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| USN John C. Butler-class Destroyer Escort 1,350 Tons 306' x 36' 8" x 9' 5" 2 x 5"/38 caliber guns 2x2 40mm Bofors AA guns 10 x 20mm cannons 1 x triple 21" torpedo tubes 8 x depth charge throwers 1 x Hedgehog mortar 2 x depth charge racks  USN October 1944 |
Ship History Built by Brown Shipbuilding Company in Houston, Texas. Laid down December 6, 1943 as a John C. Butler-class Destroyer Escort. Launched January 20, 1944 as USS Samuel B. Roberts (DE-413) named in honor of Coxswain Samuel Booker Roberts, Jr., who earned the Navy Cross and sponsored by his mother, Mrs. Anna Roberts. Commissioned April 28, 1944 in the U.S. Navy (USN) under the command of Lieutenant Commander Robert W. Copeland. Wartime History After a shakedown cruise off Bermuda between May 21, 1944 then returned to Norfolk on June 19, 1944. On July 22, 1944 departs Norfolk, Virginia transiting the Panama Canal on July 27, 1944 and proceeded to Pearl Harbor arriving on August 10, 1944 and joins the Pacific Fleet. Following training exercises, departed on August 21 with a convoy that arrived at Eniwetok on August 30, then departed on September 2 for Pearl Harbor with another convoy returning on September 10. After further training, the ship got underway on September 21 escorting another convoy to Eniwetok and arriving on September 30. Afterwards, proceeded to Manus Island and joined Task Unit 77.4.3, "Taffy 3" and proceeded to the Leyte Gulf area and commenced operations with the Northern Air Support Group off Samar Island. Sinking History On October 25, 1944 shortly after dawn, Samuel B. Roberts was escorting escort carriers off Samar Island, when a Japanese task force suddenly appeared on the horizon and opened fire, in an action that would become known as the Battle Off Samar, the center most action of the Battle of Leyte Gulf. Racing into action, this destroyer reached 28.7 knots by diverting all available steam to the ship's twin turbines (although only designed to make 23-24 knots) and launched a daring torpedo attack against the Japanese cruisers, scoring a torpedo hit on one and at least 40 gunfire hits on a second before being hit by a salvo of 14" shells which tore a hole 40' long and 10' wide in the port side of her no. 2 engine room. Heavily damaged, the crew abandoned ship and the destroyer sank soon afterwards. Samuel B. Roberts was included in the Presidential Unit Citation given to TU 77.4.3 "for extraordinary heroism in action" and earned one battle star for World War II service. Officially, struck from the Naval Vessel Register on November 27, 1944. Rescue 120 surviving crew clung to three life rafts for 50 hours before being rescued. Shipwreck During late June 2022, a team led by Victor Vescovo including personnel from Caladan Oceanic Expeditions and EYOS Expeditions used sonar to locate this destroyer in the Philippine Sea at a depth of 6,895 meters / 22,621', the deepest shipwreck ever found. Between June 18-24, 2022 they made six dives using their submersible Limiting Factor to identify and survey the shipwreck. The destroyer is intact, with evidence of buckling when it impacted the seafloor. The mast has fallen off and was likely sunk by gunfire including a shell fired by a Japanese battleship. References NavSource - USS DE-413 Twitter Victor Vescovo June 23, 2022 "located a torpedo rack undeniably from the USS Samuel B Roberts (DE 413): "The Destroyer Escort that fought like a battleship" during the Battle off Samar, 1944" U.S. Navy "Navy confirms wrecksite off Philippines coast that of USS Samuel B. Roberts" June 27, 2022 Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) "Navy confirms wrecksite off Philippines coast that of USS Samuel B. Roberts" June 27, 2022 USNI News "USS Samuel B. Roberts, Sunk in Battle of Leyte Gulf, Found" June 28, 2022 Contribute
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 6,895 m 22,621' |
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