USS Samuel B. Roberts (DE-413)
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| Missing image Samrobertsh90603.jpg The USS Samual B. Roberts at sea | |
| Career | Missing image USN-Jack.png United States Navy Jack |
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| Ordered: | |
| Laid down: | 6 Dec 1943 |
| Launched: | 20 Jan 1944 |
| Commissioned: | 28 April 1944 |
| Fate: | Sunk 25 October 1944, Battle off Samar |
| Struck: | 27 November 1944 |
| General Characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 1,745 tons |
| Length: | 306 ft 0 in (93 m) |
| Beam: | 36 ft 7 in (11 m) |
| Draft: | 13 ft 4 in (4 m) |
| Speed: | 24 knots (44 km/h) |
| Complement: | 222 |
| Armament: | 2× 5 in, 4× 40mm, 10× 20mm, 3× 21 in torpedo tubes, 8× depth charge projectors, 1 hedge-hog, 2× depth charge tracks |
USS Samuel B. Roberts (DE-413) was a World War II-era John C. Butler-class destroyer escort in the service of the United States Navy, named after Coxswain Samuel B. Roberts.
Samuel B. Roberts was laid down on 6 December 1943 by Brown Shipbuilding Co., Houston, Texas, launched on 20 January 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Samuel B. Roberts; and commissioned on 28 April 1944, Lieutenant Commander R. W. Copeland, USNR, in command.
Following shakedown off Bermuda from 21 May to 19 June and availability at Boston Navy Yard, Samuel B. Roberts departed from Norfolk, Virginia on 22 July 1944, and transited the Panama Canal on 27 July to join the Pacific Fleet.
She arrived at Pearl Harbor on 10 August, and conducted training exercises until sailing on the 21st escorting a convoy to Eniwetok which she reached on 30 August. On 2 September, she steamed back for Pearl Harbor, arriving there with a convoy on the 10th. Following further training, she got underway on the 21st escorting a convoy to Eniwetok where she arrived on 30 September.
Samuel B. Roberts proceeded to Manus Island where she joined Task Unit 77.4.3, "Taffy 3", then steamed for the Leyte Gulf area and commenced operations with the Northern Air Support Group off Samar.
Shortly after dawn on 25 October 1944, Samuel B. Roberts was protecting American escort carriers off Samar, when a Japanese task force suddenly appeared on the horizon and opened fire. After joining in a daring torpedo attack on the Japanese cruisers and scoring a torpedo hit on one and at least 40 gunfire hits on a second, Samuel B. Roberts was hit by a salvo of 14-inch shells which tore a hole 40 feet long and 10 feet wide in the port side of her number 2 engine room. The ship was abandoned and soon sank. The 120 survivors clung to 3 life rafts for 50 hours before being rescued. In the midst of this battle, Samuel B. Roberts, designed for 23-24 knots, reached the speed of 28.7 knots by diverting all available steam to the ship's twin turbines.
Samuel B. Roberts was included in the Presidential Unit Citation given to TU 77.4.3 "for extraordinary heroism in action." She was struck from the Navy list on 27 November 1944. Samuel B. Roberts earned one battle star for World War II service.
See USS Samuel B. Roberts for other ships of the same name.
References
This article includes text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.