The Seaweed

USS Champlin DD-601  

Spring 2000 - Page 1

Champlin On the Internet

The USS Champlin's web site (www.usschamplin.com) has been heavily used with over 47,000 hits since August 1, 1999. Included in that number are the following Champlin Reunion Group members who have taken the time to sign the ship's log on the web site. Robert W. Allen, Joseph W. Black, Robert O. Brady, John A. Brawdy, Gerald M. Cruthers, Harry W. Cuthbert, Jr., Raymond G. Dinklocker, Caesar Di Santo, Robert J. Duguid, Louis A. Esposito, Gerald L. Estes, Louis Gilbert, Thomas J. Hall, Donald G. Higgins, Robert M. Jones, Francis C. Koster, Ethel Larkin (Mrs. Lawrence), Nathan R. Lerner, Marvin J. Levin, James A. McMennamin, Charles P. Meehan, Powell M. Morris, Edward R. Noyes, Edward P. Palen, Ernest E. Phillips, Sr., Lawrence J. Suter and Richard J. Valentine. But that's not all. The following relatives of shipmates have also signed the Ship's Log: Robert J. Brady, son of Robert O. Brady; Patricia Brawdy, daughter-in-law of John A. Brawdy; David C. Cruthers, son of Gerald M. Cruthers; Francis Evans, son of Frank J. Evans; Peter Paul Fagan, son of Thomas F. Fagan; Theodore Farrell, Jr., son of Theodore J. Farrell; Don Felthouse, son-in-law of Donald D. Darnell; Michael W. Gustin, grandson of William D. Gustin; Mary Alice O'Neal Johnson, granddaughter of Frank H. Miller; Pam Jones, daughter of Powell M. Morris; Robert Koster, son of Francis C. Koster; Kathleen Leonard, granddaughter of Mark J. Leonard; Ruth Pierce, daughter of Albert Ernest Blunt; Howard Porter, nephew of Ray Chester Porter; James C. Smith, son of Cecil Smith; and Wendy Thrawl Sullivan, niece of James Earl Thrawl..

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Also in this issue:

Champlin on the Internet.............page 1
The Hunt for U-856....................page 1
Wake Island Bombardment...........page 3
The Rescue of Lt. Cole................page 4
From the Flag Bag......................page 4
The 2000 Reunion......................page 5
USS Champlin Ship's Store..........page 5
National WW II Memorial.............page 5
Champlin References..................page 5
Shipmates Located....................page 5
Thanks and Next.......................page 6

John A. Brawdy has taken the responsibility for encouraging all Reunion Group members to visit the web site and to sign the Ship's Log, with a special emphasis on the ships officers, none of whom have signed the log.

The Champlin web site is a joint effort of the Pita Group with the design and management of the site handled by our eldest son, Gary S. Gustin, located in Largo, FL.

The Hunt for U-856

The following is copied from a document provided by Norman Glass entitled U.S.S. Champlin (DD601), Enclosure "B", Narrative of Action between Champlin and German Submarine U-856 on 7 April 1944.

PART I All times are plus four time zones. U.S.S. Champlin was in company with Destroyer Division THIRTY-Two (Task Unit 27.6.2) plus U.S.S. Huse (DE145). Since dawn 7 April this task unit together with Destroyer Division THIRTY-ONE (Task Unit 27.6.1) plus U.S.S. Frost (DE144) had been searching the area around 40º 07'N, 62º19'W for enemy submarine reported ComTaskGroup 21.15 dispatch 070815. At 1513 7 April TU 27.6.1 and 27.6.2 split to conduct separate retiring searches around the approximate point 40º 37'N, 62º 22'W at which the U.S.S. Boyle had made sound contact at 0635.

PART II 1542 - CHAMPLIN, while forming on Boyle for search, made sound contact bearing 070ºT, range 1600 yards in Latitude 40º 20'N, Longitude 62º 18'W (DRT). General Quarters was sounded, commander John J. SHAFFER III, USN, commanding took the conn, and a run was made, contact was lost at 600 yards, Due to the sketchiness of the initial information and quick loss of contact, charges were not dropped, but the spot was marked by a green colored marker.

1610 - Contact was regained bearing 160ºT, range 600 yards. A second run was made with no charges being dropped due to loss of contact at 1150 yards. A

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