USS Haines (APD-84)

USS "Haines" (DE-792), a destroyer escort, was launched by Consolidated Steel Shipbuilding Corp., Orange, Texas on August 26, 1943. Its construction was sponsored by Mrs. Mary V. Haines, wife of the ship's name sake. The "Haines" was commissioned on December 27, 1943 with Lieutenant Commander Elmer C. Powell in command.

USS "Haines" was named in honor of Lieutenant Richard Alexander Haines. Lieutenant Haines served aboard the USS "New Orleans" (CA-32) when it suffered a devastating torpedo hit in the Battle of Tassafaronga on November 30, 1942. Lieutenant Haines remained at his station to assist in controlling the damage until overcome by asphyxiating gas generated by the explosion. He had given his life to save his shipmates and was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for his heroism.

"Haines" conducted shakedown training off Bermuda, and after final acceptance in February 1944, performed various duties until April. These included escorting a Dutch submarine to the United States from the Netherlands, sailing with a troop convoy to Panama and back, and serving as a training ship for new destroyer escort crews at Norfolk, Virginia. Early in April, "Haines" assumed duty as a target towing ship at Quonset Point, Rhode Island, where she helped ready young pilots for duty with American squadrons overseas

Overseas duty was not long in coming for "Haines". She was soon assigned to a Mediterranean convoy, leaving from New York and arriving at Casablanca on June 7, 1944. After returning to New York, "Haines" again sailed for the Mediterranean on June 30, 1944, this time with a carrier task group. The group paused at Malta before proceeding to Alexandria, Egypt to guard against the Axis attack on that port.

Detached from the task group, "Haines" next took an active part in the vast armada that invaded southern France. Departing Naples on August 13, she escorted troop transports to the assault area, and later acted as a screening ship for the gunfire support group offshore. "Haines" continued her escort duties into September as the Allied advance gained momentum, acting as escort to an LST group ferrying supplies from Corsica to France.

"Haines" completed her Mediterranean service on November 1, 1944 and sailed for the United States, via Oran. She arrived at New York on December 11 and immediately entered the Brooklyn Navy Yard for conversion into a high speed transport. Completed on March 1, 1945, "Haines" was re-designated APD-84. She then served for several months at Norfolk and in Chesapeake Bay as a training ship for fast transport and destroyer escort crews.

Receiving orders to return to combat duty, "Haines" sailed from Norfolk for the Panama Canal on August 8, 1945. She received word of the war's end while at Cristobal, Canal Zone and proceeded to San Diego, California where she continued to Pearl Harbor in early September. "Haines" was then designated to transport units of the strategic bombing survey team. One of the more significant things the crew of the ship had done was doing a report of Hiroshima after the atomic bomb was dropped. Crew member Thomas Magnifico said "The only thing standing was a concrete smoke stack."

After extensive preparations, "Haines" departed from Guam for Japan on October 2, 1945. For the next 2 months, the ship stopped at various Japanese ports while technicians and analysts from the strategic bombing survey team gathered data on the effectiveness of the aerial bombardments. "Haines" was detached from this duty at Guam and departed on December 6, 1945, filled with returning Marines. She arrived at San Diego on December 24, 1945.

Scheduled for deactivation, "Haines" sailed for the East Coast via the Panama Canal, arriving in Boston on January 12, 1946. She subsequently sailed to Green Cove Springs, Florida, where she was decommissioned on April 29, 1946, and went into reserve. "Haines" was struck from the Navy List on June 1, 1960 and was sold for scrap to North American Smelting Co., on May 19, 1961.

"Haines" was awarded one battle star for service in World War II

References

*DANFS|http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/h1/haines.htm

External links

* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/06/792.htm/ NavSource Online]
* [http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/ships/APD/APD-84_Haines.html/ http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/ships/APD/APD-84_Haines.html]
* [http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/escorts/de792.txt/ DANFS]