USS Hammerberg DE-1015
The USS HAMMERBERG (DE-1015), first ship to bear this name, and third of the Navy's new class of Destroyer Escorts was designed for large-scale wartime construction. She had a displacement of about 1850 tons, was a single screw-geared turbine installation that sped construction times, and reduced the requirements for critical machinery components. On 22 November, the keel was laid 1953 and the ship launched on 20 August 1954.
The USS HAMMERBERG (DE-1015) was built by the Bath Iron Works Corporation, Bath, Maine. Upon completion, she was delivered to the Boston Naval Shipyard Boston, Mass. And it was there on 2 March 1955 she was commissioned as the USS HAMMERBERG (DE-1015).
The ship's sponsor was Mrs. Elizabeth H. Moss, mother of the late Owen Patrick Hammerberg, Boatswain Mate second class. Hammerberg, posthumous winner of this country's highest award for heroism, the Congressional Medal of Honor. Hammerberg gave his life in saving the lives of two fellow divers trapped, during rescue operation, in a cave-in of steel wreckage, under an LST sunk in 40 feet of water, at West Lock, Pearl Harbor, Territory of Hawaii, February 17, 1945.
Lieutenant Commander M. E. Draper assumed duty as her first Commanding Officer. After a shakedown cruise to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, The USS HAMMERBERG (DE-1015) spent the summer in training in anti-submarine warfare.
After New Year's The USS HAMMERBERG (DE-1015) departed for the Caribbean, where she and other ships conducted Operation SPRINGBOARD. In May and June the ship acted as a school ship for the Fleet Sonar School at Key West. During August, the ship was engaged in ASW operation. In September, she entered New York Naval Shipyard for overhaul. Before completion of the overhaul, Lieutenant Commander M.E. Doyle reported aboard to relieve as Commanding Officer.
Early in 1957, The USS HAMMERBERG (DE-1015) got underway for refresher training at Guantanamo Bay. With six weeks of intensive training, The USS HAMMERBERG (DE-1015) returned to her homeport and participated in further exercises under the operational control of COMANTISUBLANT. The ship spent most of June, July engaged in two separate convoy exercises, and all hands enjoyed two brief calls at Bermuda during June and July.
In August 1957 The USS HAMMERBERG (DE-1015) participated in another convoy exercise. In August, the ship also attended ceremonies at Bath, Maine in celebration of 350 years of shipbuilding in that city. In September, The USS HAMMERBERG (DE-1015) got underway for her first transatlantic trip as a participant in a six week NATO operation. The people of Milford Haven, Wales and Plymouth, England warmly welcomed the ship, during her short stay there. After participation in exercises with French, English, and Canadian ships off the cost of France, she spent ten days in Brest along with ships of the French and U.S. Fleets. Some crewmembers visited Paris and other parts of France at this time.
Shortly after the ship's return to the United States in October, The USS HAMMERBERG (DE-1015) took part in a ten day hunter-killer operation with the aircraft carrier USS TARAWA.
In February 1958, The USS HAMMERBERG (DE-1015) took part in advanced anti-submarine exercises off the coast of Florida. Lieutenant Commander A. L. Willis then relieved as Commanding Officer. In April The USS HAMMERBERG (DE-1015) departed on her second transatlantic voyage. She participated in operations with ships of the Royal Norwegian Navy in areas above the Arctic Circle as well as calling on ports in Iceland, Newfoundland, Norway and Belgium. The ship visited Anthwerp, Belgium, for five days and all members of the crew had an opportunity to see the 1958 World's Fair in near-by Brussels.
In early August The USS HAMMERBERG (DE-1015) sailed on a cruise which was to last nearly forty consecutive days at sea while operation as a unit of Task Force 88 conducting project ARGUS in the South Atlantic. Highlight of this two-month operation was a five-day visit to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on the return trip.
After an overhaul in Boston and a brief refresher training week in Guantanamo Bay, The USS HAMMERBERG (DE-1015) proceeded on with Task Force 86 in February 1959, to the west coast of South America. She transited the Panama Canal and participated in anti-submarine exercises with the navies of Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, and Chile. At Balboa, Panama, Lieutenant Commander D. J. J. Downey took command of the ship.
The USS HAMMERBERG (DE-1015) returned home in April 1959, steaming via the Panama Canal to Newport, Rhode Island.
In July 1959, she participated in CONVEX 3-39.
August of 1959 saw The USS HAMMERBERG (DE-1015)underway for Londonderry, Northern Ireland, where she participated in the Joint-Anti-Submarine School, along with many NATO representatives. After stopping off in Argentina, Newfoundland, the ship arrived in Londonderry. Operation with elements of the British, Dutch, Norwegian and Portuguese navies, as well as German aircraft, The USS HAMMERBERG (DE-1015)helped prove once again the excellent ASW capabilities of the DEALEY class destroyer escort.
Leaving Ireland, The USS HAMMERBERG (DE-1015) left the squadron and steamed independently to Edinburgh, Scotland and Bridlington, England. Here she represented the Untied States Navy in the dedication ceremonies of a monument honoring the historic naval battle of Flamborought Head between USS BON HOMME RICHARD and HMS SERAPIS.
Lisbon, Portugal was the final port-of-call on the European cruise joining up with other units of CORTRON TEN, The USS HAMMERBERG (DE-1015) displayed her ASW capabilities to interested Portuguese officials. A week of ASW and developmental work against nuclear submarines completed her 1959 activities.
The New Year opened as she readied herself for SPRINGBOARD 1960. In January, Escort Squadrons TEN and FOURTEEN escorted an amphibious landing force from off the shores of North Carolina to their striking beach in the Southern shores of Vieques in the Caribbean.
In March, The USS HAMMERBERG (DE-1015) participated in LANTPHIBEX 1-60. She assumed the task of anti-submarine protection for amphibious troupe ships, and returned to Newport on 1 April.
On 2 July, Lieutenant Commander P.C. Boyd relied as Commanding Officer. Almost immediately, The USS HAMMERBERG (DE-1015) departed for LANTFLEX 2-60, a large fleet exercise in which the entire SECOND FLEET participated. At the end of LANTFLEX, The USS HAMMERBERG (DE-1015) prepared for Task Force 86, comprised of her sister ships COURTNEY and DEALEY, the submarine ODAX, and the destroyer JOHN PAUL JONES as flagship, Commander South Atlantic Force.
The first phase of Operation UNITAS consisted of operations with the combined navies of Venezuela and Columbia. Visits were made to LaGuaira, Venezuela and Cartagena, Columbia.
The USS HAMMERBERG (DE-1015) and other U.S. units returned to Newport on December 13, 1960.
The ship prepared for Operation UNITAS II, an almost exact repetition of the first operation.
The USS HAMMERBERG (DE-1015) returned from South America on 1 December 1961, and spent a short time in a tender availability. During that time, Lieutenant Commander R. F. Schniedwind became the ship's Commanding Officer. Also at this time The UUSS HAMMERBERG (DE-1015) was awarded the Supply Excellence "E" for 1961. Then, in mid-January 1962, she sailed for the Caribbean to participate in Operation SPRINGBOARD.
The ship returned to Newport in February, and spent the next five months in a series of convoy escort operation, as a unit of Task Group CHARLIE, commanded by Rear Admiral Jones, Commander Destroyer Flotilla TWO.
In August the ship was enroute to Key West, Florida, where she operated with the Fleet Sonar School, providing sonar services for the students.
August again found The USS USS HAMMERBERG (DE-1015) performing convoy exercises until September when type training and ASW tracking operations began.
On 7 November The USS HAMMERBERG (DE-1015) was enroute south to Mayport, Florida, where she patrolled the coast of Florida during the 1962 Cuban crisis. On 29 November, the ship returned to Newport for a well-deserved rest with upkeep and tender availability also to allow the crew to spend Christmas holidays with their families and friends.
During this period, with a ceremony on 17 December Rear Admiral C. B. Jones, COMCRUDESFLOT TWO, presented the Operational Excellence Award the ship.
In January of 1963, The USS HAMMERBERG (DE-1015) went to Boston Naval Shipyard for and overhaul period followed by Refresher Training in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Upon completion of five weeks of Refresher Training at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, The USS HAMMERBERG (DE-1015) sailed to Key West, Florida and provided services for the students of the Fleet Anti-Submarine Warfare School there for a one week period. Upon completion of this assignment, The USS HAMMERBERG (DE-1015) returned to Newport, Rhode Island where, on 24 May 1963, LCDR Lucien Capone, Jr., U.S. N. relieved as Commanding Officer.
After a brief period in port, The USS HAMMERBERG (DE-1015) participated in a large-scale escort of convoy exercise off the East Coast of the United States. At the completion of this exercise, all hands enjoyed the ship's brief visit to New York City prior to return to Newport.
June and July 1963 were devoted to intensive preparation for Operation UNITAS IV - a deployment which was to comprise the circumnavigation of South America in the conduct of Anti-Submarine Warfare training operation with seven South American navies. Preparations included a brief period in Norfolk, Virginia for scheduled boiler repairs.
The USS HAMMERBERG (DE-1015) departed Newport on 12 August in company with USS CROMWELL (DE-1014) and USS CORTNEY (DE-1021) in which Commander Robert B. Pettitt, Commander Escort Squadron TEN, was embarked. After rendezvous with USS NORFOLK (DL 1) and USS SENNETT (SS 408), the other U.S. UNITAS participants, The USS HAMMERBERG (DE-1015), arrived in Trinidad on 19 August and Task Force 86 departed Trinidad enroute to Salvador (Bahia) Brazil and the first phase of operations with the Brazilian Navy. Operation UNITAS IV, Commanded by Rear Admiral John A. Tyree, USN, Commander South Atlantic Force, was the largest such operation to date, and was a notable success - both in terms of the training received and in the solidification and enhancement on Inter-American relations.
During this cruise The USS HAMMERBERG (DE-1015) visited Salvador and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Buenos Aires and Puerto Belgrano in Argentina, Punta Arenas, Talcahuano, Valparaiso and Mejillones Bay in Chile, Callao (Lima), Ilo, and Talera in Peru, Salinas, Ecuador, and Cartagena, Colombia. During the course of the circumnavigation of South America, The USS HAMMERBERG (DE-1015) transited the Straits of Magellan, the Chilean Inland Passage and the Panama Canal.
Upon completion of Operation UNITAS IV on 30 November 1963, The USS HAMMERBERG (DE-1015) proceeded to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba for a brief operational visit and the proceeded to rendezvous with Task Force 180 at sea for participation in exercise PHIBASWEX 1-63. This very large-scale escort of amphibious convoy operation included Antisubmarine Warfare exercises with over 30 other Atlantic Fleet units from Viequez Island off Puerto Rico to Moorhead City, North Carolina.
On 17 December, 1963, after over four months of intensive operation at sea, The USS HAMMERBERG (DE-1015) returned to Newport, Rhode Island for tender availability and a welcome holiday leave period.
At the time of this writing, this was all the information I had on the USS HAMMERBERG (DE-1015). If you have any knowledge of further information I would appreciate your sharing with me for the purpose of this web page... and for my own personal keepsake. Most of this information was taken from a very worn typed 4 page mailing I had from the early 60's and every effort was made to insure correct spelling of the many foreign countries that The USS HAMMERBERG (DE-1015) visited. Thank you for taking the time to read "The History Of The USS HAMMERBERG (DE-1015)
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crew members of the USS HAMMERBERG (DE-1015)
