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December 18, 1944 the USS
Dyson and the 3rd Fleet were
caught in Typhoon Cobra
From the Ship's Book:
"...Task
Group 38.2 and other Third Fleet units had an awesome
experience. A typhoon of terrifying intensity enveloped
the Fleet. Three destroyers—the HULL, MONAGHAN, and
SPENCE—overturned and capsized. Though a tedious search
of the area was made by ships and aircraft, only a few
survivors were found. During the raging storm the DYSON
had a close call when the ship rolled heavily to port
taking a huge swell over the main deck. Water entered a
ventilation intake and was sluiced into the forward
engine roam, causing the No. I switchboard to short out.
To save the ship, emergency repairs were effected
immediately. It was BOONE KEMP who saved the ship on
this day. He had to enter the engine room and throw
switches and told me that it was "extremely hot" in the
engine room with temperatures of 125 to 150 degrees. He
went in not expecting to come out. Three days later the DYSON entered Ulithi
Atoll to repair
storm damage." |

On December 17, the typhoon was first observed,
surprising a fleet of ships in the open western
Pacific Ocean. Barometric pressures as low as 26.8
and wind speeds up to 120 knots (140 mph) in gusts
were reported by some ships
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A huge swell hits
The USS Dyson December 18, 1944 during Typhoon Cobra

Typhoon Cobra, also known as the Typhoon of
1944 or Halsey's Typhoon (named after Admiral
William 'Bull' Halsey), was the
United States Navy designation for a
tropical cyclone which struck the
United States Pacific Fleet in December 1944
during
World War II.

Two Destroyers during the Storm (Unknown Ship Names)
Despite some warning
signs, on December 17, Admiral Halsey had
unwittingly sailed
Task Force 38 (TF 38), which was operating
about 300 miles (480 km) east of
Luzon in the
Philippine Sea into the heart of the
typhoon. The carriers had been conducting raids
against Japanese airfields in the
Philippines and ships were being refueled,
especially many destroyers running low on fuel.
However, due to worsening weather, attempts to
refuel generally failed.
Because of 100-mile-an-hour winds, very
high seas and torrential rain, three destroyers
which had modifications making them more
top-heavy than originally designed capsized and
sank, and a total of 790 lives were lost. Nine
other warships were damaged, and over one
hundred aircraft were wrecked or washed
overboard; the aircraft carrier
Monterey was forced to battle a
serious fire that was caused by a plane hitting
a bulkhead.
The
USS Tabberer (DE-418) (At Left), a small
John C. Butler-class
destroyer escort lost her mast and radio
antennas. Though damaged and unable to radio for
help, she took the initiative to remain on the
scene to recover 55 of the 93 total that were
rescued. Captain Henry Lee Plage earned the
Legion of Merit, while the entire crew earned
the Navy's Unit Commendation Ribbon, presented
by Halsey.
In the words of Admiral
Chester Nimitz, the typhoon's impact
"represented a more crippling blow to the
3rd Fleet than it might be expected to
suffer in anything less than a major action". A
Navy inquiry found Halsey responsible for the
losses. It cited "errors of judgment committed
under stress of war operations." Just six months
later, he still failed to steer his fleet clear
of another typhoon on June 5. After the second
incident, an official court of inquiry
recommended that he be relieved of his duties,
but no action was taken. His December 1945
promotion was controversial because between his
decisions leading to the
Battle off Samar action in Leyte Gulf and
the typhoons, Halsey was effectively responsible
for the loss of seven warships and 1,450 men,
more than the combined losses of the Battle of
Midway and Battle of Coral Sea.
Task Force 38
TF 38 consisted of seven
fleet carriers, six
light carriers, eight
battleships, 15
cruisers, and about 50
destroyers. The carriers had been
conducting raids against Japanese
airfields in the
Philippines and ships were being
refueled, especially many destroyers
running low on fuel. When the storm hit,
the procedure had to be aborted.
Some ships experienced rolls of over
70 degrees and damage suffered by the
fleet was severe. Three destroyers,
Spence,
Hickox and
Maddox had nearly empty fuel
stores (10-15% of capacity) and
therefore lacked the stabilizing effect
of the extra weight and thus were
relatively unstable. Additionally,
several other destroyers, including
Hull and
Monaghan, were of the older
Farragut-class and had been
refitted with over 500 tons of extra
equipment and armament which made them
top-heavy. The Spence, Hull
and Monaghan were sunk either by
capsizing or as a result of water
downflooded through their smokestacks
and disabling their engines, leaving
them at the mercy of the wind and seas.
The Hickox and Maddox, due
to ballasting of their empty fuel tanks
(pumping them full of seawater) had
greater stability and were able to ride
out the storm with relatively minor
damage.

Many other ships of Task Force 38
suffered various degrees of damage,
especially to radar and radio equipment
which severely compromised
communications within the fleet. Several
carriers suffered fires on their hangars
and 146 aircraft were wrecked or blown
overboard. Nine ships — including one
light cruiser, three
light carriers, and two
escort carriers — suffered severe
damage and had to be sent for repairs.
The carrier
Monterey was nearly taken
down in flames by its own airplanes as
they crashed into bulkheads and exploded
during violent rolls. One of those
fighting the fires aboard the
Monterey was then-Lt.
Gerald Ford, later
President of the United States. Ford
later recalled nearly going overboard;
when 20+ degree rolls caused aircraft
below decks to careen into each other,
igniting a fire, he volunteered to take
a fire team below decks and fought fires
all night, saving his ship from sure
destruction at sea.
3rd Fleet damages
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USS Hull (DD-350)
- with 70 percent fuel
aboard, capsized and sunk
with 202 men drowned (62
survivors) |
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USS Monaghan (DD-354)
- capsized and sunk with 256
men drowned (6 survivors) |
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USS Spence (DD-512)
- rudder jammed hard to
starboard, capsized and sunk
with 317 men drowned (23
survivors) after hoses
parted attempting to refuel
from New Jersey |
 |
USS Cowpens (CVL-25)
- hangar door torn open and
RADAR, 20mm gun sponson,
whaleboat, jeeps, tractors,
Kerry crane, and 8 aircraft
lost overboard |
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USS Monterey (CVL-26)
- hangar deck fire killed 3
men and caused evacuation of
boiler rooms requiring
repairs at Bremerton Navy
yard |
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USS Langley (CVL-27)
- damaged |
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USS Cabot (CVL-28)
- damaged |
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USS San Jacinto (CVL-30)
- hangar deck planes broke
loose and destroyed air
intakes, vent ducts and
sprinkling system causing
widespread flooding.[3]
Damage repaired by
USS Hector (AR-7) |
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USS Altamaha (CVE-18)
- hangar deck crane and
aircraft broke loose and
broke fire mains |
 |
USS Anzio (CVE-57)
- required major repair |
 |
USS Nehenta Bay (CVE-74)
- damaged |
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USS Cape Esperance (CVE-88)
- flight deck fire required
major repair |
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USS Kwajalein (CVE-98)
- lost steering control |
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USS Baltimore (CA-68)
- required major repair |
 |
USS Miami (CL-89)
- required major repair
|
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USS Dewey (DD-349)
- lost steering control,
RADAR, the forward stack,
and all power when salt
water shorted main
electrical switchboard |
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USS Aylwin (DD-355)
- required major repair |
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USS Buchanan (DD-484)
- required major repair |
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USS Dyson (DD-572)
- required major repair |
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USS Hickox (DD-673)
- required major repair
|
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USS Maddox (DD-731)
- damaged |
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USS Benham (DD-796)
- required major repair |
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USS Donaldson (DE-44)
- required major repair |
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USS Melvin R. Nawman (DE-416)
- required major repair |
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USS Tabberer (DE-418)
- lost foremast |
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USS Waterman (DE-740)
- damaged |
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USS Nantahala (AO-60)
- damaged |
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USS Jicarilla (ATF-104)
- damaged |
Lost in the Storm
Left to Right: USS Hull DD-350, USS
Spence DD-512, USS Monaghan DD-354


The Survivors from the Spence and the Hull rescued by
The USS Tabberer
Rescue efforts

At Left: USS Tabberer DE-418
The fleet was scattered by the storm. One ship,
the destroyer escort Tabberer, ran across a survivor
from the Hull while itself desperately fighting the
typhoon. This was the first survivor from any of the
capsized destroyers to be picked up. Shortly thereafter
many more survivors were picked up, in groups or in
isolation. The Tabberer's skipper, Lieutenant Commander
Henry Lee Plage, directed that the ship, despite its own
dire condition, begin boxed searches to look for more
survivors. Eventually, the Tabberer rescued 55 survivors
in a 51-hour search, despite repeated orders from
Admiral Halsey to return all ships to port in Ulithi.
She picked up 41 men from the Hull and 14 from the
Spence before finally returning to Ulithi after being
directly relieved from the search by two destroyer
escorts.
After the fleet had regrouped (without the Tabberer),
ships and aircraft conducted search and rescue missions.
The destroyer Brown rescued the only survivors from the
Monaghan, seven in total. She additionally rescued 13
sailors from the Hull. Eighteen other survivors from the
Hull and the Spence were rescued over the three days
following Typhoon Cobra by other ships of the Third
Fleet. In all, 93 men were rescued of the over 800 men
presumed missing in the three ships, and one other who
had been swept overboard from the escort carrier Anzio
and had by good fortune floated upon another group of
survivors.
Despite disobeying fleet orders, Plage was awarded the
Legion of Merit by Admiral Halsey, and the Tabberer's
crew each were awarded Navy Unit Commendation ribbons
(the first ever awarded).
Investigation
While conducting operations off the Philippines,
the force remained on station rather than avoiding a
major storm, leading to a losses of men, ships and
aircraft. A Navy court of inquiry found that while
Halsey had committed an error of judgement in sailing
into the typhoon, it stopped short of unambiguously
recommending sanction.
In January 1945, Halsey passed command of his fleet to
Admiral Spruance (whereupon its designation changed to
'Fifth Fleet'). Halsey resumed command of Third Fleet in
late-May 1945 and retained it until the end of the war.
In early June 1945 Halsey again sailed the fleet into
the path of a typhoon, and while ships sustained
crippling damage, none were lost. Six lives were lost
and 75 planes were lost or destroyed, with almost 70
badly damaged. Again a Navy court of inquiry was
convened, and it suggested that Halsey be reassigned,
but Admiral Nimitz recommended otherwise due to Halsey's
prior service.
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The USS Spence Member of the "Little
Beaver Squadron"
Sister
ship to the USS Dyson
Spence's
electrical equipment got wet from great quantities of
sea water taken on board. After a 72 degree roll to
port, all of the lights went out and the pumps stopped.
The rudder jammed; and, after a deep roll to port about
1100, Spence capsized and sank. Only 24 of her
complement survived. One of the 24 survivors was David
Moore, an African American who floated at sea for two
days and also was responsible for saving the lives of
two other men. Hull (DD-350) and Monaghan (DD-354) were
also sunk in the typhoon. Spence was struck from the
Navy list on 19 January 1945.
From the Jerseymen 2003:
USS SPENCE (DD-512)
“after a deep roll to port about 1100, Spence
capsized and sank. Only 24 of her complement survived.
Hull (DD-350) and Monaghan DD-354) were also sunk in the
typhoon. Spence was struck from the Navy list on 19
January 1945.”
(Source: Dictionary of American Fighting Ships)
Lt. (jg) A.S. Krauchunas, SC, USNR, was the supply
officer aboard USS SPENCE, and the only officer of the
crew to survive. Following is an excerpt from a letter
dated 28 February 1945, that Lt. Krauchunas sent as
“Senior Survivor” to all families of USS SPENCE crewmen
that were lost on December 18, 1944.

The 14 Survivors (23
total) from the USS Spence rescued by the USS Tabberer
“The SPENCE was carrying out a mission of war with
other vessels which included the ill- fated HULL and
MONAGHAN. There was little warning of the vicious
typhoon which struck us with great violence. The seas
were mountainous and the wind was estimated to be about
110 knots. There was no indication of the ship capsizing
until it was caught in the trough of the huge swells.
The tremendous waves were beating us unmercifully with
water washing over the entire main deck. The men had
been advised to seek shelter several hours before the
disaster to prevent their being washed overboard. The
ship, unable to combat the sea any longer, rolled over
on her side and continued until she was turned
completely over, thereby trapping all the men below the
main deck, and those who were in enclosures such as the
engine room, fire room, radio room, etc. Only those who
were topside at the time of capsizing were able to jump
into the water. The violent seas pounded us
terrifically. We were at the mercy of the seas for two
to three days before being picked up.
At the time of capsizing, Robert was not able to get off
the ship into the water. He was not seen by any of the
survivors at any time after the ship rolled over.
Extensive and careful searches were made the following
days by surface vessels and aircraft for the survivors.
Since there was no land within several hundred miles, it
was quite impossible that anyone could have survived if
he were not picked up.
The U.S.S. SPENCE had been a member of the “Little
Beaver Squadron” which, after many hectic encounters
with the enemy during the early stages of the South
Pacific Operations, molded strong ties of friendship and
understanding. During the past few months, the kinship
of the men and officers of the U.S. S. SPENCE and its
sister ship, the U.S.S. DYSON, became more binding
during an operation that separated us from the rest of
the “Little Beavers”. At 9:30 a.m., 22 December 1944,
services were held aboard the U.S.S. DYSON in honor of
the men and officers of the SPENCE who lost their lives
in honor of their country. All men and officers of the
DYSON attended these services and wish to extend they
sympathies and share your great sorrow.”
We sincerely thank Mr. Richard Strand for permitting
The Jerseyman to quote from this letter sent to
his parents. At the end of the letter, Lt. AS.
Krauchunas listed his home as Kalamazoo, Michigan.
According to Mr. Strand, Lt. Krauchunas passed away in
1994.
Memorial Services were held for
the USS Spence aboard her sister ship the USS Dyson at
9:30am December 22, 1944



A
Letter from the senior surviving officer,
Lt. A.S.
Krauchunas, to the officers and
crew of the USS Dyson:
(from
the Ship's Book)

The "Jerseyman" from December 2003
contains eyewitness reports from various ships in the
typhoon. Click on the link below
Click Here
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