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USS Joyce (DE-317)
Encyclopedia
USS Joyce (DE-317) was an built for the U.S. Navy during World War II
. She served in the Atlantic Ocean
and the Pacific Ocean
and provided destroyer escort protection against submarine
and air attack for Navy vessels and convoy
s.
She was named in honor of Ensign Philip Michael Joyce who was killed in action on 19 February 1942 during the bombing of Darwin, Australia. She was laid down 8 March 1943 by the Consolidated Steel Corp., Orange, Texas
; launched 26 May 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Harold T. Joyce, mother of Ensign Joyce; and commissioned 30 September 1943, Lt. Comdr. R. Wilcox, USCG, in command.
off Bermuda
, Joyce joined Escort Division 22 for transatlantic convoy escort duty. Sailing from Norfolk, Virginia
, 4 December 1943, she helped escort a 100-ship convoy to North Africa
. She returned to New York
from Casablanca
31 January 1944, then departed 1 March as part of the escort for a fast convoy bound for Derry
, Northern Ireland
. While steaming 400 miles south of Iceland
on the night of 9 March Joyce braved two attacks from a German
U-boat
to rescue 28 survivors from the stricken , which was torpedo
ed while investigating a radar
contact. Joyce steamed at top speed for Derry and arriving 11 March, transferred Leopold's wounded. A week later she departed for New York in company with a westbound convoy, which reached the East Coast 28 March.
to the surface, bow first, some 2,000 yards to her stern. A screening escort, , opened fire and rammed the after section of the U-boat. Joyce, Gandy, and shelled the submarine, silenced her deck guns and forced the hapless U-550 to surrender. Joyce ordered the Germans to abandon ship, but before a boarding party could seize the captured prize, the Germans scuttled her. Only 40 minutes after Joyce had detected her, she plunged stern first beneath the waves. Joyce rescued and took prisoner 13 survivors, including the U-boat's skipper, escorted the convoy safely to Derry 26 April, and returned in convoy to the United States
where she arrived New York 12 May. During the next year Joyce conducted eight more escort voyages for convoys bound from New York to Great Britain
; she returned to New York from her last convoy run 13 May 1945.
and gunnery training with units of Escort Division 22 in the Caribbean
. Sailing from Guantánamo Bay 20 June, she transited the Panama Canal
the 23d and steamed via San Diego, California
, for Pearl Harbor
where she arrived 11 July for duty with the Pacific Fleet. She conducted ASW exercises in the Hawaii
an operating area until 28 August when she sailed for Saipan
Island and Sasebo
, Japan
, as escort for a convoy of amphibious landing ships.
2 October. She remained in the Philippines on escort duty throughout October and sailed from Guinan, Samar
, 4 November with 29 returning veterans for Pearl Harbor. Arriving the 15th, she continued to San Diego 17 November; upon her arrival the 23d she debarked her passengers and received orders to report for duty with the Atlantic Fleet. Sailing from San Diego the 25th, she passed through the Panama Canal 3 December and put into New York harbor on the 10th.
Joyce remained at New York for an inactivation overhaul until 21 January 1946 when she departed for a 3-day voyage to Green Cove Springs, Florida
. She remained there and decommissioned 1 May to become a unit of the Florida Group, Atlantic Inactive Reserve Fleet.
Joyce was recalled to active duty; taken to Mare Island Naval Shipyard
, Vallejo, California
, where she converted to a radar picket
escort (DER-317); and recommissioned 28 February 1951, Lt. Comdr. J. P. McGrady, in command.
Following shakedown along the California
coast, she departed 12 May for duty with the Atlantic Fleet; arriving Newport, Rhode Island
, 21 June, she joined Escort Squadron 10 and commenced picket duty. She participated in air defense exercises along the New England
coast and during the next 8 months made three barrier picket patrols along the Atlantic coast from Newfoundland to Puerto Rico
. She steamed from Newport 19 February 1952 in company with Escort Squadron 10 bound for practice barrier patrols in the Caribbean. Cruising the Caribbean from Panama
to Trinidad
, she returned to Newport 20 March and joined Escort Squadron 16.
After conducting ASW tactics with in the Virginia Capes
Operating Area, she departed Newport 30 June, joined the Eastern Air Defense Force, and commenced radar barrier station patrols to protect North America from surprise attack. Interrupted only by overhauls and refresher training, these picket patrols continued for 5 years; Joyce ranged the Atlantic from Nova Scotia
and Newfoundland to the Virginia Capes and the West Indies.
Departing Newport 17 July 1957, Joyce sailed with her squadron for duty in the Pacific and, via the Dominican Republic
, Panama, and San Diego, arrived Pearl Harbor 18 August. Following 6 weeks of training, she commenced radar picket and ASW patrols from Pearl Harbor to Midway Atoll
and the Marshall Islands
. She departed Pearl 13 May 1958 and sailed for Eniwetok Atoll where she conducted search and rescue operations at the Eniwetok Proving Grounds Area. Returning to Pearl Harbor 17 June, she resumed her picket patrols until 16 March 1960 when she set sail for the West Coast.
, 22 March, she entered the Long Beach Naval Shipyard
for inactivation overhaul. Joyce decommissioned 17 June 1960 and was assigned to the Long Beach Group, U.S. Pacific Fleet Reserve. Joyce later transferred to the San Diego, California, Group, where she remained until she was sold for scrapping 11 September 1973.
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. She served in the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
and the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
and provided destroyer escort protection against submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
and air attack for Navy vessels and convoy
Convoy
A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support, though it may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.-Age of Sail:Naval...
s.
She was named in honor of Ensign Philip Michael Joyce who was killed in action on 19 February 1942 during the bombing of Darwin, Australia. She was laid down 8 March 1943 by the Consolidated Steel Corp., Orange, Texas
Orange, Texas
Orange is a city in Orange County, Texas, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 18,643. It is the county seat of Orange County, and is the easternmost city in Texas. Located on the Sabine River at the border with Louisiana, it is part of the Beaumont–Port Arthur...
; launched 26 May 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Harold T. Joyce, mother of Ensign Joyce; and commissioned 30 September 1943, Lt. Comdr. R. Wilcox, USCG, in command.
World War II North Atlantic operations
After shakedownSea trial
A sea trial is the testing phase of a watercraft . It is also referred to as a "shakedown cruise" by many naval personnel. It is usually the last phase of construction and takes place on open water, and can last from a few hours to many days.Sea trials are conducted to measure a vessel’s...
off Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
, Joyce joined Escort Division 22 for transatlantic convoy escort duty. Sailing from Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
, 4 December 1943, she helped escort a 100-ship convoy to North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
. She returned to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
from Casablanca
Casablanca
Casablanca is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Grand Casablanca region.Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It is also the biggest city in the Maghreb. The 2004 census recorded a population of 2,949,805 in the prefecture...
31 January 1944, then departed 1 March as part of the escort for a fast convoy bound for Derry
Derry
Derry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. While steaming 400 miles south of Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
on the night of 9 March Joyce braved two attacks from a German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
to rescue 28 survivors from the stricken , which was torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
ed while investigating a radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
contact. Joyce steamed at top speed for Derry and arriving 11 March, transferred Leopold's wounded. A week later she departed for New York in company with a westbound convoy, which reached the East Coast 28 March.
Sinking of German Submarine U-550
Joyce departed New York 15 April for her second escort run to Northern Ireland. While screening for a straggler the following morning she was ordered to direct rescue operations for the gasoline tanker , which was torpedoed and set aflame while taking station in the convoy. After picking up 31 survivors, including the tanker's captain, Joyce detected a submarine by sonar at 0950 and pressed home an attack. She dropped a deadly pattern of 13 depth charges which forced U-550Unterseeboot 550
German submarine U-550 was a Type IXC/40 U-boat of the Kriegsmarine built for service during World War II...
to the surface, bow first, some 2,000 yards to her stern. A screening escort, , opened fire and rammed the after section of the U-boat. Joyce, Gandy, and shelled the submarine, silenced her deck guns and forced the hapless U-550 to surrender. Joyce ordered the Germans to abandon ship, but before a boarding party could seize the captured prize, the Germans scuttled her. Only 40 minutes after Joyce had detected her, she plunged stern first beneath the waves. Joyce rescued and took prisoner 13 survivors, including the U-boat's skipper, escorted the convoy safely to Derry 26 April, and returned in convoy to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
where she arrived New York 12 May. During the next year Joyce conducted eight more escort voyages for convoys bound from New York to Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
; she returned to New York from her last convoy run 13 May 1945.
Transferred to the Pacific Fleet
Joyce departed New York 4 June and steamed for ASWAnti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare is a branch of naval warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, or other submarines to find, track and deter, damage or destroy enemy submarines....
and gunnery training with units of Escort Division 22 in the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
. Sailing from Guantánamo Bay 20 June, she transited the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
the 23d and steamed via San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
, for Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
where she arrived 11 July for duty with the Pacific Fleet. She conducted ASW exercises in the Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
an operating area until 28 August when she sailed for Saipan
Saipan
Saipan is the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean with a total area of . The 2000 census population was 62,392...
Island and Sasebo
Sasebo, Nagasaki
is a city located in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. As of 2011, the city has an estimated population of 259,800 and the density of 609 persons per km². The total area is 426.47 km². The locality is famed for its scenic beauty. The city includes a part of Saikai National Park...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, as escort for a convoy of amphibious landing ships.
End-of-War activity
Upon her arrival at Sasebo 22 September, she escorted a convoy of LSTs to the Philippine Islands 3 days later, arriving Leyte GulfLeyte Gulf
Leyte Gulf is a body of water immediately east of the island of Leyte in the Philippines, adjoining the Philippine Sea of the Pacific Ocean, at . The Gulf is bounded on the north by the island of Samar, which is separated from Leyte on the west by the narrow San Juanico Strait, and on the south by...
2 October. She remained in the Philippines on escort duty throughout October and sailed from Guinan, Samar
Samar
Samar, formerly and also known as Western Samar, is a province in the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is Catbalogan City and covers the western portion of Samar as well as several islands in the Samar Sea located to the west of the mainland...
, 4 November with 29 returning veterans for Pearl Harbor. Arriving the 15th, she continued to San Diego 17 November; upon her arrival the 23d she debarked her passengers and received orders to report for duty with the Atlantic Fleet. Sailing from San Diego the 25th, she passed through the Panama Canal 3 December and put into New York harbor on the 10th.
Joyce remained at New York for an inactivation overhaul until 21 January 1946 when she departed for a 3-day voyage to Green Cove Springs, Florida
Green Cove Springs, Florida
Green Cove Springs is a city in Clay County, Florida, United States. The population was 5,378 at the 2000 census. As of 2010, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 6,908. It is the county seat of Clay County....
. She remained there and decommissioned 1 May to become a unit of the Florida Group, Atlantic Inactive Reserve Fleet.
Converted to Radar Picket Ship
With the outbreak in June 1950 of Communist aggression in South KoreaSouth Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
Joyce was recalled to active duty; taken to Mare Island Naval Shipyard
Mare Island Naval Shipyard
The Mare Island Naval Shipyard was the first United States Navy base established on the Pacific Ocean. It is located 25 miles northeast of San Francisco in Vallejo, California. The Napa River goes through the Mare Island Strait and separates the peninsula shipyard from the main portion of the...
, Vallejo, California
Vallejo, California
Vallejo is the largest city in Solano County, California, United States. The population was 115,942 at the 2010 census. It is located in the San Francisco Bay Area on the northeastern shore of San Pablo Bay...
, where she converted to a radar picket
Radar picket
A radar picket is a radar-equipped ship, submarine, aircraft, or vehicle used to increase the radar detection range around a force to protect it from surprise attack. Often several detached radar units encircle a force to provide increased cover in all directions.-World War II:Radar picket ships...
escort (DER-317); and recommissioned 28 February 1951, Lt. Comdr. J. P. McGrady, in command.
Following shakedown along the California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
coast, she departed 12 May for duty with the Atlantic Fleet; arriving Newport, Rhode Island
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
, 21 June, she joined Escort Squadron 10 and commenced picket duty. She participated in air defense exercises along the New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
coast and during the next 8 months made three barrier picket patrols along the Atlantic coast from Newfoundland to Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
. She steamed from Newport 19 February 1952 in company with Escort Squadron 10 bound for practice barrier patrols in the Caribbean. Cruising the Caribbean from Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
to Trinidad
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
, she returned to Newport 20 March and joined Escort Squadron 16.
After conducting ASW tactics with in the Virginia Capes
Virginia Capes
The Virginia Capes are the two capes, Cape Charles to the north and Cape Henry to the south, that define the entrance to Chesapeake Bay on the eastern coast of North America....
Operating Area, she departed Newport 30 June, joined the Eastern Air Defense Force, and commenced radar barrier station patrols to protect North America from surprise attack. Interrupted only by overhauls and refresher training, these picket patrols continued for 5 years; Joyce ranged the Atlantic from Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
and Newfoundland to the Virginia Capes and the West Indies.
Departing Newport 17 July 1957, Joyce sailed with her squadron for duty in the Pacific and, via the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
, Panama, and San Diego, arrived Pearl Harbor 18 August. Following 6 weeks of training, she commenced radar picket and ASW patrols from Pearl Harbor to Midway Atoll
Midway Atoll
Midway Atoll is a atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, near the northwestern end of the Hawaiian archipelago, about one-third of the way between Honolulu, Hawaii, and Tokyo, Japan. Unique among the Hawaiian islands, Midway observes UTC-11 , eleven hours behind Coordinated Universal Time and one hour...
and the Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands
The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...
. She departed Pearl 13 May 1958 and sailed for Eniwetok Atoll where she conducted search and rescue operations at the Eniwetok Proving Grounds Area. Returning to Pearl Harbor 17 June, she resumed her picket patrols until 16 March 1960 when she set sail for the West Coast.
Final decommissioning
Arriving Long Beach, CaliforniaLong Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
, 22 March, she entered the Long Beach Naval Shipyard
Long Beach Naval Shipyard
thumb|right|300px|Long Beach Naval Shipyard in 1993The Long Beach Naval Shipyard, which closed in 1997, was located at Terminal Island between the city of Long Beach and the San Pedro district of Los Angeles and approximately 23 miles south of the Los Angeles International Airport.The Long Beach...
for inactivation overhaul. Joyce decommissioned 17 June 1960 and was assigned to the Long Beach Group, U.S. Pacific Fleet Reserve. Joyce later transferred to the San Diego, California, Group, where she remained until she was sold for scrapping 11 September 1973.