USCGC Spencer (WPG-36)

USCGC Spencer (WPG-36) was a Treasury-class cutter of the United States Coast Guard that served during World War II.[1] She was named for U.S. Treasury Secretary John Canfield Spencer.

For other ships with the same name, see USCGC Spencer.
Spencer during World War II.
USCGC Spencer during World War II.
History
United States
NameUSCGC Spencer
BuilderNew York Navy Yard
Laid down11 September 1935
Launched6 January 1937
Commissioned1 March 1937
Decommissioned23 January 1974
FateSold for scrapping on 8 October 1981 to North American Smelting Co.
General characteristics
Class and typeTreasury-class cutter
Displacement2,216 long tons (2,252 t; 2,482 short tons)
Length327 ft (99.67 m)o/a
Beam41 ft (12.50 m)
Draught12.5 ft (3.81 m)
Propulsion
  • 2 oil-fueled Babcock & Wilcox boilers
  • 2 shafts
  • Westinghouse geared turbines
  • 6,200 ihp (4,600 kW)
Speed20.5 knots (38.0 km/h)
Range12,300 nautical miles (22,780 km) at 11 knots (20.4 km/h)
Capacity135,180 US gallons (511,712 L)
Complement
  • 1937: 12 officers, 4 warrants, 107 enlisted
  • 1941: 16 officers, 5 warrants, 202 enlisted
  • 1966: 10 officers, 3 warrants, 134 enlisted
Sensors and
processing systems
  • 1940s:
    • HF/DF: DAR (converted British FH3)
    • Radar: SC-4, SGa
    • Fire Control Radar: Mk-26
    • Sonar: QC series
  • 1960s:
    • Radar: AN/SPS-29D; AN/SPA-52
    • Fire Control Radar: Mk-26 MOD 4
    • Sonar: AN/SQS-11
Armament
  • 1936:
  • 1941:
  • 1943:
    • 2 x 5"/51 cal
    • 4 x 3"/50 cal
    • 2 x 20 mm Oerlikon/80cal
    • 1 x Hedgehog
    • 6 x "K" gun depth charge projectors
    • 2 x depth charge racks
  • 1945:
    • 2 x 5"/38 cal
    • 3 x 40mm/60 cal (twin mount)
    • 4 x 20mm/80 cal
  • 1946:
    • 1 x 5"/38 cal
    • 1 x 40mm/60 cal (twin mount)
    • 2 x 20mm/80 cal
    • 1 x Hedgehog
  • 1966:
    • 1 x 5 in (130 mm)/38 Mk30 MOD75
    • 1 x Mk52 MOD3 Director
    • 1 x Mk10-1 Hedgehog
    • 2 (P&S) x Mk32 MOD5TT
    • 4 x MK44 MOD1 torpedoes
    • 2 x 50cal MK2 Browning MG
    • 2 x MK13 high altitude parachute flare mortars
Aircraft carried1 Grumman JF-2 Duck or Curtiss SOC-4

Early career and World War II
A view from USCGC Spencer depth-charging U-175.

Commissioned in 1937, she was first used as a search and rescue unit off Alaska's fishing grounds. When the United States entered World War II, the Coast Guard temporarily became part of the United States Navy. Spencer saw service in the Pacific War. During the Battle of Atlantic, she acted as a convoy escort, hunting German U-boats, and was responsible for sinking U-633 and U-175 in 1943.

Convoys escorted
Convoy Escort Group Dates Notes
ON 67 26-28 Feb 1942[2] from Iceland to Newfoundland
HX 178 MOEF group A3 6–16 March 1942[3] from Newfoundland to Iceland
ON 79 24–31 March 1942[2] Iceland shuttle
HX 185 MOEF group A3 18–26 April 1942[3] from Newfoundland to Northern Ireland
ON 92 MOEF group A3 7–18 May 1942[2] from Northern Ireland to Newfoundland
HX 196 MOEF group A3 2–10 July 1942[3] from Newfoundland to Northern Ireland
ON 114 MOEF group A3 20–30 July 1942[2] from Northern Ireland to Newfoundland
SC 95 MOEF group A3 8-18 Aug 1942[4] from Newfoundland to Northern Ireland
ON 125 MOEF group A3 29 Aug-7 Sept 1942[2] from Northern Ireland to Newfoundland
SC 100 MOEF group A3 16-27 Sept 1942[4] from Newfoundland to Northern Ireland
ON 135 MOEF group A3 3-14 Oct 1942[2] from Northern Ireland to Newfoundland
SC 111 MOEF group A3 1-16 Dec 1942[4] from Newfoundland to Northern Ireland
ON 156 MOEF group A3 24 Dec 1942-8 Jan 1943[4] from Northern Ireland to Newfoundland
HX 223 MOEF group A3 19-late Jan 1943[3] from Newfoundland to Northern Ireland
ON 166 MOEF group A3 12-25 Feb 1943[2] from Northern Ireland to Newfoundland
SC 121 MOEF group A3 3–12 March 1943[2] from Northern Ireland to Newfoundland
ON 175 MOEF group A3 25 March-7 April 1943[4] from Northern Ireland to Newfoundland
HX 233 MOEF group A3 12–20 April 1943[3] from Newfoundland to Northern Ireland

Spencer was assigned to the US Navy's Seventh Fleet, in the Pacific in late 1944, where she served as a Communications Command Ship. There she was credited with taking part in numerous amphibious assaults including Luzon and Palawan in the Philippines Campaign.

Post-war career

After the war, Spencer returned to her Coast Guard duties, serving in the Atlantic Ocean. Here she provided navigational assistance for the fledgling Trans-Atlantic air industry and acted as a search and rescue platform for both ships and aeroplanes.

She returned to combat duty off the Vietnam coast in February 1969. For ten months, she carried out surveillance to prevent troops and supplies from getting into South Vietnam. She detected over 4,200 suspicious vessels and craft, closely monitored the movement of more than 1,320 of them and boarded 27 vessels to inspect of both their cargo and crew. Spencer detained 52 "enemy suspects" and turned them over to the South Vietnamese military for questioning. She also executed 13 naval gunfire missions in support of operations on land, destroying or damaging over 160 enemy structures, bunkers, and base camps. Spencer left Vietnam at the end of September and returned to the United States.

For the next five years, Spencer continued her peace-time mission of ocean station keeping.

Retirement

Spencer served for over 37 years and when decommissioned in 1974, she was the most decorated cutter in the Coast Guard's fleet. Her last voyage was from New York City to the United States Coast Guard Yard, Curtis Bay on 15 January 1974. On board her for this voyage were 24 of her World War II crew. She was decommissioned on 23 January 1974.

She served as an engineering training ship with students using her steam propulsion plant until 15 December 1980. She was then sold to the North American Smelting Company and scrapped.

Awards
Burial ceremony of RM3 Julius T. Petrella aboard Spencer during World War II.

References
  1. "USCG Spencer". U.S. Coast Guard Cutter History. United States CoastGuard. Archived from the original on 2017-04-30. Retrieved 2012-12-12.
  2. "ON convoys". Andrew Hague Convoy Database. Archived from the original on 2011-09-29. Retrieved 2011-06-19.
  3. "HX convoys". Andrew Hague Convoy Database. Archived from the original on 2011-05-20. Retrieved 2011-06-19.
  4. "SC convoys". Andrew Hague Convoy Database. Archived from the original on 2011-05-20. Retrieved 2011-06-21.
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