U.S.S. KENDALL C. CAMPBELL
AND
U.S.S. GOSS
LAUNCHING
MARCH 19, 1944

THE WHITEHEAD & HOAG CO.
NEWARK, N.J.
BUTTONS, BADGES, NOVELTIES AND SIGNS

U.S.S. Kendall C. Campbell (DE-443)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Career (US)

Laid down: 16 December 1943
Launched: 19 March 1944
Commissioned: 31 July 1944
Decommissioned: 31 May 1946
Struck: 15 January 1972
Fate: sold for scrap 15 January 1973

General characteristics

Displacement: 1,350/1,745 tons
Length: 306 ft. (93 m) (oa)
Beam: 36 ft. 10 in. (11.2m)
Draught: 13 ft. 4 in. (4.1 m) (max)
Propulsion: 2 boilers, 2 geared turbine engines, 12,000 shp, 2 screws
Speed: 24 knots
Range: 6,000 nm at 12 knots
Complement: 14 officers, 201 enlisted
Armament: 2 - 5''/38, 4 (2x2) 40mmAA, 10 - 20mm AA, 3 - 21'' TT, 1 Hedgehog, 8 DCT's, 2 DC tracks

U.S.S. Kendall C. Campbell (DE-443) 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 she proudly returned home with four battle stars to her credit. Kendall C. Campbell was named in honor of Kendall Carl Campbell who was twice awarded the Navy Cross, once during the New Guinea campaign and again during the Battle of the Coral Sea. Kendall C. Campbell was launched 19 March 1944 by the Federal Shipbuilding & Drydock Co., Kearny, New Jersey; sponsored by Mrs. Carl B. Campbell; and commissioned 31 July 1944, Lt. Comdr. R. W. Johnson in command.

World War II Pacific Theatre operations
Kendall C. Campbell departed New York 20 August 1944 for shakedown exercises off Bermuda. Ten days later she departed Norfolk, Virginia, transited the Panama Canal, and arrived Pearl Harbor 30 October. The destroyer escort was assigned to hunter killer operations out of Hawaii with Corregidor and performed this duty until she sailed for Ulithi 24 November. She immediately commenced ASW patrols designed to keep the supply lanes to the Marianas and Western Carolines open.

Supporting Philippine operations
Anxiously awaiting her first major encounter, Campbell put to sea 1 January 1945, and sortied with the Luzon Attack Force for the invasion of Lingayen Gulf. She returned to Ulithi 5 February for a short overhaul period, departing 2 weeks later for carrier escort duty during the occupation of Iwo Jima. When the volcano island was secure, Kendall C. Campbell put into Ulithi to prepare for the Okinawa invasion.

Supporting Okinawa operations
The destroyer escort sailed 21 March accompanying escort carriers as they unleashed air raids in the pre-invasion strikes against Japanese positions on Okinawa. After the American assault forces hit the beach 1 April, Kendall C. Campbell stood by until the island was free of enemy resistance and offered all possible support to the successful campaign.

End of war operations
As the war moved closer to the enemy homeland, on 26 June Campbell joined the Logistics Support Group, which operated northeast of Honsh, during the carrier strikes on Japan's home islands. In early August she searched for Japanese submarines southeast of Okinawa Gunto and was on this mission when the fighting ended. During the first week of September she furnished ASW patrols for the Tokyo Occupation Force en route to Japan. After escorting a group of 54 LST's from Tokyo to Manila, she returned to Yokosuka 16 October.

Post war decommissioning
Kendall C. Campbell departed Japan 4 November, arriving San Pedro, California, 22 November. The destroyer escort decommissioned at San Diego, California, 31 May 1946 and joined the Pacific Reserve Fleet. She was berthed at Stockton, California. On 15 January 1972 she was struck from the Navy List, and, on 15 January 1973, she was sold for scrap. Kendall C. Campbell received four battle stars for World War II service

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U.S.S. Goss (DE-444)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Career (US)

Laid down: 16 December 1943
Launched: 19 March 1944
Commissioned: 26 August 1944
Decommissioned: 15 June 1946
In service: 11th Naval District, January 1951
Out of service: 10 October 1958
Struck: 1 March 1972
Fate: sold for scrap 20 November 1972

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.

The U.S.S. Goss (DE-444) 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 she proudly returned home with four battle stars to her credit. Goss (DE-444) was named in honor of Marine Gunner Angus R. Goss who posthumously received the Navy Cross and Britain’s Conspicuous Gallantry Medal for charging into a cave where the enemy was entrenched and single handedly destroyed the Japanese with a sub-machine gun. She was laid down 16 December 1943 by the Federal Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co., Kearny, New Jersey; launched 19 March 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Jamie S. Goss, sister in law of Marine Gunner Goss; and commissioned 26 August 1944, Lt. Comdr. Claude A. Kirkpatrick in command.

World War II Pacific Theatre operations
After shakedown out of Bermuda, Goss departed Norfolk, Virginia, 30 October and steamed via the Panama Canal Zone and San Francisco, California, to Pearl Harbor, where she arrived 2 December and reported for duty. Goss was underway 5 December 1944 from Pearl Harbor via Eniwetok to Kossel Roads, Palau Islands, where she joined the U.S.S. Tulagi (CVE-72) and four other destroyer escorts to form a hunter killer group which operated off the Palau Islands.

Under attack by kamikaze planes
As a unit of Vice Admiral Oldendorf's Bombardment and Fire Support Group, Goss sortied from Kossel Roads 1 January 1945 bound for Lingayen Gulf. In the early hours of 5 January, as Oldendorf's ships steamed within 150 miles of Japanese airfields on Luzon, they were spotted by scout planes. At 0758 combat air patrol intercepted 15 to 20 enemy planes 35 miles from the formation, shot down 9, and turned the others back. At noon another raid was intercepted and turned back about 45 miles from the ships.

Goss shoots down two kamikaze planes
The last and heaviest air attack of the day came at 16:50 about 100 miles off Corregidor. Sixteen kamikazes with four escorts broke through combat air patrol to dive at the ships. They succeeded in hitting heavy cruisers U.S.S. Louisville (CA-28), and H.M.A.S. Australia; escort carrier U.S.S. Manila Bay (CVE-61); and destroyer escort U.S.S. Stafford (DE-411). In the fierce fight to repel this deadly threat, Goss was credited with shooting down two kamikazes.

Supporting Philippine operations
Next day, cruising about 60 miles off Lingayen Gulf, the formation began breaking up into units with the battleships, cruisers, Beach Demolition Group and their escorts starting their separate missions. Goss, as part of the screen for Rear Admiral Durgin's Lingayen Carrier Group, gallantly carried out her mission in support of the Lingayen Landings until 20 January. Retiring from the area, she reached Mindoro dawn 21 January.

Supporting Iwo Jima and Okinawa operations
From 21 February to 6 June 1945 Goss operated as a unit of Admiral Stump's Task Group 52.1 under U.S. 5th Fleet as part of the close air support for the invasion of Iwo Jima. Goss continued her escort duties, next taking part in the Okinawa operations, last stop on the island road to Japan. This duty lasted until 30 June 1945.

End of war operations
Goss sortied from Ulithi 3 July as part of the screen for Admiral D. B. Beary's Logistic Support Group (TG 30.8). This group acted as the replenishment group for Admiral Mitscher's Carrier Task Force 38 as they struck the main islands of Japan with carrier planes and battleship guns. The Logistics Group operated in an area from 250 to 500 miles east of Honsh, fueling the fast carrier strike force and furnishing replacement aircraft. Late in July Goss joined Task Group 94.17, a hunter killer team, to operate along the shipping lanes southeast of Okinawa. From 7 through 24 August she operated with Task Group 75.19 as hunter killer group east of Formosa. With the war over, Goss retired to San Pedro Bay 25 August and cleared that port 2 days later as part of the screen for Task Force 32 and 33, landing units of the U.S. 8th Army in Tokyo Bay 2 September.

Post war activity
Goss continued her duties until 5 November when she departed Tokyo Bay for home. After touching at Pearl Harbor Goss arrived Los Angeles, California, 22 November 1945. She remained on the U.S. West Coast and decommissioned at San Diego, California, 15 June 1946 and joined the Pacific Reserve Fleet.

Recommissioning during the Korean crisis
Goss recommissioned 27 December 1950 at San Diego, Lt. Comdr. L. R. Hayes, commanding. Goss was assigned duty under Commandant, 11th Naval District as a reserve training ship. Her operations consisted of readiness and tactical cruises on the west coast from Alaska to South America as well as visits to Hawaii, Cuba, and Panama.

Final decommissioning
Goss decommissioned at Astoria, Oregon, 10 October 1958 and again joined the Pacific Reserve Fleet. She was later transferred to Bremerton, Washington. On 1 March 1972, she was struck from the Navy list, and, on 20 November 1972, she was sold for scrapping. Goss received four battle stars for World War II service.