyer minesweeperand redesignatedDMS-16on 19 November 1940, after which she was based atPearl Harbor,Hawaii,in 1941 as part of the Base Force,United States Fleet.
World War II
[edit]1941
[edit]On the morning of 7 December 1941, whenImperial Japanese Navyaircraftattacked Pearl Harbor,Treverwas moored in West Loch at Pearl Harbor with the destroyer minesweepersUSSZane(DMS-14),USSWasmuth(DMS-15),andUSSPerry(DMS-17).She engaged the aircraft with her.50-caliber Browning machine guns,was responsible for shooting one down, and contributed with hersister shipsto another plane's demise. She hurriedlysortied,putting to sea under the command of the captain of the destroyerUSSHenley(DD-391),as manycommanding officerswere not able to reach their ships before they sortied.Trever's commanding officer, Lieutenant CommanderDwight Agnew,who had gone to sea on boardWasmuth,was able to rejoinTreverlater that day.Treverspent the rest of 1941 and the beginning of 1942 conductingminesweepingoperations, local escort missions, andantisubmarinepatrols.
1942
[edit]On 28 January 1942Treverwas in theAlenuihaha ChanneloffMaui′sHanaCoast 30 nautical miles (56 km; 35 mi) north ofʻUpolu Point,the northernmost point on theisland of Hawaii,escorting a two-shipconvoyon a voyage fromKahului,Maui, toHilo,Hawaii, consisting of the 622-tonUnited States Army TransportUSATGeneral Royal T. Frankand the smallcargo shipKalaewith abargeintow.[1]At dawn, the JapanesesubmarineI-71fired twotorpedoesatGeneral Royal T. Frankwhich missed.[1]I-71then fired a third torpedo that struck thetransport,which exploded and sank in less than 30 seconds.[1]Of the 60 people aboard — including 26United States Armyrecruits —Kalaerescued 36.[1]I-71escaped.
After escorting a convoy fromHonolulutoCalifornia,Treverwas refitted atMare Island Navy Yard,with her 4-inch (102 mm) guns replaced by 3-inch (76.2 mm) antiaircraft (AA) guns and20 mm gunsOerlikon cannons.
Trevernext saw action in the first U.S.amphibious assaultof the war against theSolomon Islandswith the aim of securingGuadalcanal.At first she screened transports and then joined the bombardment of a Japaneseshore batteryon the island ofGavutu;she scored a direct hit and the battery was destroyed. Later she used herantiaircraft gunsto drive off Japanesebombersthat had attacked transport ships. The following dayTrevershot down four twin-enginedMitsubishi G4M(Allied reporting name"Betty" ) bombers.
On that evening, 9 August, a Japanesecruiserforce conducted a surprise attack on theAllied(US and Australian) fleet, resulting in theBattle of Savo Island.The outcome was a very heavy defeat for the Allies, with fourheavy cruiserssunk and one severely damaged. However, the Japanese fleet did not press its advantage and the vulnerable transports supporting the invasion escaped unscathed. As a result of the battle, the Allied warships withdrew and the transports, whose withdrawalTreverhelped to screen, retreated toNew Caledonia.
The invasion was subsequently supported byhigh-speed transportand destroyer minesweepers, includingTreverherself. Her first mission was fromEspiritu Santoto Guadalcanal, loaded with reinforcements and supplies for the hard-pressedU.S. Marineson Guadalcanal. After hastily unloading she retired toward Nouméa, arriving there on 22 September. After escorting a further high-speed convoy to replenish land forces engaged on the Solomons she was deployed to search for survivors of theBattle of Cape Esperance,fought on the night of 12 October 1942. During the day's search,Trevertook on board 34 Japanese survivors, including three officers. Oneraftof eight refused to surrender and put up a fight, givingTreverno recourse but to destroy it and its occupants.Treverthen transferred her prisoners to theattack transportUSSMcCawley(APA-4)and headed back to Espiritu Santo escorting the returning transports.
After completing another resupply mission, on 25 October,Treverhad been expecting orders to bombard Japanese positions along Guadalcanal's coast. However, an intercepted message informed Lieutenant Commander Agnew ofTreverthat three Japanese destroyers were approaching, apparently to bombard the airstrip atHenderson Fieldon Guadalcanal. Two choices were open to Agnew, who was commanding a task unit consisting ofTreverandZane.One was to head for theMaliala Riverto join thegunboatUSSJamestown(PG-55)and the damagedseaplane tenderUSSMcFarland(AVD-14)which were both wellcamouflaged.By following this plan,ZaneandTrever,both uncamouflaged, might attract the Japanese into the area and raise a strong possibility of the destruction of all four highly vulnerable American ships. Accordingly, the ships attempted the alternative, a dash for safety.
The two old destroyer minesweepers got underway and accelerated as fast as possible to clear the area. Some 15 minutes later the Japanese destroyers' silhouettes came over the horizon, hull-down and travelling at high speed. The American ships could manage only 29 knots (33 mph; 54 km/h) and the Japanese, making 35 knots (40 mph; 65 km/h), gained rapidly and opened fire with their 5.5-inch (140 mm) guns while still out of range of the Americans' 3-inch (76.2 mm) armament. The first enemy shells overshot and sent up fountains of water several hundred yards ahead of the destroyer minesweepers; the next salvo fell some 300 yards (270 m) astern. The American ships used evasive action and returned fire from their 3-inch (76.2 mm) guns as Japanese salvos exploded in the sea nearby. The Japanese then hitZaneamidships, killing three men.
Agnew now decided that his ships' best chance of survival would come from attempting to make a high-speed transit ofshoal-studdedNiella Channel.Just as the Americans were changing course, the Japanese broke off the action, perhaps remembering their primary mission.
After continuing resupply runs through January 1943,Treversteamed toAustraliafor overhaul, arriving atSydneyon 27 January 1943.
1943
[edit]Treverreturned to Espiritu Santo on 28 February 1943 before calling atWellington,New Zealand,on 31 May 1943. Returning to escort duties, she accompanied thetank landing shipUSSLST-343fromLungga Roadsto theRussell Islandson 20 June 1943. After nightfall, a Japanese twin-floatbiplaneseaplanecame over and dropped bombs on the two ships, sending them togeneral quartersand provoking return fire fromTrever′s 20-millimeter guns.
Trevernext took part in operations in theNew Georgia campaign.On 29 June 1943,Rear AdmiralGeorge H. Fortraised his flag onTreveras Commander,Task Group31.3. That night, in company with the high-speed transportsUSSSchley(APD-14)andUSSMcKean(APD-5)and seveninfantry landing craft(LCIs),Treverdeparted Wernham Cove in the Russell Islands. At daybreak the next morning, the high-speed transports launched their landing boats. The troops landed at Oliana Bay onNew Georgia,taking the Japanese defenders by surprise. Later that day, with the objective secured, Rear Admiral Fort disembarked at Renard Sound endingTrever's brief role asflagship.
On 5 July 1943, American forces attacked atKula Gulfto occupy Rice Anchorage and thus to prevent Japanese reinforcements from reaching [[Munda, Solomon Islands |Munda]] fromVila.Trevertransportedinfantryand joined bombardment and transport groups in the assault.
On 5 August 1943,Treverjoined thelight cruiserUSSHonolulu(CL-48),which had lost herbowto a JapaneseType 93 "Long Lance" torpedoduring theBattle of Kolombangara,and escorted her from Espiritu Santo to Pearl Harbor. On 19 August 1943,Trevergot underway to escort an eastbound convoy toSan Francisco,California.
After a month's overhaul at Mare Island Navy Yard,Treversteamed for Pearl Harbor on 8 October 1943 and touched there briefly before heading for Guadalcanal. On 11 November 1943, she joined the screen for the transportUSSAmerican Legion(AP-35)and escorted her toEmpress Augusta BayoffBougainville Island.Later that month,Trevertook part in the landings atCape Torokinaon Bougainville, which began theBougainville campaign.
1944
[edit]Treverdevoted the next year to escort missions and target towing duty in the South and Central Pacific. Perhaps the highlight of this service came in October 1944 when she joined the screen for the torpedoed light cruiserUSSHouston(CL-81)and heavy cruiserUSSCanberra(CA-70)and escorted them safely toUlithi Atoll.
On 18 December 1944, as she was escorting a convoy toward the WesternCaroline Islands,Treverwas caught in atyphoon.Visibility dropped to zero due to torrential rains, with mountainous waves and 90-knot (100 mph; 170 km/h) winds. At 16:30, a man making emergency repairs topside was washed overboard, andTreverimmediately began a search for the missing sailor. Two hours later, she picked up her man: bruised, battered, and in shock — but alive.
The following day,Treverput intoGuamand transferred her injured sailor to the naval hospital. On 22 December 1944, she reachedEniwetok.On 24 December 1944, she and U.S. Army TransportUSATSanta Isabelgot underway for Hawaii, arriving at Pearl Harbor on 31 December 1944.Treverreached the Naval Repair Base, San Diego, California, and began overhaul on 9 January 1945.
1945
[edit]Upon completion of her repairs,Treverheaded for Oahu on 25 March 1945. For the remainder of the war,Treveroperated out of Pearl Harbor, where she had entered the hostilities with Japan four years before. On 4 June 1945, she was reclassified as amiscellaneous auxiliaryand designated asAG-110.
On 22 September 1945,Treverdeparted Pearl Harbor for the last time and steamed to San Diego. After repairs, she proceeded via thePanama CanaltoNorfolk,Virginia,where she arrived on 21 October 1945. She was decommissioned on 23 November 1945, struck from theNavy liston 5 December 1945, and sold for scrapping on 12 November 1946.
Honors
[edit]Treverreceived fivebattle starsfor her World War II service.
References
[edit]- ^abcdHackett, Bob; Kingsepp, Sander (2017)."IJN Submarine I-171: Tabular Record of Movement".combinedfleet.Retrieved2 August2020.
This article incorporates text from thepublic domainDictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.The entry can be foundhere.- Cradle Cruise: A Navy Bluejacket Remembers Life Aboard the USS Trever During World War II,by Lon Dawson.ISBN978-1-880954-07-2
- The "Terrible Tee" Goes Forth to War, by CDR D. M. Agnew, USN; United States Naval Institute Proceedings; Vol. No. 70, No. 7; July, 1944; pgs 817–828.
