WPG/WAGC/WHEC-37, originally called USCGC ''Taney'' (), is a
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, mu ...
High Endurance Cutter notable as the last warship floating that fought in the
attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii ...
.
She was named for
Roger B. Taney
Roger Brooke Taney (; March 17, 1777 – October 12, 1864) was the fifth chief justice of the United States, holding that office from 1836 until his death in 1864. Although an opponent of slavery, believing it to be an evil practice, Taney belie ...
(1777–1864), who served as
U.S. Attorney General
The United States attorney general (AG) is the head of the United States Department of Justice, and is the chief law enforcement officer of the federal government of the United States. The attorney general serves as the principal advisor to the p ...
,
Secretary of the Treasury
The United States secretary of the treasury is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury, and is the chief financial officer of the federal government of the United States. The secretary of the treasury serves as the principal a ...
, and
Chief Justice of the United States.
She is also one of two
Treasury-class (out of seven total) Coast Guard cutters still afloat. Active for 50 years, ''Taney'' saw action in both theaters of combat in World War II, serving as a command ship at the
Battle of Okinawa, and as a fleet escort in the Atlantic and Mediterranean. She also served in the
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam a ...
, taking part in
Operation Market Time
Operation Market Time was the United States Navy, Republic of Vietnam Navy and Royal Australian Navy operation begun in 1965 to stop the flow of troops, war material, and supplies by sea, coast, and rivers, from North Vietnam into parts of Sout ...
. ''Taney'' was also used in drug interdiction and fisheries protection work.
She was decommissioned in 1986, and has since served as a
museum ship in the
Inner Harbor
The Inner Harbor is a historic seaport, tourist attraction, and landmark of the city of Baltimore, Maryland. It was described by the Urban Land Institute in 2009 as "the model for post-industrial waterfront redevelopment around the world". Th ...
of
Baltimore, Maryland
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
. She was designated a
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...
in 1988.
[ In 2020, Historic Ships in Baltimore and the Living Classrooms Foundation announced that they will remove the name ''Taney'' from the ship, in recognition of her namesake's historical acts of racial injustice, instead identifying her as simply WHEC-37.
]
1936–1941
Treasury-class ''Roger B. Taney'', Coast Guard Builders No. 68, was laid on 1 May 1935 at the Philadelphia Navy Yard
The Philadelphia Naval Shipyard was an important naval shipyard of the United States for almost two centuries.
Philadelphia's original navy yard, begun in 1776 on Front Street and Federal Street in what is now the Pennsport section of the ci ...
. She was launched on 3 June 1936 and was sponsored by Miss Corinne F. Taney. She was commissioned at Philadelphia on 24 October 1936. The ''Roger B. Taney'' departed Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...
on 19 December, transited the Panama Canal
The Panama Canal ( es, Canal de Panamá, link=no) is an artificial waterway in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean and divides North and South America. The canal cuts across the Isthmus of Panama and is a condui ...
from 27 to 29 December, and arrived at her home port, Honolulu
Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the island ...
, Territory of Hawaii
The Territory of Hawaii or Hawaii Territory ( Hawaiian: ''Panalāʻau o Hawaiʻi'') was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from April 30, 1900, until August 21, 1959, when most of its territory, excluding ...
, on 18 January 1937. She conducted local operations out of Honolulu through the summer of 1937. On 16 June 1937, she transferred a number of her crew for temporary duty to USCGC ''Itasca''. The ''Itasca'' was preparing to lend navigational support to Amelia Earhart's flight around the world. In May or June 1937 ''Roger B. Taneys name was shortened to simply ''Taney''.
The ''Taney'' had arrived in the Pacific at a time when the United States, and Pan-American Airways in particular, was expanding its commercial air travel capabilities. The "Clipper" flights across the Pacific to the Far East
The ''Far East'' was a European term to refer to the geographical regions that includes East and Southeast Asia as well as the Russian Far East to a lesser extent. South Asia is sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.
The ter ...
made islands like Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only state ...
, Midway, Guam
Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...
, and Wake Island
Wake Island ( mh, Ānen Kio, translation=island of the kio flower; also known as Wake Atoll) is a coral atoll in the western Pacific Ocean in the northeastern area of the Micronesia subregion, east of Guam, west of Honolulu, southeast of T ...
important way-stations. Other islands and islets assumed greater importance when a route across the South Pacific was mapped out to Australia and Samoa
Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands ( Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands ( Manono and Apolima); ...
. The military benefits which accrued to the United States by its expansion onto some of the more strategic bits of land in the broad Pacific were not lost upon President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who undertook, in the late 1930s, to annex territory in the Pacific.
Two such places were Kanton and Enderbury Island
Enderbury Island, also known as Ederbury Island or Guano Island, is a small, uninhabited atoll 63 km ESE of Kanton Island in the Pacific Ocean at . It is about 1 mile (1.6 km) wide and 3 miles (4.8 km) long, with a reef stretchin ...
s. The ''Taney'' played a role in their colonization by the United States. In early March 1938, the Coast Guard cutter loaded supplies and embarked colonists who would establish the claim of the United States upon the two islands that seemed—at least to the uninitiated—to be mere hunks of coral, rock, and scrub in the Central Pacific. She disembarked four Hawaiians at Enderbury Island on 6 March 1938 and landed a second contingent—of seven colonists—at Canton Island on the next day. The men, assisted by the Coast Guardsmen, erected buildings and laid the foundations for future signal towers.
The Coast Guard's task over the ensuing years leading up to the outbreak of war in the Pacific was to supply these isolated way-stations along the transpacific air routes and to relieve the colonists at stated intervals. ''Taney'' performed these supply missions into 1940. Meanwhile, tension continued to rise in the Far East as Japan cast covetous glances at the American, British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
, Dutch
Dutch commonly refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands
* Dutch people ()
* Dutch language ()
Dutch may also refer to:
Places
* Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States
* Pennsylvania Dutch Country
People E ...
, and French colonial possessions and marched deeper into embattled China.
As the Navy and Coast Guard began gradually increasing and augmenting the armament on its vessels to prepare them for the inexorably advancing war, ''Taney'' underwent her first major rearmament at the Pearl Harbor Navy Yard
Naval Station Pearl Harbor is a United States naval base on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. In 2010, along with the United States Air Force's Hickam Field, Hickam Air Force Base, the facility was merged to form Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam. Pe ...
in December 1940. She received her last major pre-war refit at the Mare Island Navy Yard
The Mare Island Naval Shipyard (MINSY) was the first United States Navy base established on the Pacific Ocean. It is located northeast of San Francisco in Vallejo, California. The Napa River goes through the Mare Island Strait and separates t ...
, Vallejo, California
Vallejo ( ; ) is a city in Solano County, California and the second largest city in the North Bay region of the Bay Area. Located on the shores of San Pablo Bay, the city had a population of 126,090 at the 2020 census. Vallejo is home to th ...
, in the spring of the following year, 1941. On 25 July 1941, the Coast Guard cutter was transferred to the Navy and reported for duty with the local defense forces of the 14th Naval District, maintaining her base at Honolulu
Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the island ...
.
Outside another "line island cruise" in the late summer, ''Taney'' operated locally out of Honolulu into the critical fall of 1941. She conducted regular harbor entrance and channel patrols, alternating often with one of the four old destroyers of Destroyer Division 80: , , , and .
World War II
The message: "Air Raid, Pearl Harbor. This is no drill" came at 07:55 on 7 December 1941, as Japanese planes swept overhead in an attempt to cripple the Pacific Fleet. ''Taney'', moored alongside Pier 6, Honolulu harbor, manned her anti-aircraft guns within four minutes. Officers not aboard were ordered to return and the ship readied to get underway. The ship began firing newly installed three inch guns at Japanese planes passing high overhead. The ship fired on a second and third group of attacking planes, the last of which flew over the Honolulu harbor entrance, perhaps intending to attack the power plant, and was low enough to be engaged by the 50 caliber machine guns. The Japanese planes changed course to avoid ''Taney's'' fire.[ Coast Guardsmen from the ''Taney'' were ordered to take up defensive positions around ]Aloha Tower
The Aloha Tower is a retired lighthouse that is considered one of the landmarks of the state of Hawaii in the United States. Opened on September 11, 1926, at a then astronomical cost of $160,000, the Aloha Tower is located at Pier 9 of Honolulu ...
and protect it from being occupied.
The ship got underway at 0546 on 8 December to patrol the harbor approaches making seven sound contacts and dropping depth charges during the patrol that ended on 14 December. ''Taney'' patrolled the waters off Honolulu for the remainder of 1941 and into 1942, conducting many depth charge attacks on suspected submarines in the wake of the Pearl Harbor attack
The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, ...
. During this time, the ship received the classification WPG-37. On 22 January 1942, the cutter departed Honolulu in company with USAT ''Barbara Olson'', and arrived at Kanton Island
Canton Island (also known as Kanton or Abariringa), previously known as Mary Island, Mary Balcout's Island or Swallow Island, is the largest, northernmost, and , the sole inhabited island of the Phoenix Islands, in the Republic of Kiribati. It i ...
on 28 January 1942. After sending a working party ashore to unload supplies, ''Taney'' screened ''Barbara Olson'' offshore until 7 February 1942, when both ships got under way to evacuate the American colony on Enderbury Island
Enderbury Island, also known as Ederbury Island or Guano Island, is a small, uninhabited atoll 63 km ESE of Kanton Island in the Pacific Ocean at . It is about 1 mile (1.6 km) wide and 3 miles (4.8 km) long, with a reef stretchin ...
. Embarking the four colonists at 10:15 that day, ''Taney'' shelled the island and destroyed its buildings to prevent them from being used by Japanese forces. ''Taney'' subsequently escorted her merchantman consort to Jarvis Island
Jarvis Island (; formerly known as Bunker Island or Bunker's Shoal) is an uninhabited coral island located in the South Pacific Ocean, about halfway between Hawaii and the Cook Islands. It is an unincorporated, unorganized territory of the Un ...
, where she evacuated the four Interior Department
An interior ministry (sometimes called a ministry of internal affairs or ministry of home affairs) is a government department that is responsible for internal affairs.
Lists of current ministries of internal affairs
Named "ministry"
* Ministry ...
colonists and burned all structures to the ground before departing. Reaching Palmyra Atoll
Palmyra Atoll (), also referred to as Palmyra Island, is one of the Northern Line Islands (southeast of Kingman Reef and north of Kiribati). It is located almost due south of the Hawaiian Islands, roughly one-third of the way between Hawaii a ...
on 12 February 1942, the ships remained there until 15 February 1942, before ''Taney'' headed back for the Hawaiian Islands, arriving at Honolulu on 5 March 1942. She made another voyage to Palmyra Island later that spring and when heading back to Hawaii, she received orders to search for survivors in the waters around Midway Island
Midway Atoll (colloquial: Midway Islands; haw, Kauihelani, translation=the backbone of heaven; haw, Pihemanu, translation=the loud din of birds, label=none) is a atoll in the North Pacific Ocean. Midway Atoll is an insular area of the Unit ...
after the Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway was a major naval battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II that took place on 4–7 June 1942, six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor and one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea. The U.S. Navy under ...
, including a stop at the island itself.
''Taney'' operated locally out of Honolulu into 1943 before sailing for Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
late that winter. Prior to heading for the east coast, the ship received a re-gunning at Mare Island
Mare Island ( Spanish: ''Isla de la Yegua'') is a peninsula in the United States in the city of Vallejo, California, about northeast of San Francisco. The Napa River forms its eastern side as it enters the Carquinez Strait juncture with the ...
, being fitted with four single-mount 5-inch guns, making her the only ship in her class with this modification. After making port at Boston on 14 March 1944, ''Taney'' soon shifted south to Hampton Roads, where she arrived on 31 March 1944. Early in April, she departed Norfolk
Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...
as a unit of Task Force 66 (TF 66) as convoy guide for convoy UGS-38. The passage across the Atlantic proved uneventful, as the convoy made landfall off the Azores
)
, motto =( en, "Rather die free than subjected in peace")
, anthem= ( en, "Anthem of the Azores")
, image_map=Locator_map_of_Azores_in_EU.svg
, map_alt=Location of the Azores within the European Union
, map_caption=Location of the Azores wi ...
on 13 April 1944.
Some 35 minutes after sunset on 20 April 1944, however, the convoy was spotted and tracked by the Germans, who launched a three-pronged attack with Junkers Ju 88
The Junkers Ju 88 is a German World War II ''Luftwaffe'' twin-engined multirole combat aircraft. Junkers Aircraft and Motor Works (JFM) designed the plane in the mid-1930s as a so-called '' Schnellbomber'' ("fast bomber") that would be too fast ...
and Heinkel He 111 medium bombers. Each flew very low, using the shoreline as a background, thus confusing the search radar of the Allied ships. The first wave struck from dead ahead, torpedoing SS Paul Hamilton and SS ''Samite''. ''Hamilton'', which had been carrying both a load of ammunition and hundreds of Army Air Force
The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
personnel, blew up in an explosion that killed all 504 men on board.
The second wave of German torpedo planes hit the SS ''Stephen F. Austin'' and SS ''Royal Star''. Two torpedoes passed close by ''Taney''. The third wave damaged , which later sank. All of the damaged vessels — save ''Paul Hamilton'' and ''Lansdale'' — reached Bizerte, Tunisia, on 21 April 1944. ''Taney'' later departed Bizerte with homeward-bound convoy GUS-38 and arrived at New York City on 21 May 1944.
''Taney'' participated in two more round-trip convoy escort missions, with convoys UGS/GUS-45 and UGS/GUS-52. Detached as a unit of TF 66 on 9 October 1944, she sailed for the Boston Navy Yard
The Boston Navy Yard, originally called the Charlestown Navy Yard and later Boston Naval Shipyard, was one of the oldest shipbuilding facilities in the United States Navy. It was established in 1801 as part of the recent establishment of t ...
soon thereafter for extensive yard work to convert her to an amphibious command ship. During this metamorphosis, ''Taney'' — classified as WAGC-37 — was fitted with accommodations for an embarked flag officer
A flag officer is a commissioned officer in a nation's armed forces senior enough to be entitled to fly a flag to mark the position from which the officer exercises command.
The term is used differently in different countries:
*In many countries ...
and his staff, as well as with increased communications and radar
Radar is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the distance ('' ranging''), angle, and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, we ...
facilities. Her main battery also underwent change: she now sported two open-mount 5-inch guns, as well as 40- and 20-millimeter antiaircraft guns. With the work completed in early January 1945, ''Taney'' departed Boston on 19 January 1945, bound for Norfolk, Virginia.
She conducted shakedown and training in her new configuration before departing the east coast and sailing, via the Panama Canal and San Diego
San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United State ...
, to Hawaii. Arriving at Pearl Harbor on 22 February 1945, she soon embarked Rear Admiral Calvin H. Cobb and later underwent various minor repairs. New communications equipment was also installed before the ship departed the Hawaiian Islands for the Marshalls
Marshalls is an American chain of off-price department stores owned by TJX Companies. Marshalls has over 1,000 American stores, including larger stores named Marshalls Mega Store, covering 42 states and Puerto Rico, and 61 stores in Canada. M ...
on 10 March 1945.
''Taney'' proceeded independently via Eniwetok
Enewetak Atoll (; also spelled Eniwetok Atoll or sometimes Eniewetok; mh, Ānewetak, , or , ; known to the Japanese as Brown Atoll or Brown Island; ja, ブラウン環礁) is a large coral atoll of 40 islands in the Pacific Ocean and with i ...
and arrived at Ulithi
Ulithi ( yap, Wulthiy, , or ) is an atoll in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean, about east of Yap.
Overview
Ulithi consists of 40 islets totaling , surrounding a lagoon about long and up to wide—at one of the larges ...
on 23 March 1945, remaining there until 7 April 1945. Joining Task Group 51.8 (TG 51.8), the amphibious command ship proceeded to Okinawa
is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi).
Naha is the capital and largest city ...
and arrived off the Hagushi
Hagushi bay is located in Yomitan, Okinawa. The bay is at the mouth of Hija River. The north side of the mouth of the river has a public beach called Toguchi Beach.
World War II
Hagushi bay was the primary unloading point for American suppli ...
beaches amidst air raid alerts on 11 April. During one raid, her antiaircraft gunners achieved at least three hits on a Mitsubishi G4M
The Mitsubishi G4M was a twin-engine, land-based medium bomber formerly manufactured by the Mitsubishi Aircraft Company, a part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy from 1940 to 1945. Its official designat ...
"Betty" bomber which crossed the ship's bow away, and later during her first day at Okinawa experienced four more "red alerts". The ship briefly shifted to Kerama Retto
The are a subtropical island group southwest of Okinawa Island in Japan.
Geography
Four islands are inhabited: Tokashiki Island, Zamami Island, Aka Island, and Geruma Island. The islands are administered as Tokashiki Village and Zamami Vill ...
from 13 to 15 April before returning to Hagushi on the latter date.
By the end of May 1945, ''Taney'' had gone to general quarters 119 times, with the crew remaining at battle stations for up to nine hours at a stretch. During this period off Okinawa in April and May, ''Taney'' downed four suicide planes and assisted in numerous other "kills". The command ship also conducted combat information center duties, maintaining complete radar and air coverage, receiving and evaluating information on both friendly and enemy activities. On one occasion, ''Taneys duties took her close inshore close enough to even receive fire close aboard from a Japanese shore battery.
Suicide air attacks by the Japanese continued throughout June 1945, although most were intercepted by combat air patrol
Combat air patrol (CAP) is a type of flying mission for fighter aircraft. A combat air patrol is an aircraft patrol provided over an objective area, over the force protected, over the critical area of a combat zone, or over an air defense area, ...
(CAP) fighters and downed before they could reach their targets. Such raids took place on 18 out of 30 days that month. On 25 June 1945, at 01:20, a float seaplane passed near ''Taney'', provoking return fire from the command ship and batteries ashore which combined to splash the intruder. During this month-long period, at least 288 enemy planes attacked the ships in ''Taneys vicinity, and at least 96 of these were destroyed.
In mid-July 1945 a typhoon
A typhoon is a mature tropical cyclone that develops between 180° and 100°E in the Northern Hemisphere. This region is referred to as the Northwestern Pacific Basin, and is the most active tropical cyclone basin on Earth, accounting for a ...
forced the ships at Hagushi to take evasive action. ''Taney'' led a convoy eastward on 19 July 1945 and returned the next day when the storm passed. She performed the same duties again on 1 August 1945 when she led a convoy to sea on typhoon-evasion operations. The ship returned to its anchorage on 3 August 1945.
The end of the war found ''Taney'' still off Okinawa. On 16 August 1945, she got under way to support as three Japanese planes were detected approaching from the northeast. One crashed to the north, and two crashed into the sea shortly thereafter. On 25 August 1945, TG 95.5 was dissolved, and Rear Admiral Cobb, who had been embarked during the Okinawa campaign, hauled down his flag and departed.
''Taney'' soon proceeded to Japan, where she took part in the occupation of Wakayama Wakayama may refer to:
*Wakayama Prefecture, a prefecture of Japan
*Wakayama (city)
Wakayama City Hall
is the capital city of Wakayama Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 351,391 in 157066 househol ...
, anchoring off the port city on 11 September 1945 and sending a working party ashore the next day. While anchored there, ''Taney'' weathered a typhoon on 17 September 1945. She was, in fact, one of the few ships which stayed at her berth during the storm, her ground tackle holding well in the sticky clay bottom.
Departing Wakayama on 14 October 1945, ''Taney'' returned to the west coast of the United States, via Midway, and arrived at San Francisco on 29 October 1945. Moving on for the east coast, ''Taney'' transited the Panama Canal and later arrived at her ultimate destination, Charleston, South Carolina, on 29 November 1945. During the ensuing period of conversion, the Coast Guard vessel was reconfigured as a patrol cutter. She now sported a main battery of a single-mount 5-inch gun, a hedgehog
A hedgehog is a spiny mammal of the subfamily Erinaceinae, in the eulipotyphlan family Erinaceidae. There are seventeen species of hedgehog in five genera found throughout parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa, and in New Zealand by introductio ...
, a twin 40-millimeter mount, and two 20-millimeter guns, in addition to depth charge tracks and projectors and was reclassified once again as WPG-37.
1946–1961
Upon shifting back to the west coast, ''Taney'' was based at Alameda, California
Alameda ( ; ; Spanish for " tree-lined path") is a city in Alameda County, California, located in the East Bay region of the Bay Area. The city is primarily located on Alameda Island, but also spans Bay Farm Island and Coast Guard Island, as we ...
until February 1972. Her primary post-war duty was serving as an ocean station weather ship. The weather patrols (later termed "ocean station patrols") consisted of sailing for three weeks on assigned stations in the Pacific, and each cutter assigned performed four or five such patrols each year. Their primary task was to report meteorological information, which was used in weather forecasts for the burgeoning trans-Pacific commercial air traffic as well as for surface vessels. The ocean station vessels also provided communications and navigation assistance and were always standing by for search and rescue emergencies. She also conducted dedicated law enforcement and search and rescue patrols, or stood on search and rescue standby, when she was not on ocean station duty.
In June through July 1949 ''Taney'' served on ''Ocean Station Fox'' and later in July she served on ''Ocean Station Able''. In June 1950 she served on ''Ocean Station Oboe'' and in September she served on ''Ocean Station Fox''. In January through February 1951 she served on ''Ocean Station Uncle'' and the following year, August to September, she served on ''Ocean Station Uncle''.
Later in 1952, from November to December, she served on ''Ocean Station Nan''. In April to May 1953 ''Taney'' served on ''Ocean Station Victor'' and in June of that year she served on ''Ocean Station Victor''. From 4 to 25 October 1953 she served on ''Ocean Station Uncle'' and from June to July 1954 she served on ''Ocean Station Nan''. In November of that same year she again served on ''Ocean Station Nan''. In March and April and again in June and July 1956 she served on ''Ocean Station November''. She again served on ''Ocean Station November'' from January to February, June to July, and October to November 1957 and from February to March and August 1958. She served on ''Ocean Station Romeo'' from October to November 1958. She served on ''Ocean Station November'' from December 1958 to January 1959, May to June, and October to November 1959.
The ''Taney'' served on ''Ocean Station November'' in March and April 1960. A unique honor occurred on 27 April 1960 when ''Taney'', as the senior U.S. ship present, hosted French President
The president of France, officially the president of the French Republic (french: Président de la République française), is the executive head of state of France, and the commander-in-chief of the French Armed Forces. As the presidency is ...
Charles de Gaulle on his tour of San Francisco Bay. She then served on ''Ocean Station November'' in August 1960. She served again on ''Ocean Station November'' in January and then from May to June 1961.
1965–1966
On 1 May 1965 the Treasury-class vessels were re-designated as High Endurance Cutters or WHEC. This designation indicated a multi-mission ship able to operate at sea for 30–45 days without support and ''Taney'' was then re-classified as WHEC-37. In March 1965 she conducted an Alaskan Patrol and on 29 March she successfully fought a fire on board the disabled fishing vessel ''Glacier Bear'' south of Cape Fairweather and then towed her to safety. In May 1965, off northern California, she kept the Soviet
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nation ...
refrigerator ship ''Chernjakhovsk'' under close surveillance.
In 1966 ''Taney'' undertook a 90-day "Double VICTOR Cruise". She departed Alameda on 26 August and arrived at Pearl Harbor on 1 September, where she refueled before steaming to Honolulu, mooring at Berth 8. She departed Honolulu on 3 September en route to ''Ocean Station Victor'' via Midway Island, arriving at the latter on 6 September, departing the same day. On 8 September 1966 ''Taney'' crossed the 180th meridian and then arrived at ''Ocean Station Victor'' on 11 September, relieving USCGC ''Chautauqua'' (WHEC-41). She served on ''Victor'' until relieved by USCGC ''Winnebago'' (WHEC-40) on 1 October, then steamed towards Yokosuka, Japan
is a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.
, the city has a population of 409,478, and a population density of . The total area is . Yokosuka is the 11th most populous city in the Greater Tokyo Area, and the 12th in the Kantō region.
The city ...
. Here the crew enjoyed liberty before again heading back to the ocean station. She arrived at ''Victor'' on 22 October, relieving ''Winnebago''. On 4 November Typhoon Marie passed close aboard ''Taney'', with winds gusting close to 70 knot
A knot is an intentional complication in cordage which may be practical or decorative, or both. Practical knots are classified by function, including hitches, bends, loop knots, and splices: a ''hitch'' fastens a rope to another object; a ' ...
s (130 km/h), but she weathered the storm without damage. On 12 November 1966 ''Taney'' was relieved again by ''Winnebago'' and she then steamed to Midway Island to refuel before heading back to Alameda, arriving there on 20 November.
1968–1971
The ''Taney'' served on ''Ocean Station November'' from 7 to 28 January 18 February to 10 March 21 April to 12 May and 27 October to 17 November 1968. Her final assignment to ''Ocean Station November'' was from 19 January to 9 February 1969. She was then ordered for duty with Coast Guard Squadron Three which was supporting the Navy's Operation Market Time
Operation Market Time was the United States Navy, Republic of Vietnam Navy and Royal Australian Navy operation begun in 1965 to stop the flow of troops, war material, and supplies by sea, coast, and rivers, from North Vietnam into parts of Sout ...
patrols off the coast of Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
. There ''Taney'' served a 10-month tour of duty, providing naval gunfire support and preventing enemy infiltration along the coastal routes used by the Viet Cong
,
, war = the Vietnam War
, image = FNL Flag.svg
, caption = The flag of the Viet Cong, adopted in 1960, is a variation on the flag of North Vietnam. Sometimes the lower stripe was green.
, active ...
and North Vietnamese forces.
She departed U.S. waters in April 1969 and arrived in theater on 14 May 1969 and she served in the area until 31 January 1970. During her tour of duty, ''Taney'' steamed for over and inspected over 1,000 vessels. She participated in dozens of naval gunfire support missions, firing more than 3,400 five-inch (127 mm) shells at Viet Cong
,
, war = the Vietnam War
, image = FNL Flag.svg
, caption = The flag of the Viet Cong, adopted in 1960, is a variation on the flag of North Vietnam. Sometimes the lower stripe was green.
, active ...
positions. Her medical staff also treated over 6,000 Vietnamese villagers. For her service, the government of the Republic of Vietnam ( South Vietnam) awarded ''Taney'' the Vietnam Gallantry Cross with palm and the Vietnam Civil Actions Medal
The Republic of Vietnam Civil Actions Medal ( vi, Dân-Vụ Bội-Tinh) also known as the Vietnam Civil Actions Medal or Civil Actions Medal, is a military decoration of the former South Vietnamese government (1955–75). The medal was creat ...
with palm. After departing Vietnamese waters, she arrived at Alameda in February 1970.
After returning to U.S. waters, she once again began serving on ocean stations. From 30 August to 20 September 1970 and from 3 to 24 January 1971 she served on ''Ocean Station November''. From 28 March to 18 and 9 April to 30 May 1971 she served on ''Ocean Station Victor''. She served on ''Ocean Station November'' from 22 August to 12 September and again from 24 October to 14 November 1971.
1972–1986
In February 1972 ''Taney'' was shifted back to the east coast and was homeported at Norfolk
Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...
. From 2 September 1972 to 23 September 1972 she served on ''Ocean Station Hotel''. Again from 13 to 22 October 1972 she conducted another ''Ocean Station Hotel''. From 28 October to 17 November 1972 she served on ''Ocean Station Delta''. From 26 January to 15 February. From 17 April to 7 May 1973 she served on ''Ocean Station Bravo''. As the ocean stations were decommissioned during the early 1970s due to advances in radar
Radar is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the distance ('' ranging''), angle, and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, we ...
and electronic navigation, ''Taney'' was assigned exclusively to the only station still operational: ''Ocean Station Hotel'' off the coasts of Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...
and Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
. Fitted with a special storm-tracking antenna housed in a distinctive bulbous dome fitted atop her pilot house, ''Taney'' deployed seven times yearly, conducting 21 deployments off the coast. This last ocean station had been established to track storms threatening the middle states on the east coast which had often struck without warning. Eventually, the use of more sophisticated storm-tracking satellites and radars rendered this station obsolete. Hence, ''Ocean Station Hotel'' was closed down in 1977 and the ''Taney'' gained the distinction of being the last Coast Guard cutter to serve on an ocean station.
The mid-1970s were a period of transition for the Coast Guard with the passage of the Fisheries Conservation and Management Act and the nation's shift towards increased interdiction of narcotics smugglers. These operations called for off-shore patrols of up to three weeks. From September 1976 through her decommissioning she was stationed at Portsmouth, Virginia and began law enforcement and search and rescue patrols.
In December 1976 she assisted the sailboat ''Capella'' off New York. In December 1979 ''Taney'' helped seize the F/V ''Eneida'' for narcotics violations.
The month of January, 1980, was an unusually busy month for the crew of the Taney. On 10 January 1980, while underway on drug enforcement patrol duty, she was diverted to a Search and Rescue mission involving a lost Cessna 441
The Cessna 441 Conquest II is the first turboprop powered aircraft designed by Cessna, and was meant to fill the gap between their jets and piston-engined aircraft. It was developed in November 1974, with the first aircraft delivered in Septem ...
jet with two passengers. On 15 January 1980, she seized the M/V ''Ameila Isle'' east of Fort Pierce, Florida
Fort Pierce is a city in and the county seat of St. Lucie County, Florida, United States. The city is part of the Treasure Coast region of Atlantic Coast Florida. It is also known as the Sunrise City, sister to San Francisco, California, the Suns ...
, carrying 4 tons of contraband. She continued south for additional drug enforcement patrol throughout the Caribbean region. Including a patrol break in San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan (, , ; Spanish for "Saint John") is the capital city and most populous municipality in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2020 census, it is the 57th-largest city under the juri ...
. The month concluded with Fishery Patrol off the coast of Nova Scotia, Canada
Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland".
Most of the population are native Eng ...
. In December 1980 she seized the British-flagged M/V ''Party Doll'' which was carrying 10 tons of contraband. Despite being the long arm of the law at sea she continued in her traditional Coast Guard humanitarian mission of search and rescue as well. On 16 November 1982, she rescued seven persons from the disabled ketch ''Klarwasser'' off the coast of North Carolina and rescued 19 migrants off the sailboat ''Apre Dien Ni''. In May 1985 she assisted the disabled F/V ''Northwind'' off New York. She also continued nabbing drug smugglers. On 30 September 1984, she seized the P/C ''Thriller'' in the Yucatán Channel
The Yucatán Channel or Straits of Yucatán (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Canal de Yucatán'') is a strait between Mexico and Cuba. It connects the Yucatán Basin of the Caribbean Sea with the Gulf of Mexico. It is just over wide and nearly deep ...
, carrying 1,000 pounds of marijuana. Her final bust occurred on 4 October 1985 when she seized the M/V ''Sea Maid I'' which was towing a barge that carried 160 tons of marijuana off Virginia.United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, mu ...
U.S. Coast Guard Firsts
.
Fate
She was decommissioned on 7 December 1986 and turned over to the city of Baltimore, Maryland
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
, for use as a museum ship. Over her distinguished career, ''Taney'' received three battle star
A service star is a miniature bronze or silver five-pointed star inch (4.8 mm) in diameter that is authorized to be worn by members of the eight uniformed services of the United States on medals and ribbons to denote an additional award or ser ...
s for World War II service and numerous theater ribbons for service in World War II, the Korean War
, date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
, and Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam a ...
.
In 1988, the USCGC ''Taney'' (WHEC-37), Structure – #88001826, was added to the National Register of Historic Places. She was designated a National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...
on the same day.[ The ''Taney'' is located in the historic Baltimore ]Inner Harbor
The Inner Harbor is a historic seaport, tourist attraction, and landmark of the city of Baltimore, Maryland. It was described by the Urban Land Institute in 2009 as "the model for post-industrial waterfront redevelopment around the world". Th ...
as part of the Historic Ships in Baltimore collection. ''Taney'' is included in the Baltimore National Heritage Area
Baltimore National Heritage Area is a federally designated National Heritage Area encompassing portions of Baltimore, Maryland, USA. The designated area includes the central portion of the city, waterfront, inner neighborhoods and portions of the ...
.
Awards
*Coast Guard Meritorious Unit Commendation
The Meritorious Unit Commendation (MUC; pronounced ''muck'') is a mid-level unit award of the United States Armed Forces. The U.S. Army awards units the Army MUC for exceptionally meritorious conduct in performance of outstanding achievement or s ...
*Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation
The Meritorious Unit Commendation (MUC; pronounced ''muck'') is a mid-level unit award of the United States Armed Forces. The U.S. Army awards units the Army MUC for exceptionally meritorious conduct in performance of outstanding achievement or s ...
*American Defense Service Medal
The American Defense Service Medal was a military award of the United States Armed Forces, established by , by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, on June 28, 1941.
The medal was intended to recognize those military service members who had served ...
*American Campaign Medal
The American Campaign Medal is a military award of the United States Armed Forces which was first created on November 6, 1942, by issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The medal was intended to recognize those military members who had perfo ...
* European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with one battle star
A service star is a miniature bronze or silver five-pointed star inch (4.8 mm) in diameter that is authorized to be worn by members of the eight uniformed services of the United States on medals and ribbons to denote an additional award or ser ...
* Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with two battle stars
*World War II Victory Medal
The World War II Victory Medal is a service medal of the United States military which was established by an Act of Congress on 6 July 1945 (Public Law 135, 79th Congress) and promulgated by Section V, War Department Bulletin 12, 1945.
The Wo ...
*Navy Occupation Service Medal
The Navy Occupation Service Medal is a military award of the United States Navy which was "Awarded to commemorate the services of Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard personnel in the occupation of certain territories of the enemies of the U.S. durin ...
with "ASIA" clasp
*National Defense Service Medal
The National Defense Service Medal (NDSM) is a service award of the United States Armed Forces established by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1953. It is awarded to every member of the US Armed Forces who has served during any one of four ...
with one service star
*Korean Service Medal
The Korean Service Medal (KSM) is a military award for service in the United States Armed Forces and was established November 8, 1950 by executive order of President Harry Truman. The Korean Service Medal is the primary US military award for s ...
*Vietnam Service Medal
The Vietnam Service Medal is a military award of the United States Armed Forces established on 8 July 1965 by order of President Lyndon B. Johnson. The medal is awarded to recognize service during the Vietnam War by all members of the U.S. Arm ...
with three campaign stars
*Humanitarian Service Medal
The Humanitarian Service Medal (HSM) is a military service medal of the United States Armed Forces which was created on January 19, 1977 by President Gerald Ford under . The medal may be awarded to members of the United States military (includ ...
* Vietnam Gallantry Cross with palm
*Vietnam Civil Actions Medal
The Republic of Vietnam Civil Actions Medal ( vi, Dân-Vụ Bội-Tinh) also known as the Vietnam Civil Actions Medal or Civil Actions Medal, is a military decoration of the former South Vietnamese government (1955–75). The medal was creat ...
with palm
*United Nations Korea Medal
The United Nations Service Medal for Korea (UNKM) is an international military decoration established by the United Nations on December 12, 1950 as the United Nations Service Medal. The decoration was the first international award ever created by t ...
*Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal
The Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, also known as the Vietnam Campaign Medal ( vi, Chiến Dịch Bội Tinh), is a South Vietnamese military campaign medal which was created in 1949, and awarded to French military personnel during the First ...
In popular culture
''Taney'' is the subject of a 1/300 plastic scale model kit by Revell
Revell GmbH is an American-origin manufacturer of plastic scale models, currently based in Bünde. The original Revell company merged with Monogram in 1986, becoming "Revell-Monogram". The business operated until 2007, when American Revell was ...
, released to the market in 1984.
Sources
References
External links
Historic Ships in Baltimore
* ttp://wiki.worldflicks.org/uscgc_taney_(whec-37).html#coords=(39.2856,%20-76.6061)&z=16 Satellite View, Baltimore harbor and USCGC Taney (WHEC-37)*
*, including photo from 2004, at Maryland Historical Trust
{{DEFAULTSORT:Taney (WHEC-37)
Inner Harbor, Baltimore
Ships present during the attack on Pearl Harbor
Ships of the United States Coast Guard
Museum ships in Baltimore
Treasury-class cutters
National Historic Landmarks in Maryland
Historic American Engineering Record in Baltimore
World War II patrol vessels of the United States
Ships on the National Register of Historic Places in Maryland
Ships built in Philadelphia
1936 ships
Military and war museums in Maryland
Weather ships
Baltimore National Heritage Area
National Register of Historic Places in Baltimore