USCGC Spencer (WPG-36) was a cutter of the United States Coast Guard that served between 1937 and 1974, seeing action during World War II. She was named for U.S. Treasury Secretary John Canfield Spencer.
Early career
Commissioned in 1937, she was first used as a search and rescue unit off Alaska's fishing grounds.
World War II
When the United States entered World War II, the Coast Guard temporarily became part of the United States Navy. Spencer saw service in both the Atlantic and Pacific. During the Battle of the Atlantic she acted as a convoy escort and was responsible for sinking and in 1943. She was assigned to the US Navy's Seventh Fleet, in the Pacific War in late 1944, where she served as a Communications Command Ship. There she was credited with taking part in numerous amphibious assaults including Luzon and Palawan in the Philippines Campaign.
Convoys escorted ConvoyEscort GroupDatesNotesON 6726-28 Feb 1942from Iceland to NewfoundlandHX 178MOEF group A36–16 March 1942from Newfoundland to IcelandON 7924–31 March 1942Iceland shuttleHX 185MOEF group A318–26 April 1942from Newfoundland to Northern IrelandON 92MOEF group A37–18 May 1942from Northern Ireland to NewfoundlandHX 196MOEF group A32–10 July 1942from Newfoundland to Northern IrelandON 114MOEF group A320–30 July 1942from Northern Ireland to NewfoundlandSC 95MOEF group A38-18 Aug 1942from Newfoundland to Northern IrelandON 125MOEF group A329 Aug-7 Sept 1942from Northern Ireland to NewfoundlandSC 100MOEF group A316-27 Sept 1942from Newfoundland to Northern IrelandON 135MOEF group A33-14 Oct 1942from Northern Ireland to NewfoundlandSC 111MOEF group A31-16 Dec 1942from Newfoundland to Northern IrelandON 156MOEF group A324 Dec 1942-8 Jan 1943from Northern Ireland to NewfoundlandHX 223MOEF group A319-late Jan 1943from Newfoundland to Northern IrelandON 166MOEF group A312-25 Feb 1943from Northern Ireland to NewfoundlandSC 121MOEF group A33–12 March 1943from Northern Ireland to NewfoundlandON 175MOEF group A325 March-7 April 1943from Northern Ireland to NewfoundlandHX 233MOEF group A312–20 April 1943from Newfoundland to Northern Ireland
Post-war career After the war, Spencer returned to her Coast Guard duties, serving in the Atlantic Ocean. Here she provided navigational assistance for the fledgling trans-Atlantic air industry and acted as a search and rescue platform for both ships and aeroplanes.
She returned to combat duty off the Vietnam coast in February 1969. For ten months, she carried out surveillance to prevent North Vietnamese troops and supplies from getting into South Vietnam. She detected over 4,200 suspicious vessels and craft, closely monitored the movement of more than 1,320 of them and boarded 27 vessels to inspect of both their cargo and crew. Spencer detained 52 "enemy suspects" and turned them over to the South Vietnamese military for questioning. She also executed 13 naval gunfire missions in support of operations on land, destroying or damaging over 160 enemy structures, bunkers, and base camps. Spencer left Vietnam at the end of September and returned to the United States.
For the next five years, Spencer continued her peace-time mission of ocean station keeping.
Retirement Spencer served for over 37 years and when decommissioned in 1974, she was the most decorated cutter in the Coast Guard's fleet. Her last voyage was from New York City to the United States Coast Guard Yard, Curtis Bay on 15 January 1974. On board her for this voyage were 24 of her World War II crew. She was decommissioned on 23 January 1974.
She served as an engineering training ship with students using her steam propulsion plant until 15 December 1980. She was then sold to the North American Smelting Company and scrapped.
Awards Presidential Unit Citation China Service Medal American Defense Service Medal American Campaign Medal European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with five battle stars Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with four battle stars World War II Victory Medal Navy Occupation Medal with "ASIA" clasp National Defense Service Medal with one service star Vietnam Service Medal with three campaign stars Philippine Presidential Unit Citation Philippine Liberation Medal Republic of Vietnam Meritorious Unit Citation with Gallantry Cross with Palm Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal
References
External links
USCGC Spencer at history.uscg.mil