USS Amesbury (DE-66/APD-46), a of the United States Navy, was named in honor of Lieutenant (jg) Stanton Morgan Amesbury (1916–1942), who was killed in action while flying from the aircraft carrier during Operation Torch in 1942.
Amesbury was laid down on 8 March 1943 at Hingham, Massachusetts, by the Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyard; launched on 6 June 1943, sponsored by Mrs. Janet Kenney Amesbury, the widow of Lieutenant (jg.) Amesbury; and commissioned on 31 August 1943.
Service history
Convoy escort, 1943–1944
Upon the completion of her shakedown training at Bermuda and of post-shakedown availability at the Boston Navy Yard, Amesbury proceeded to Norfolk, Virginia, where, until 13 November she served as a unit of the destroyer escort (DE) pre-commissioning training detail, used for the instruction of future DE sailors.
One week later, on 20 November, Amesbury commenced operation with Task Force 69 on trans-Atlantic convoy escort runs and later joined Task Group (TG) 21.9 in similar work. She operated in this capacity through the spring of 1943. During this time, she served as flagship for Commander, Escort Division 19, commanded by Commander H. W. Howe, on four round-trip voyages to Londonderry, Northern Ireland, and one to Greenock, Scotland. At this time, CortDiv 19 consisted of the destroyer escorts Amesbury, , , , , and . On 10 May 1944, Amesbury's captain "fleeted up" to ComCortDiv 19, relieving CDR Howe, and LCDR Arthur B. Wilber, USNR, assumed command of the ship.
Invasion of Normandy, 1944
At Londonderry on 1 June 1944, Amesbury reported for duty with TF 124, TG 124.7 and, two days later, sailed to take part in the invasion of Normandy. Arriving in the assault area on 6 June, she took up her assigned area on a screen and fire support station in the "Mason Dixie" grid. During the next week on station, Amesbury took part in several anti-aircraft actions against attacking German planes bedeviling the ships offshore.
Between air attacks and drifting mines, the work of the escorts was brisk. At 2112 on 11 June, struck a mine while proceeding in convoy through a channel to the assault area, and Amesbury hastened to her assistance. Three smaller craft arrived on the scene and were busily picking up survivors before the destroyer escort reached the tank landing ship's side. As soon as cleared LST-496, LCDR Wilber skillfully maneuvered Amesbury alongside the stricken amphibious ship and moored her to remove the remainder of the LST's crew and embarked troops, summoning a doctor from to treat the injured men taken on board.
Meanwhile, the tug arrived on the scene and, with the assistance of Amesbury's sailors on board LST-496, secured a tow line to the crippled ship. However, a short time later, LST-496, barely underway, began to capsize to port. Amesbury promptly cut her lines and maneuvered to clear, the sailors she had put on board the doomed ship to handle the lines being ordered off. Lieutenant H. J. Riley, USNR, in charge of Amesburys detail, made certain that all of his men were safely away before he jumped to safety. Ultimately, all of the destroyer escort's sailors were picked up, uninjured, but the ship they had attempted to salvage soon sank.
Amesbury returned to Plymouth, England, the next day, 12 June and got underway for New York on 13 June. Resuming her duties with CortDiv 19, the ship made one round-trip voyage between New York and Ireland in July.
Return to US waters and conversion, 1944–1945
On 4 August, with the dissolution of CortDiv 19, Amesbury sailed for Panama as relief for the destroyer . Diverted while en route, to Key West, Florida, Amesbury reported to Commander, TG 23.3 for temporary duty. From that time until 20 February 1945, the destroyer escort was assigned to the Fleet Sonar School squadron, operating daily from Key West within the limits of assigned operating areas in the Straits of Florida, in connection with training in anti-submarine warfare.
Amesbury arrived at the Philadelphia Navy Yard on 23 February, was redesignated APD-46 on that day, and remained there until 16 May 1945 while undergoing conversion to a Charles Lawrence-class high speed transport. Amesbury got underway from Norfolk for the west coast and, after proceeding via the Panama Canal, reached San Diego on 17 June. Following a brief visit to Hawaii, the ship returned from Pearl Harbor to the west coast to conduct sonar exercises with the West Coast Sonar School and gunnery and shakedown training with the San Diego Shakedown Group into mid-August as the war ended in the Pacific.