| The picture shows a front and back view of the (2) 1944 U.S.S. Corbesier & U.S.S. Conklin Ship Launching Pin Back Buttons in this lot. These launching badges are believed to have been saved by a shipyard worker. They were found in a Staten Island, New York attic with many others dating from 1941 to 1944 when many ships were launched to do battle in World War II. They had been hidden away in that attic from the 1940s until 2008. The ships were launched from The Federal Shipbuilding & Dry Dock of Kearny, New Jersey. These pinback buttons are imprinted in black on a tan or beige background. There are paper inserts in the backs. They are marked on the two sides as follows: U.S.S. CORBESIER
AND
U.S.S. CONKLIN
LAUNCHING
FEBRUARY 13, 1944 THE WHITEHEAD & HOAG CO.
NEWARK, N.J.
BUTTONS, BADGES, NOVELTIES AND SIGNS The pin back buttons each measure 1-1/2'' wide. They are in good to excellent condition with some surface rusting on the back as pictured. Below here, for reference, is some information on the U.S.S. Corbesier and U.S.S. Conklin: U.S.S. Corbesier (DE-438)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Career (US) Laid down: 4 November 1943
Launched: 13 February 1944
Commissioned: 31 March 1944
Decommissioned: 2 July 1946
Struck: 1 December 1972
Fate: sold for scrapping 3 December 1973 General characteristics Displacement: 1,350/1,745 tons
Length: 306 ft. (93 m) overall
Beam: 36 ft. 10 in. (11.2 m)
Draught: 13 ft. 4 in. (4.1 m) maximum
Propulsion: 2 boilers, 2 geared turbine engines, 12,000 shp, 2 screws
Speed: 24 knots (44 km/h)
Range: 6,000 nm at 12 knots (22 km/h)
Complement: 14 officers, 201 enlisted
Armament: 2 - 5''/38, 4 - 40 mm AA, 10 - 20 mm AA, 3 - 21'' torpedo tubes, 1 Hedgehog, 8 depth charge projectors,2 depth charge tracks. U.S.S. Corbesier (DE-438) was a John C. Butler class destroyer escort acquired by the U.S. Navy during World War II. The primary purpose of the destroyer escort was to escort and protect ships in convoy, in addition to other tasks as assigned, such as patrol or radar picket. The U.S.S. Corbesier (DE-438) was named in honor of Antoine Joseph Corbesier, born 22 January 1837 in Belgium. He served in the Belgian army before coming to America. For more than 40 years he was the beloved swordmaster of the U.S. Naval Academy Midshipmen. By special Act of Congress, he was given the rank of first lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps 4 March 1913. He died in the Naval Hospital at Annapolis, Maryland, 26 March 1915. The U.S.S. Corbesier (DE-438) was launched 13 February 1944 by Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Kearny, New Jersey, sponsored by Mrs. G. V. Stewart; and commissioned 31 March 1944, Lieutenant Commander W. B. Porter in command. World War II Pacific Theatre operations
Corbesier departed New York City 29 May 1944 for Pearl Harbor, arriving 26 June. Between 2 July and 9 August, she twice escorted convoys to Eniwetok and back to Pearl Harbor. She next sailed to escort a cable ship to Midway Island, screened it during its operations there from 29 August to 16 September and proceeded with the cable ship to Eniwetok and Saipan, arriving 2 October. Supporting Philippine operations
Corbesier served on patrol and escort off Saipan from 12 October to 11 November 1944, then sailed for Guam and Leyte escorting an U.S. Army Engineer dredge. She departed San Pedro Bay 19 November for Ulithi, where from her arrival 25 November she carried out antisubmarine and escort missions, calling at Guam, Saipan, Kossol Roads, and Manus. Sinking of Japanese submarine I-48
On 23 January 1945 with the U.S.S. Conklin (DE-439) and the U.S.S. Raby (DE-698) she sank the Japanese submarine I-48 off Yap. She sailed from Ulithi 18 March with the logistics group supporting the fast carrier striking force in the Okinawa Campaign, and screened, guarded planes and transferred passengers, mail, and freight until 15 June when she was detached at Saipan. Sailing from Saipan 28 June for Okinawa, she operated on antisubmarine screening duty in protection of the operations on the island from 4 July undergoing the hazards of kamikaze attacks, and typhoons. End of war assignments
At the end of hostilities, she anchored in Buckner Bay until 24 September, when she sailed for Nagasaki, Japan, arriving 25 September for various duties in support of the occupation of Japan, including transportation of passengers, mail, and light freight between Nagasaki, Sasebo, and Okinawa. She cleared Sasebo 15 October for Saipan, Pearl Harbor, and San Diego, California, arriving 10 November 1945. Corbesier was placed out of commission in reserve 2 July 1946, berthed at San Diego. On 1 December 1972 she was struck from Navy list records, and, on 3 December 1973, she was sold for scrap. Corbesier received two battle stars for World War II service.
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U.S.S. Conklin (DE-439)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Career (US) Laid down: 4 November 1943
Launched: 13 February 1944
Commissioned: 21 April 1944
Decommissioned: 17 January 1946
Struck: 1 October 1970
Fate: Sold for scrap, 12 May 1972 General characteristics Displacement: 1,350/1,745 tons
Length: 306 ft. (93 m) (oa)
Beam: 36 ft. 10 in. (11.2 m)
Draught: 13 ft. 4 in. (4.1 m) (max)
Propulsion: 2 boilers, 2 geared turbine engines, 12,000 shp, 2 screws
Speed: 24 knots (44 km/h)
Range: 6,000 nm at 12 knots (22 km/h)
Complement: 14 officers, 201 enlisted
Armament: 2 - 5''/38, 4 - 40 mm AA, 10 - 20 mm AA, 3 - 21'' torpedo tubes, 1 Hedgehog, 8 depth charge projectors, 2 depth charge tracks. The U.S.S. Conklin (DE-439) was a John C. Butler class destroyer escort acquired by the U.S. Navy during World War II. The primary purpose of the destroyer escort was to escort and protect ships in convoy, in addition to other tasks as assigned, such as patrol or radar picket. Post war, after operating in the Pacific Ocean battle areas, her crew members returned home proudly with three battle stars to their credit. Conklin (DE-439) was named in honor George Emerson Conklin who was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for his brave actions on Guadalcanal. She was launched 13 February 1944 by Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Newark, New Jersey; sponsored by Mrs. T. Conklin; and commissioned 21 April 1944, Commander D. C. Brown, USNR, in command. Operational history
Conklin reached Pearl Harbor from the U.S. East Coast 30 July 1944, and after training, sailed to Eniwetok 17 August to convoy the U.S.S. Kwajalein (CVE-98) back to Pearl Harbor. She put to sea again from Pearl Harbor 9 September for convoy escort duty between Kwajalein and Eniwetok until 3 October, when she arrived at Guam to serve as planeguard. After repairs to her sound gear at Eniwetok, she patrolled on antisubmarine duty off Saipan until 6 November, when she cleared for Ulithi and Leyte, guarding a convoy of reinforcement troops and supplies. Reaching Leyte 14 November 1944, Conklin cleared the same day to join a hunter killer group operating off the western entrance to Kossol Passage. Here on 19 November, she and the U.S.S. McCoy Reynolds (DE-440) coordinated their depth charge attacks to send Japanese submarine I-37 to the bottom. Conklin then returned to escort duty to Eniwetok, Ulithi, and Guam, and on 21 January 1945, joined another hunter killer group patrolling near Ulithi. On 23 January, she headed a team including the U.S.S. Corbesier (DE-438) and U.S.S. Raby (DE-698) in the sinking of another submarine, Japanese submarine I-48. Conklin sailed from Ulithi 14 February 1945 on escort duty to the Palaus and Manus, where she arrived 27 February to join the screen for the logistics group supporting mighty carrier Task Force TF 58, and from 20 March to 5 June, she was almost constantly at sea with this group for the Okinawa operation. Her duties included transferring passengers, mail, and freight, serving as planeguard, and escorting ships of the group to replenishment at Guam and Ulithi. On 5 June she was heavily damaged in a typhoon off Okinawa, during which one of her men was killed. many injured, and two washed overboard, one of whom was later rescued by another ship. She put in to Guam for emergency repairs, and on 17 June sailed for a complete overhaul at Mare Island Navy Yard. With this complete, she sailed to San Diego, California, where she was decommissioned and placed in reserve 17 January 1946. On 1 October 1970 she was struck from the Navy list, and, on 12 May 1972, she was sold for scrap. Conklin received three battle stars for World War II service. |
