USS Samuel B. Roberts (DE-413)
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USS ''Samuel B. Roberts'' (DE-413) was a
destroyer escort Destroyer escort (DE) was the United States Navy mid-20th-century classification for a warship designed with the endurance necessary to escort mid-ocean convoys of merchant marine ships. Development of the destroyer escort was promoted by th ...
of the
United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
which served in
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, the first of three U.S. Navy ships to bear the name. ''Samuel B. Roberts'' was named after
Coxswain The coxswain ( , or ) is the person in charge of a boat, particularly its navigation and steering. The etymology of the word gives a literal meaning of "boat servant" since it comes from ''cock'', referring to the cockboat, a type of ship's boa ...
Samuel Booker Roberts Jr., a
Navy Cross The Navy Cross is the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps' second-highest military decoration awarded for sailors and marines who distinguish themselves for extraordinary heroism in combat with an armed enemy force. The medal is eq ...
recipient, who had been commended for voluntarily steering a Higgins boat towards enemy forces at Guadalcanal, in order to divert fire from evacuation efforts being undertaken by other friendly vessels. The ship was nicknamed the "Sammy B". ''Samuel B. Roberts'' was sunk in the
Battle off Samar The Battle off Samar was the centermost action of the Battle of Leyte Gulf, one of the largest naval battles in history, which took place in the Philippine Sea off Samar Island, in the Philippines on October 25, 1944. It was the only major a ...
, in which a small force of U.S. warships prevented a superior
Imperial Japanese Navy The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN; Kyūjitai: Shinjitai: ' 'Navy of the Greater Japanese Empire', or ''Nippon Kaigun'', 'Japanese Navy') was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945, when it was dissolved following Japan's surrend ...
force from attacking the amphibious invasion fleet off the
Philippine The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...
island of
Leyte Leyte ( ) is an island in the Visayas group of islands in the Philippines. It is eighth-largest and sixth-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 2,626,970 as of 2020 census. Since the accessibility of land has be ...
. The battle formed part of the larger Battle of Leyte Gulf of October 1944. The ship was part of Task Unit 77.4.3 ("Taffy 3"), escort carriers only protected by relatively few destroyers and destroyer escorts. Task Unit 77.4.3 was inadvertently left to fend off a fleet of heavily armed Japanese battleships, cruisers, and destroyers off the island of
Samar Samar ( ) is the third-largest and seventh-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 1,909,537 as of the 2020 census. It is located in the eastern Visayas, which are in the central Philippines. The island is divided in ...
. Steaming through incoming shells, ''Samuel B. Roberts'' scored one
torpedo A modern torpedo is an underwater ranged weapon launched above or below the water surface, self-propelled towards a target, and with an explosive warhead designed to detonate either on contact with or in proximity to the target. Historically, s ...
hit and several shell hits on larger enemy warships before she was sunk. After the battle, ''Samuel B. Roberts'' received the appellation "the destroyer escort that fought like a battleship." As of June 2022, she is the deepest shipwreck ever discovered. Her last known survivor died on 20 March 2022.


Construction and commissioning

''Samuel B. Roberts'' was
laid down Laying the keel or laying down is the formal recognition of the start of a ship's construction. It is often marked with a ceremony attended by dignitaries from the shipbuilding company and the ultimate owners of the ship. Keel laying is one o ...
on 6 December 1943, by the Brown Shipbuilding Company of
Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 i ...
,
Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
. She was launched on 20 January 1944, sponsored by the namesake's mother, Mrs. Anna Roberts. She was commissioned on 28 April 1944, commanded by
Lieutenant Commander Lieutenant commander (also hyphenated lieutenant-commander and abbreviated Lt Cdr, LtCdr. or LCDR) is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander. The corresponding ran ...
Robert W. Copeland, USNR.


Service history

''Samuel B. Roberts'' had a shakedown cruise off
Bermuda ) , anthem = "God Save the King" , song_type = National song , song = "Hail to Bermuda" , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , mapsize2 = , map_caption2 = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = , es ...
from 21 May to 19 June 1944. After spending time at 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 ...
, ''Roberts'' departed for Norfolk, Virginia, on 7 July. Later that day, the ship presumably struck a whale, which bent her starboard propeller. Repairs were completed by 11 July. ''Roberts'' departed Norfolk on 22 July, going through 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 ...
on 27 July. She joined the Pacific Fleet at
Pearl Harbor Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. It was often visited by the Naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the signing of the R ...
on 10 August. She conducted training exercises around the Hawaiian Islands then steamed out on 21 August with a convoy reaching Eniwetok Atoll on 30 August. On 2 September, ''Roberts'' returned to Pearl Harbor, with a convoy arriving on 10 September. Following further training, the destroyer escort got underway on 21 September, escorted a convoy to Eniwetok, and arrived on 30 September. ''Roberts'' next proceeded to
Manus Island Manus Island is part of Manus Province in northern Papua New Guinea and is the largest of the Admiralty Islands. It is the fifth-largest island in Papua New Guinea, with an area of , measuring around . Manus Island is covered in rugged jungles w ...
in the
Admiralty Islands The Admiralty Islands are an archipelago group of 18 islands in the Bismarck Archipelago, to the north of New Guinea in the South Pacific Ocean. These are also sometimes called the Manus Islands, after the largest island. These rainforest-co ...
of the Southwest Pacific and then joined Task Unit 77.4.3, nicknamed "Taffy 3". From there she steamed to
Leyte Gulf Leyte Gulf is a gulf in the Eastern Visayan region in the Philippines. The bay is part of the Philippine Sea of the Pacific Ocean, and is bounded by two islands; Samar in the north and Leyte in the west. On the south of the bay is Mindanao ...
area off the eastern
Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...
. On arrival, she commenced operations with the Northern Air Support Group off the Island of Samar.


Battle off Samar

Shortly after dawn on 25 October, ''Samuel B. Roberts'' was protecting Taffy 3's
escort carriers The escort carrier or escort aircraft carrier (U.S. hull classification symbol CVE), also called a "jeep carrier" or "baby flattop" in the United States Navy (USN) or "Woolworth Carrier" by the Royal Navy, was a small and slow type of aircraft ...
whose aircraft were supporting the
Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
assault. The warships were steaming off the eastern coast of Samar when the Japanese Center Force, a 23-ship task force under the command of Vice Admiral
Takeo Kurita was a vice admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during World War II. Kurita commanded IJN 2nd Fleet, the main Japanese attack force during the Battle of Leyte Gulf, the largest naval battle in history. Biography Early life Takeo Kurita ...
, appeared on the horizon and opened fire. At 07:35, ''Roberts'' turned and headed toward the
heavy cruiser The heavy cruiser was a type of cruiser, a naval warship designed for long range and high speed, armed generally with naval guns of roughly 203 mm (8 inches) in caliber, whose design parameters were dictated by the Washington Naval T ...
. The commanding officer, Copeland, announced "We're making a torpedo run. The outcome is doubtful, but we will do our duty." With smoke as cover, ''Roberts'' steamed to within of ''Chōkai'', coming under fire from the cruiser's forward guns. ''Roberts'' had moved so close that the Japanese large caliber guns could not depress low enough to hit her and when in torpedo range, ''Roberts'' launched three
Mark 15 torpedo The Mark 15 torpedo, the standard American destroyer-launched torpedo of World War II, was very similar in design to the Mark 14 torpedo except that it was longer, heavier, and had greater range and a larger warhead. It was developed by the Naval ...
es, with one blowing off ''Chōkai''s stern. ''Roberts'' fought with the Japanese ships for a further hour, firing more than six hundred shells, and while maneuvering at very close range, hitting ''Chōkai''s superstructure with her 40 mm and 20 mm anti-aircraft guns. At 08:51, the Japanese landed two hits, the second of which damaged the aft gun. This damaged gun suffered a breech explosion shortly thereafter which killed and wounded several crew members. With her remaining gun, ''Roberts'' set the bridge of the heavy cruiser on fire and destroyed the Number Three gun turret. ''Roberts'' was then hit by three shells from the battleship , which tore a hole long and wide in the port side of her aft engine room. At 09:35, the order was given to abandon ship. She sank 30 minutes later, with 90 of the crew dying. The 120 survivors of the crew clung to three
life raft A lifeboat or liferaft is a small, rigid or inflatable boat carried for emergency evacuation in the event of a disaster aboard a ship. Lifeboat drills are required by law on larger commercial ships. Rafts ( liferafts) are also used. In the m ...
s for 50 hours before being rescued. During the battle, ''Samuel B. Roberts'', which was designed for , managed by raising pressure to and diverting all available steam to the ship's turbines. ''Samuel B. Roberts'' was stricken from the ''
Naval Vessel Register The ''Naval Vessel Register'' (NVR) is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from t ...
'' on 27 November 1944. The wreck was discovered around 22 June 2022, at a depth of , at that time the deepest wreck ever identified.


Awards and honors

''Samuel B. Roberts'' was included in the Presidential Unit Citation given to Task Unit 77.4.3 "for extraordinary heroism in action." ''Samuel B. Roberts'' earned 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 ...
for her
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
service.
Gunner's Mate The United States Navy and United States Coast Guard occupational rating of gunner's mate (GM) is a designation given by the Bureau of Naval Personnel (BUPERS) to enlisted sailors who either satisfactorily complete initial Gunner's Mate "A" schoo ...
Third Class Paul H. Carr was in charge of Gun Mount 52, the aft gun, which had fired nearly all of its 325 stored rounds in 35 minutes before a round exploded in the gun's breech. Carr was found dying at his station from a severe intestinal wound, begging for help to load the last round he was holding into the breech. For his actions, he was posthumously awarded a Silver Star. A guided-missile frigate, , was named for him. The frigate was named for the ship's commanding officer.


Memorials

* At the U.S. Naval Academy, in Alumni Hall, a concourse is dedicated to Lieutenant Lloyd Garnett and his shipmates on ''Samuel B. Roberts'' who earned their ship the reputation as the "destroyer escort that fought like a battleship" in the Battle of Leyte Gulf. * Within
Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery is a federal military cemetery in the city of San Diego, California. It is located on the grounds of the former Army coastal artillery station Fort Rosecrans and is administered by the United States Department ...
federal military cemetery in the city of
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 ...
, California, there is a large granite memorial dedicated in 1995 to ''Samuel B. Roberts'', and to the two U.S. destroyers also sunk in the action, and .


Successors

Two later U.S. warships have borne the name USS ''Samuel B. Roberts:'' * The second , was a , commissioned in 1946 and struck in 1970. * The third , is an guided missile frigate, commissioned in 1986 and decommissioned on 22 May 2015.


Discovery of wreck

An exploration team led by
Victor Vescovo Victor Lance Vescovo (born 1966) is an American private equity investor, retired naval officer, space tourist and undersea explorer. He is a co-founder and managing partner of private equity company Insight Equity Holdings. Vescovo achieved the ...
and made up of personnel of Caladan Oceanic, Deep Ocean Search, and EYOS Expeditions discovered the wreck of ''Samuel B. Roberts'' in June 2022. The team found, identified, and surveyed the wreck during a series of six dives conducted from 17 to 24 June 2022. The team determined that the wreck reached the
seabed The seabed (also known as the seafloor, sea floor, ocean floor, and ocean bottom) is the bottom of the ocean. All floors of the ocean are known as 'seabeds'. The structure of the seabed of the global ocean is governed by plate tectonics. Most of ...
in one piece, although it hit the sea floor bow first and with enough force to cause some buckling, and observed that the ship's stern had separated from the rest of the hull by about . The team reported that it had found evidence of damage to the ship inflicted by a Japanese battleship shell, including ''Samuel B. Roberts''s fallen mast. The wreck of ''Samuel B. Roberts'' lies at a depth of , making her the deepest known shipwreck and the deepest shipwreck ever identified by a crewed submersible. It exceeds the previous record of , set in March 2021 when Vescovo's team found and identified the wreck of the destroyer , which was sunk in the same battle. Broken Stern Section of the USS Samuel B. Roberts, DE-413 lost at the Battle Off Samar.jpg, Broken stern section Aft_Gun_Mount_-_GM3_Paul_H._Carr%27s_Position_on_the_Destroyer_Escort_Samuel_B._Roberts_DE-413.jpg, Aft 5" gun mount Pilot_House_and_40mm_gun_mount_of_the_Samuel_B._Roberts_-_DE-413.jpg, Pilot House and 40mm gun mount Hull number 413 of the USS Samuel B Roberts, Destroyer Escort, lost during the Battle off Samar.jpg, Pennant number 413 still visible The bow of the USS Samuel B. Roberts, DE-413 lost during the Battle off Samar, 1944.jpg, Bow


Sunken ship protection

The wreck of ''Samuel B. Roberts'' is protected from unauthorized disturbance by the Sunken Military Craft Act. A permit for archaeological, historical, or educational purposes can be requested from the Naval History and Heritage Command.


Notes


References

* * * *


Further reading

* * * * * * based on Hornfischer's ''The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors''.


External links

*
Captain Copeland's memoirsDE 413 timelineThe Samuel B. Roberts Survivors Association
* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Samuel B. Roberts 1944 ships John C. Butler-class destroyer escorts Maritime incidents in October 1944 Ships built in Houston World War II frigates and destroyer escorts of the United States World War II shipwrecks in the Philippine Sea Shipwrecks of the Philippines