John C. Butler Class Destroyer
October 1944
Ship History
Named after Coxswain Samuel Booker Roberts, Jr., a Navy Cross recipient, the Roberts was laid down on 6 December 1943 by the Brown Shipbuilding Company of Houston, Texas; launched on January 20, 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Samuel B. Roberts; and commissioned on 28 April 1944 with Lieutenant Commander Robert W. Copeland, USNR, in command.
Samuel B. Roberts was included in the Presidential Unit Citation given to TU 77.4.3 "for extraordinary heroism in action." Samuel B. Roberts earned one battle star for World War II service. The destroyer escort was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 27 November 1944.
Wartime History
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, went through the Panama Canal on 27 July, and joined the Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor on 10 August.
The ship conducted training exercises, then sailed on the 21st with a convoy that reached Eniwetok on 30 August. On 2 September, Roberts steamed back for Pearl Harbor, arriving there with a convoy on the 10th. Following further training, the ship got underway on the 21st, escorted a convoy to Eniwetok, and arrived on 30 September. Samuel B. Roberts proceeded to Manus Island and 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.
Battle of Leyte Gulf
Shortly after dawn on October 25, 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 (356 mm) shells which tore a hole 40 feet (12 m) long and 10 feet (3 m) wide in the port side of her No. 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 to 24 knots (43 to 44 km/h), reached 28.7 knots (53 km/h) by diverting all available steam to the ship's twin turbines.
