The Seaweed

USS Champlin DD-601  

Fall 2000


(continued from page 4)

"We went over and picked up 70 or more men. That was about ten days away from Casablanca. We had a big problem finding a place to put the rescued men. Five or six men worked in the galley with George Styles and Bob LaVorgna. The rest were all around and in the way. As we rescued the men we then machine-gunned the life boats."

From the U-boat.net we learn UGS-6 consisted of 45 ships in addition to their escorts, the destroyers Champlin, Hobby, Mayrant, Rhind, Rowan, Trippe and Wainwright .UGS-6 was first sighted by U-130, one of 17 U-boats in three wolfpacks (Unverzagt with six boats, Wohlgemut with five boats and Tummler with six boats) gathered to attack the convoy. U-130 was lost with all hands by depth charges from the USS Champlin. SS Wyoming was sunk by U-524 which in turn was lost with all hands just one week later, on March 22, 1943, south of Madeira, Portugal in position 30.15N, 18.13W by depth charges from a US Liberator aircraft. The U-524 was on her first combat patrol. SS Molly Pitcher was damaged by U-157 and finished off by U-521. In all, four ships from UGS-6 were sunk; on 13 March the Keystone 5565 tons by U-172, on 15 March, the Wyoming 8062 tons by U-524, on 16 March the Benjamin Harrison 7191 tons by the U-172 and on 17 March the Molly Pitcher by U-157 and U-521.




This story is not finished. We need your recollections as well. Please take the time to tell us those memories you have of the SS Wyoming sinking or other events during the voyage of UGS-6. All of these stories will be placed on our web site: www.usschamplin.com

In the next issue of the Seaweed we will cover two subjects; the first is your - yup, your recollections and memories of the typhoon off Okinawa in September of 1945. The second is your recollection of "chickenpoop" (yeah, I cleaned that up a bit, but your know what I mean) actions by your superiors during your Champlin career. I already have two stories that make might good reading. Send yours. The Seaweed is your newsletter - your chance to tell your story while there is still time.


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