Allied Warships

USS Greer (DD 145)

Destroyer of the Wickes class

NavyThe US Navy
TypeDestroyer
ClassWickes 
PennantDD 145 
Built byWilliam Cramp & Sons Ship & Engine Building Comp 
Ordered 
Laid down24 Feb 1918 
Launched1 Aug 1918 
Commissioned31 Dec 1918 
End service19 Jul 1945 
History

Decommissioned at San Diego, California on 22 June 1922
Recommissioned on 31 March 1930
Decommissioned at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on 13 January 1937
Recommissioned on 4 October 1939
Decommissioned at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on 19 July 1945
Stricken on 13 August 1945
Sold 30 November 1945 and broken up for scrap. 

Commands listed for USS Greer (DD 145)

Please note that we're still working on this section
and that we only list Commanding Officers for the duration of the Second World War.

CommanderFromTo
1Cdr. John Joseph Mahoney, USN4 Oct 19394 Mar 1940
2Lt. William Kilian Romoser, USN4 Mar 194010 Jun 1940
3Cdr. Carl Wright Brewington, USN10 Jun 194012 Dec 1940
4Lt.Cdr. Forrest Close, USN12 Dec 19408 Sep 1941
5Lt.Cdr. Lawrence Hugh Frost, USN8 Sep 194120 Jun 1942
6T/Lt.Cdr. Thomas Henry Copeman, USN20 Jun 194225 Apr 1943
7Lt. Merle David Cooper, USNR25 May 194325 Dec 1943
8John Chapman Jolly, USN25 Dec 19431 Jan 1945
9J. P. Field, Jr., USNR1 Jan 194519 Jul 1945

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Notable events involving Greer include:


4 Sep 1941
On 4 September 1941, USS Greer had been signalled by a British bomber, that a German U-boat was hiding in the vicinity. Greer found sound contact, and started to pursue the U-boat U-652 from close range. The aircraft dropped 4 depth charges, and left the scene, leaving the two fighting ships. Soon after the U-boat fired a torpedo at the US warship, perhaps believing she dropped the four bombs. After this USS Greer went into attack, and a 2 hour battle followed, during which she dropped 19 depth charges, and the U-boat fired another torpedo, without results. President Roosevelt used this event in his campaign to convince the US to go to war, and the "undeclared war" between U-boats and US escorts escalated dramatically. (1)

1 Mar 1942
USS Greer picks up 13 survivors from the Panamanian merchant Equipoise that was torpedoed and sunk on 27 February 1942 about 60 miles south-east of Cape Henry in position 36°36'N, 74°45'W by German U-boat U-160.

3 Apr 1942
The aircraft carrier HMS Furious (Capt. T.O. Bulteel, RN) conducted full power trials in Chesapeake Bay on completion of which she set course for Bermuda escorted by the destroyers USS Greer (Lt.Cdr. L.H. Frost, USN, with COMDESDIV 61, Cdr. G.W. Johnson, USN, on board) and USS Tarbell (Lt.Cdr. S.D. Willingham, USN). (2)

3 Apr 1942
Around 1845P/3, HMS Furious (Capt. T.O. Bulteel, RN), USS Greer (Lt.Cdr. L.H. Frost, USN, with COMDESDIV 61, Cdr. G.W. Johnson, USN, on board) and USS Tarbell (Lt.Cdr. S.D. Willingham, USN) arrived at Bermuda from Chesapeake Bay. (2)

5 Apr 1942
Around 0945P/5, the aircraft carrier HMS Furious (Capt. T.O. Bulteel, RN) departed Bermuda for the U.K. She was escorted by the destroyers USS Greer (Lt.Cdr. L.H. Frost, USN, with COMDESDIV 61, Cdr. G.W. Johnson, USN, on board) and USS Tarbell (Lt.Cdr. S.D. Willingham, USN). The destroyers had departed a little earlier to conduct an A/S sweep of the harbour entrance.

Around 1245N/10, the destroyers parted company to return to Bermuda where they arrived on the 15th.

Around 1345Z/12, the destroyers HMS Keppel (Cdr. J.E. Broome, RN), HMS Volunteer (Lt. A.S. Pomeroy, RN) and HMS Leamington (Lt.Cdr. H.G. Bowerman, RN) joined HMS Furious.

Around 1800Z/13, HMS Leamington parted company to proceed to Londonderry where she arrived on the 15th.

Around 0635B/15, HMS Keppel parted company to proceed to Belfast where she arrived later the same day.

Around 1130B/15, HMS Furious anchored off Greenock. HMS Volunteer then proceeded to Londonderry arriving later on the 15th. (2)

23 Apr 1942
USS Greer picks up 24 survivors from the American merchant Robin Hood that was torpedoed and sunk on 16 April 1942 by German U-boat U-575 about 300 nautical miles south-east of Nantucket Island, Massachusetts in position 38°45'N, 66°45'W.

23 Mar 1943
HMS H 34 (Lt. J.P. Angell, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with USS Greer, HMCS Trillium (T/Lt. P.C. Evans, RCNR) and HMCS Dauphin (T/Lt. M.H. Wallace, RCNR). (3)

5 Nov 1943

Convoy UT 4A.

The New York section of this convoy departed on 5 November 1943.

It was made up of the following (troop) transports; Brazil (American, 20614 GRT, built 1929), Examiner (American, 6737 GRT, built 1942), Frederick Lykes (American, 7773 GRT, built 1940) and Ocean Mail (American, 7842 GRT, built 1941).

The escort carrier (in an aircraft ferry role) HMS Khedive (A/Capt. H.J. Haynes, DSO, DSC, RN) and the tanker USS Salamonie (T/Capt. L.J. Johns, USN) were also part of the New York Section of the convoy.

The New York Section of the convoy was escorted by the destroyers USS Frankford (T/Cdr. T.J. Thornhill, Jr., USN, with COMDESRON 18, T/Capt. W.K. Mendenhall, Jr, USN, on board), USS Carmick (T/Cdr. R.O. Beer, USN), USS Doyle (T/Cdr. C.E. Boyd, USN), USS Endicott (T/Cdr. W.S. Heald, USN), USS McCook (T/Cdr. S.C. Anderson, USN) and the destroyer escort USS Ira Jeffery (Lt.Cdr. R.A. Fitch, USNR).

The Boston section of this convoy also departed on 5 November 1943.

It was made up of the following (troop) transports; Explorer (American, 6736 GRT, built 1939) and General George W. Goethals (American, 12093 GRT, built 1942).

The Boston Section of the convoy was escorted by the destroyers USS Decatur (T/Cdr. J.B. Williams, USN, with COMDESDIV 53, T/Capt. B.S. Copping, USN), USS Clemson (Lt. W.F. Moran, USNR) and USS Greer (Lt. M.D. Cooper, USNR). These three destroyers did not join the convoy.

The two sections merged on 7 November 1943. Also joining on 7 November 1943 was the escort destroyer USS Lee Fox (Lt.Cdr. W.C. Jennings, USNR) which had been delayed due to engine trouble and could not sail with the New York Section on the 5th.

On 11 November 1943, USS Carmick and USS Lee Fox were detached to the Azores to fue. Refueling at sea had been impossible in the weather conditions that had been encountered.

On 12 November 1943, fuelling at sea was possible, so USS Doyle, USS Endicott, USS McCook and USS Frankford fuelled from USS Salamonie.

On 13 November 1943, USS Ira Jeffery fuelled from USS Salamonie.

The convoy arrived in U.K. waters on 16 November 1943. USS Carmick and USS Lee Fox had been unable to rejoin the convoy before it's arrival.

Media links


Destroyers of World War Two

Whitley, M. J.


U.S. Destroyers

Friedman, Norman


United States Destroyer Operations In World War II.

Roscoe, Theodore

Sources

  1. Personal communication
  2. ADM 53/115961 + War diary off USS Greer for April 1942
  3. ADM 173/17792

ADM numbers indicate documents at the British National Archives at Kew, London.


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