Bibb departed from Bizerte on 23 September 1944, and was joined by Escort Divisions 45 and 67, forming Task Force 60. In addition to her patrol duties this cutter also performed civic action functions in the form of medical assistance and search and rescue. Washington, DC: U.S. Coast Guard, 1 March 1949. pp. On the 22nd the Norfolk section of the convoy was detached, escorted by four destroyer escorts, and a little later the Delaware section left under escort of two destroyer escorts. Two hours later a white wake was sighted passing astern from port to starboard and Bibb maneuvered on various courses at 15 knots for a sound contact, resuming normal patrol speed an hour later. Waters continued: "the 327's battled, through the 'Bloody Winter' of 1942-43 in the North Atlantic--fighting off German U-boats and rescuing survivors from torpedoed convoy ships. In 1984 she participated in a multifaceted law enforcement operation code-named "Operation Wagon Wheel" in the Caribbean. During her patrols she undertook 31 naval gunfire support missions in support of Vietnamese Regional Forces amphibious assaults, U.S. Navy, Coast Guard, Army and Marine Corps operations primarily into enemy controlled areas of the Mekong Delta. Formulates and enforces safety standards for U.S. commercial vessels and offshore structures. After the conversion was completed, she was ordered to Boston, which remained her home port through October of 1973. Seven hours later Bibb fired a barrage of depth charges on a sound contact and a few minutes later the McLeish reported a sound contact which was almost immediately lost. USCGC Bibb (WHEC-31) - Steel Hip Flask - WI3. Three ships in the area fired at the aircraft which was knocked down about 1,000 yards to the north of Bibb. Bibb served in the United States Senate from 1811 to 1814 and from 1829 to 1835. Lookouts aboard the Bibb sighted one of the Mallorys lifeboats and, disobeying an order to return to the convoy, the Bibbs commanding officer, CDR Roy Raney, ordered his cutter to begin rescuing survivors. As Bibb departed the western Pacific for her return to Boston, the commander of the Cruiser-Destroyer Group, U.S. On the 12th three more merchant vessels joined. On the 15th a destroyer escort fired across the bow of a fishing boat to keep it clear of the convoy after the fisherman had refused to follow orders. Made in 1940, this U.S. Coast Guard film shows the Cadet Cruise made by the USCG's class of 1940. The USCGC Bibb appeared in the 1952 film "Walk East on Beacon" at the film's climactic end. A place for old 327 BENO sailors to meet, swap sea stories and tall tales, and share photos. A U.S. Army liaison officer boarded Bibb and worked with a spotter aircraft in coordinating our fire in support of the troops." Most recently, these ships-that-wouldnt-die have done duty in fisheries patrol and drug interdiction. On 2 June 1943, Bibb moored in Delpit Basin, Casablanca. Her propelling plant consisted of twin propellers powered by geared turbines supplied with steam from oil fired boilers. The same could be said of the other Secretary Class cutters, their officers, and their crews. The Bibb also visited many foreign ports on her deployment, many of which she had sailed into during World War II. The support included providing fuel, food, water, ammunition, maintenance repair, battle damage repair, and medical services. By March 1st the Azores group had departed and on the same day the Casablanca section of the convoy, consisting of seven merchant vessels and USS Cossatot (AO-77), with three escorts detached. On the 14th the task force got under way escorting convoy UGA-8A for Casablanca. On the 13th the commander of Task Force 60 was transferred aboard USS Merrill (DE-392) relieving the Bibb as flagship. Then she increased to full speed and dropped a full pattern of depth charges. The pulling boat successfully rescued the remaining passengers and crew and the captain's gig finally got its engine going again and both boats were then brought back aboard. Later again that month and into August she seized the fishing vessel Shanti after the crew of the fishing vessel threw approximately three tons of marijuana overboard. On 2 October all ships were inside Grotta Point, Iceland, maneuvering for anchorages. On 31 October 1942 Bibb was again underway escorting SS Nova along the southern coast of Iceland. U.S. Coast Guard Cutters& Craft of World War II. The barometer dropped and the winds rose with a number five sea. New navigation and communication systems were also added. At 0809, a large explosion was observed on a ship in the convoy. She was sunk as an artificial reef off the coast of Florida in 1987. Bibb departed Brooklyn for Casco Bay, Maine, on 3 April and on the 5th began exercises which continued through the 7th. The Bibb opened fire on the Oscar before it began reversing and maintained fire until it was in the last phase of the crash dive. Later that year she sailed back to Ocean Station Echo, where she steamed from 10 June to 4 July. The plane disappeared in a smoke screen. On the 27th friendly aircraft were sighted screening the convoy. On 6 April 1943 Bibb got underway in company with USS Vulcan (AR-5) and Ingham and on the 8th moored at the naval anchorage at Moville, Ireland. Assigned, 5 September 1939, to joint Navy-Coast Guard neutrality patrol in the Atlantic Ocean Reassigned as to ocean weather patrol in the Atlantic in February 1940 Transferred, 11 September 1940, to US Navy jurisdiction Early on the 30th and again on the 6th of May Bibb fired on enemy aircraft. The 327-foot cutters were designed to meet changing missions of the service as it emerged from the Prohibition era. Many of them were suffering from exposure and edema, but after treatment almost all recovered. On three patrols she participated in amphibious assaults on Phu Quoc Island. During May-June 1949 she served on Ocean Station Able. 71 W. 31). The USCGC Bibb (WPG-31) was a 327-foot (100m) Secretary-Class (also known as "Treasury Class") Coast Guard ship commissioned in 1936. On the fourth trip, the surfboat, taking on water after being battered against the hull of Bibb, began to sink. Again on the 13th, off Skagie Point, Iceland, a charge was dropped on a doubtful contact. The convoy arrived at New York on the 30th and Bibb moored at Brooklyn Navy Yard with an availability period until 10 June 1944. The Bibb changed course to join convoy HX-227. Three hours later smoke was sighted on the horizon and Bibb advanced speed to investigate, but friendly aircraft in the vicinity, for air coverage, identified the smoke as coming from friendly vessels. Three merchant ships joined the convoy on the 3rd and four were detached for Casablanca; three more joined on the 7th. In the various areas of Coast Guard Cutter operations which included Market Time Patrol and Naval Gunfire Support, you leave behind an impressive record of operational excellence. On the 10th the cutter stood out for Casco Bay, Maine, where she held exercises and drills until the 18th, when she departed for Hampton Roads. The first assignment of George M. Bibb after her commissioning was to the Fifth Coast Guard District, with Norfolk as her home port. The Mallory had been torpedoed at 0600. On the 5th a friendly plane was sighted. Two depth charges were dropped on a sound contact on the 7th and the search continued for two hours before rejoining the convoy. On the 26th, the escort duty completed, Bibb proceeded to South Boston Navy Yard Annex, mooring there on the 28th and remaining through the balance of October. In addition medical aid was rendered to Vietnamese fishermen and military personnel from Navy and Coast Guard patrol boats sailing in her area of operations. Quartermaster Third Class Bill Batson, of Quincy, Massachusetts, reported: "We arrived on scene late in the afternoon of 1 November. Most recently, these ships-that-wouldn't-die have done duty in fisheries patrol and drug interdiction. Garret Conklin garretc@earthlink.net or vern@armory.com Please send stories to webmaster Garret E. Conklin 2525 Crist St Alameda, CA 94501-4623 510-523-1878 garretc@earthlink.net or vern@armory.com On August 6th Bibb expended 11 depth charges on a sound contact which was later evaluated as non-submarine. Five minutes later the ship on which the explosion had occurred sank, bow first. On the 12th she delivered the two submarines to a local Canadian escort unit off the Sambro Light vessel. Residing at Frankfort, he turned his attention back to law and state politics. On 3 April 1943 Bibb left for Reykjavik and later got underway standing out of the harbor to form convoy ONJ-176, consisting of three vessels with USS Symbol (AM-123) in company as escort. These had only recently been implemented on a suggestion by then CDR Edward H. "Iceberg" Smith, LCDR George B. Gelly, and a more influential suggestion by President Franklin Roosevelt. She transferred them to us as she had to depart to fulfill operational commitments. Her next ocean station assignment was during March-April 1952 when the Bibb served on Ocean Station Charlie and then in November-December 1952 she served on Ocean Station Echo. On the 24th Bibb changed course to effect a rendezvous with convoy SC-105, joining the convoy on the 26th. At the end of World War II, each Secretary Class cutter was returned to her peace-time makeup. On 25 February the convoy dispersed in heavy weather with four escorts rounding up the stragglers. After one successful trip, the gig's engine broke down and the Coast Guardsmen once again launched a pulling boat. It turned out to be the stern of a torpedoed tanker, with no signs of life on board, though one boat and one raft remained on board. Executive Officer, LCDR Nicholas A. Forni. However, since this six year stint in Congress left him disenchanted with Old Hickorys leadership, he did not stand for reelection, but returned to Kentucky at the end of his term to become Chancellor of the Louisville Court of Chancery. Standing down New York Harbor on 8 July 1943, in company with Task Force 63, consisting of four Navy destroyers, Mooring at Norfolk on the 11th three more destroyers reported to the task force and they departed the same day to escort convoy UGS-12 to North Africa ports. On the 13th Task Group 21.13 joined, departing the next day. Standing out of Casco Bay on that day, she moored at Naval Operating Base, Norfolk, on the 9th, moving to Lynnhaven Roads on the 12th. These men had been some 60 hours in rough seas in an open boat and on rafts and their condition was much better than would be expected. The Bibb's fire was thought to be directly responsible for causing the attack to be frustrated and the plane splashing harmlessly into the water. The cutter Bibb was named for George Motier Bibb, a prominent lawyer and jurist in Kentucky. On 7 February 1943, the, Rescue operations continued throughout forenoon, 202 survivors being taken from three lifeboats and numerous rafts. The Casablanca section started joining the main convoy from Mediterranean ports. One merchant vessel detached for the Azores. Bibb was under the command of Commander Roy L. Raney during the convoy battles to come. Oil was still rising in the area. She served again on Ocean Station Charlie from 23 October to 17 November 1972. Most of the armament was removed, except for the addition of a 40mm anti-aircraft battery, a 5-inch 38 caliber main battery and "mousetrap" anti-submarine armament. The Coast Guard at War V: Transports and Escorts. Her deployment summary noted: "She met every operational commitment, never causing any delays and frequently being extended on patrols due to her high state of operational readiness. USCGC Mackinaw (WAGB-83) 282' Medium Endurance Cutter (WMEC) [ edit] USCGC Alex Haley (WMEC-39) USCGC Alex Haley (WMEC-39) 270' Medium Endurance Cutter (WMEC) [ edit] Main article: Famous-class cutter USCGC Thetis (WMEC-910), a Famous-class cutter USCGC Bear (WMEC-901) USCGC Tampa (WMEC-902) USCGC Harriet Lane (WMEC-903) USCGC Northland (WMEC-904) It lies on its side at a depth of about 130 feet (40m). On the 28 May 37 ships detached for Hampton Roads. Then it was on to Guantanamo Bay for more intensive training with the Navy. Eight merchant vessels were detached for Gibraltar on the 15th. On the 13th she stood down the Norfolk swept channel and than reversed courses and stood up to the Naval Operating Bases for imperative repairs. In the words of one naval historian, John M. Waters, Jr., they were truly their nations maritime workhorses. Waters continued: the 327s battled, through the Bloody Winter of 1942-43 in the North Atlanticfighting off German U-boats and rescuing survivors from torpedoed convoy ships. Departing the same day for Trinidad, she arrived at her destination and on the 11th left Trinidad for Guantanamo Bay, arriving on the 19th. On the 28th the main convoy was turned over to the British escort and the Casablanca section began breaking off and anchored at the breakwater at 1240. V146 (1939-). Said of the service as it emerged from the Prohibition era from Mediterranean ports the convoy 10 June 4! 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