USS Thompson (DD-627) (later DMS-38) was first a , then became an Ellyson-class destroyer minesweeper. She was the second Navy ship named "Thompson", and the first named in honor of Robert M. Thompson.
World War II
The keel of the second Thompson was laid down on 22 September 1941, at Seattle, Washington, by the Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation. She was launched on 15 July 1942, sponsored by Miss Sara Thompson Ross, and commissioned on 10 July 1943.
Following operations along the west coast, Thompson departed San Diego, on 19 August, bound for the east coast. She arrived at Norfolk, Virginia on 1 September, prior to departing the next day for the coast of Maine and arriving at Casco Bay on 3 September. The destroyer then headed south to the Boston Navy Yard where she underwent repairs. She next engaged in exercises off the Massachusetts coast before returning to Casco Bay on 23 September for training.
On 5 October, she escorted into New York and joined the screen for for nine days of exercises in shore bombardment and other drills before joining convoy UGS-21 which sailed from Norfolk, bound for North Africa. Thompson served as an escort, keeping ships in the channel as they plodded out to sea and prodding them to close up and keep in formation, while her echo-ranging gear was alert for prowling submarines off Chesapeake Bay. One day out, 16 October, (UGS.21 sailed from Hampton Roads on 5 November, and therefore I believe this to be 6 November) the wind and sea rose, presaging a heavy storm which served to scatter parts of the convoy and cause Thompson to note in her log numerous times, "telling stragglers to close up." After the transatlantic voyage, Thompson was released from escort duty on 31 October, to proceed to Casablanca, French Morocco.
One week later, the destroyer, attached to DesDiv 36, was homeward-bound with Convoy GUS-20. On 24 November, Thompson entered New York harbor with the convoy and then proceeded independently to the New York Navy Yard for voyage repairs. She sailed for Casco Bay on 5 December, and conducted refresher training en route.
On 7 December, Thompson and screened as the battleship conducted high-speed runs and turning trials. Later that day, the three ships engaged in night illumination and spotting practice before carrying out the same program on 8 December.
After returning to Casco Bay, Thompson again put to sea, bound for Norfolk. During the night of 10 December, the winds increased to 70 knots (130 km/h) with high seas and a low barometer. By 07:35, it became necessary to rig in her already battered whaleboats and reduce speed to 12 knots (22 km/h).
Thompson put into Norfolk on 12 December. Two days later she joined Convoy UGS-27, bound for North Africa. On 27 December, she made a depth charge run on what her log termed "a questionable target".
Entering Casablanca harbor on 3 January 1944, Thompson and her fellow escorts were soon assigned to Convoy GUS-27, bound for Norfolk, where they arrived on 24 January. After alternating between New York, Boston, and Casco Bay, she departed Norfolk on 18 March, bound for Trinidad.
Invasion of Normandy, April–July 1944
Returning to Norfolk six days later, Thompson operated along the east coast until mid-April when she joined the build-up of forces for the invasion of western Europe. On 18 April, she rendezvoused with Baldwin, Arkansas, , , and the rest of Destroyer Squadron 18 (DesRon18) – to which Thompson was attached – and sailed for England. This force arrived at Plymouth, England, on 28 April, and prepared for duties during the forthcoming invasion.
On 4 May 1944, Thompson participated in landing exercise "Fabius", one of the many preliminaries to the landing on Normandy. On 9 May, she conducted shore bombardment practice at Slapton Sands, England; on 13 May, she fired antiaircraft practice off Ailsa Craig, Scotland, and, on 16 May, she engaged in division tactics and further bombardment exercises off the Irish coast.
On 15 April, she anchored at Belfast Lough, Northern Ireland. The following day, 16 April, Nevada, Texas, and Destroyer Division 36 (DesDiv 36) departed for exercises off the Irish coast before returning to Belfast Lough. Three days later, on 19 April, General Dwight D. Eisenhower inspected the ship. Underway on 20 April, she conducted anti-E-boat exercises through 22 April. In these operations, she fired star shells and practiced illumination tactics for dealing with the foreseen danger of Schnellbooten. After more shore bombardment practice, in which her five-inch and Bofors gunners exercised at their battle stations and sharpened up their gunnery, she put out of Belfast Lough for Plymouth and thence proceeded to the Isle of Portland, where she arrived on 27 April.
The next day, German Heinkel He 111s bombed and mined the harbor, causing no small amount of work for harried minesweeper crews. But, with this danger soon swept away, the Allied forces could resume the nearly complete preparations for the upcoming Normandy invasion.
On 5 June, she joined Task Group 124.7 (TG124.7), Convoy O-1, bound for Omaha Beach. She and her charges arrived off the Normandy beaches after an uneventful, but storm-tossed, evening. Thompson then received her fire support orders to take station off Pointe de la Percée as a unit of TG124.9. En route, she stood to action stations, her guns trained out and ready for any eventuality as the drama of history's greatest landing operation unfolded around her.
She arrived off Pointe du Hoc as Army rangers were struggling to gain a foothold on the rocky promontory. Thompson spotters could not see much at that moment, as Army aerial bombardments had obscured the area with smoke and dust. But when the haze cleared away, the destroyer's main battery opened fire with a vengeance, tongues of flame flashing from her gun muzzles as her salvos screamed shoreward. One by one, her targets of opportunity disappeared as her salvos struck "on target." She then lay-to awaiting remaining enemy guns to reveal themselves with tell-tale flashes.
Later in the day, she cruised closer inshore and located three giant German Würzburg radar antennas. Once again, her spotting was deadly accurate, and one of the radar "dishes" toppled over, shattered by Thompson shells. Soon after, the wreckage of the two other antennas joined the first one in the dust.
Thompson smaller guns also got into the fray. Her 40 mm batteries shredded concealments of shore batteries and sniper nests, working in close conjunction with shore spotting teams who ferreted out the hidden enemy. Among her other targets was a fortified house. Solidly constructed, it had withstood numerous coastal storms. But on 6 June 1944, its solid Norman masonry could not hold up to a few rounds of five-inch (127 mm) high explosives; and down it tumbled, into a pile of rubble.
The following day, 7 June, Thompson gunners were at it again – this time, in support of the Rangers at Point du Hoc. Once more, her 40 mm and five-inch (127 mm) batteries shot the enemy out of his sniper nests and gun positions before setting course for Portland, to anchor in Weymouth Bay to replenish her depleted fuel and ammunition stocks.
On 8 June, Thompson and her companion Satterlee (DD-626) steamed back to Omaha beach. On the evening of 9 June, the Germans struck back in a stealthy E-boat attack. Thompson, screening as part of the Allied naval craft gathered there, joined in commencing fire on the intruders who were successfully driven off, retiring to the northward at high speed. On 10 June, her 20 mm and 40 mm gunners splashed a low-flying German "snooper" airplane.
At 01:00 on 11 June, another E-boat attack developed from the northward. Here, as before, the long hours spent in night illumination and spotting practice exercises paid off handsome dividends. Thompson fired star shells, which revealed the shadowy E-boats. British steam gun boats Grey Wolf (SGB-8) and Grey Goose (SGB-9) then darted in to ward off the intruders under the watchful eye of the destroyermen.
On 12 June, Thompson embarked a party (which included Admiral Ernest J. King and Generals Dwight D. Eisenhower, George C. Marshall, and Henry H. Arnold) and transported them across the channel to the invasion beaches at Omaha and then returned to Plymouth with Admiral King and his party embarked. A motor launch with the officers mentioned above was launched to bring them in. An unknown ship was ahead of the motor launch and struck a mine.
Thompson continued to operate off Normandy beaches throughout the remainder of June 1944, steaming often between the Baie de la Seine, and Plymouth, England. On one occasion, she served as the flagship of Rear Admiral Alan G. Kirk, Naval Commander, Western Task Forces, for a quick visit to Cherbourg; on another, she once more served as a transport for General Eisenhower.
On 24 July 1944, Thompson steamed for North Africa, transiting the Straits of Gibraltar and arriving at Bizerte four days later. Underway in company with the rest of Destroyer Division 36 (DesDiv36) on the 29th, she left Bizerte bound for Oran, Algeria, arriving on 30 July. Thompson reached Naples on 6 August and joined the Allied expeditionary forces amassing for Operation Dragoon, the invasion of southern France. Underway with Convoy SF-1, bound for the assault area, Thompson served in the screen and patrolled offshore throughout the operation from 15 to 21 August.
After a brief tender availability from 28 August to 1 September, she returned to the southern France beachheads to continue patrols through 18 September before steaming to Mers-El-Kebir, Morocco, where she arrived four days later, on 22 September. On 23 September she departed Mers-El-Kebir and headed for the United States. Arriving at Bermuda on 1 October, she commenced Navy Yard availability on 3 October, which lasted through 27 October of that month. For the remainder of 1944, Thompson operated off the east coast of the United States.
On 3 January 1945, the destroyer joined Convoy UGS-86, bound for North African ports. Entering Mers-El-Kebir on 20 January, she remained in North African waters until 1 February, when she joined the screen of Convoy GUS-68, en route to the United States. Arriving off New York on 13 February, the New York section of the convoy was detached. Thompson continued on with the Boston section, where she commenced a 10-day availability at the Boston Navy Yard on 15 February.
Following these repairs, she steamed to Norfolk, Virginia, conducting gunnery exercises en route. On 1 March, she sortied with Convoy UGF-21, bound for North Africa, and arrived in North African waters on 12 March. The following month, after returning to the United States, she again escorted a North African convoy, this time UGS-85, commencing on 7 April.
On 30 May, Thompson was reclassified as a fast minesweeper and given hull classification symbol DMS-38. She spent the month of June undergoing conversion for her new mission, commencing on 5 June. She completed her yard work on 29 June. During a post-conversion period, she conducted her first minesweeping exercises, with magnetic sweep equipment, in Chesapeake Bay. She also calibrated her radar, conducted antiaircraft exercises, and practiced laying mines. On 1 August, she departed the Virginia Capes and steamed toward the Panama Canal Zone, where she arrived on 7 August. While underway on 14 August, she received the news Japan had surrendered. On 18 August, she arrived at San Diego.
Post World War II