USS Joyce
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USS ''Joyce'' (DE-317) was originally commissioned as a US Coast Guard built for the U.S. Navy during
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. She served in the
Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...
and the
Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...
and provided destroyer escort protection against
submarine A submarine (often shortened to sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. (It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability.) The term "submarine" is also sometimes used historically or infor ...
and air attack for Navy vessels and
convoy A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support and can help maintain cohesion within a unit. It may also be used ...
s. During its World War II service, on two different engagements with enemy submarines, the ''Joyce'' rescued survivors of the tanker SS Pan- Pennsylvania and its sister ship . ''Joyce'' received one battle star for its service during World War II.


Namesake

Philip Michael Joyce was born on 23 October 1920 in St. Louis,
Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...
. He enlisted in the Navy on 11 July 1940. Selected for an appointment as a midshipman during his preliminary training, he was commissioned
Ensign Ensign most often refers to: * Ensign (flag), a flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality * Ensign (rank), a navy (and former army) officer rank Ensign or The Ensign may also refer to: Places * Ensign, Alberta, Alberta, Canada * Ensign, Ka ...
on 28 February 1941. He served on until 10 August when he reported to for duty in the Pacific. Following the outbreak of war between the United States and the
Empire of Japan The Empire of Japan, also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was the Japanese nation state that existed from the Meiji Restoration on January 3, 1868, until the Constitution of Japan took effect on May 3, 1947. From Japan–Kor ...
, ''Peary'' suffered heavy damage during a Japanese air attack while moored at
Cavite Cavite, officially the Province of Cavite (; Chavacano: ''Provincia de Cavite''), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province of the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region. On the southern shores of Manila Bay and southwest of Manila, i ...
,
Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
on 10 December 1941. Despite this and two subsequent attacks, ''Peary'' reached Darwin,
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
, effected repairs and commenced antisubmarine patrols. While anchored in Darwin harbor 19 February 1942 ''Peary'' was destroyed by five bombs which struck it during the Japanese
Bombing of Darwin The Bombing of Darwin, also known as the Battle of Darwin, on 19 February 1942 was the largest single attack ever mounted by a foreign power on Australia. On that day, 242 Empire of Japan, Japanese aircraft, in two separate raids, attacked the ...
. ''Peary'' sank and Joyce was among those killed.


Construction and commissioning

She was laid down 8 March 1943 by the Consolidated Steel Corp., Orange, Texas; launched 26 May 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Harold T. Joyce, mother of Ensign Joyce; and commissioned 30 September 1943.


World War II North Atlantic operations

After shakedown off
Bermuda Bermuda is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. The closest land outside the territory is in the American state of North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. Bermuda is an ...
, ''Joyce'' joined Escort Division 22 for transatlantic convoy escort duty. Sailing from
Norfolk, Virginia Norfolk ( ) is an independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. It had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of cities in Virginia, third-most populous city ...
, 4 December 1943, she helped escort a 100-ship convoy to
North Africa North Africa (sometimes Northern Africa) is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region. However, it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of t ...
. She returned to New York from
Casablanca Casablanca (, ) is the largest city in Morocco and the country's economic and business centre. Located on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast of the Chaouia (Morocco), Chaouia plain in the central-western part of Morocco, the city has a populatio ...
31 January 1944, then departed 1 March as part of the escort for a fast convoy bound for
Derry Derry, officially Londonderry, is the second-largest City status in the United Kingdom, city in Northern Ireland, and the fifth-largest on the island of Ireland. Located in County Londonderry, the city now covers both banks of the River Fo ...
,
Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...
. While steaming 400 miles south of
Iceland Iceland is a Nordic countries, Nordic island country between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Europe. It is culturally and politically linked with Europe and is the regi ...
on the night of 9 March ''Joyce'' braved two attacks from a German
U-boat U-boats are Submarine#Military, naval submarines operated by Germany, including during the World War I, First and Second World Wars. The term is an Anglicization#Loanwords, anglicized form of the German word , a shortening of (), though the G ...
to rescue 28 survivors from the stricken , which was
torpedo A modern torpedo is an underwater ranged weapon launched above or below the water surface, self-propelled towards a target, with an explosive warhead designed to detonate either on contact with or in proximity to the target. Historically, such ...
ed while investigating a
radar Radar is a system that uses radio waves to determine the distance ('' ranging''), direction ( azimuth and elevation angles), and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It is a radiodetermination method used to detect and track ...
contact. ''Joyce'' steamed at top speed for Derry and arriving 11 March, transferred Leopold's wounded. A week later she departed for New York in company with a westbound convoy, which reached the East Coast 28 March.


Sinking of German Submarine ''U-550''

''Joyce'' departed New York 15 April for her second escort run to Northern Ireland. While screening for a straggler the following morning she was ordered to direct rescue operations for the gasoline tanker , which was torpedoed and set aflame while taking station in the convoy. After picking up 31 survivors, including the tanker's captain, ''Joyce'' detected a submarine by sonar at 0950 and pressed home an attack. She dropped a deadly pattern of 13 depth charges which forced to the surface, bow first, some 2,000 yards to her stern. A screening escort, , opened fire and rammed the after section of the U-boat. ''Joyce'', Gandy, and shelled the submarine, silenced her deck guns and forced the hapless ''U-550'' to surrender. ''Joyce'' ordered the Germans to abandon ship, but before a boarding party could seize the captured prize, the Germans scuttled her. Only 40 minutes after ''Joyce'' had detected her, she plunged stern first beneath the waves. ''Joyce'' rescued and took prisoner 13 survivors, including the U-boat's skipper, escorted the convoy safely to Derry 26 April, and returned in convoy to the United States where she arrived New York 12 May. During the next year ''Joyce'' conducted eight more escort voyages for convoys bound from New York to Great Britain; she returned to New York from her last convoy run 13 May 1945.


Transferred to the Pacific Fleet

''Joyce'' departed New York 4 June and steamed for ASW and gunnery training with units of Escort Division 22 in the
Caribbean The Caribbean ( , ; ; ; ) is a region in the middle of the Americas centered around the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, mostly overlapping with the West Indies. Bordered by North America to the north, Central America ...
. Sailing from
Guantánamo Bay Guantánamo Bay (, ) is a bay in Guantánamo Province at the southeastern end of Cuba. It is the largest harbor on the south side of the island and it is surrounded by steep hills which create an enclave that is cut off from its immediate hint ...
20 June, she transited the
Panama Canal The Panama Canal () is an artificial waterway in Panama that connects the Caribbean Sea with the Pacific Ocean. It cuts across the narrowest point of the Isthmus of Panama, and is a Channel (geography), conduit for maritime trade between th ...
the 23d and steamed via
San Diego San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...
, California, for
Pearl Harbor Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. It was often visited by the naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the signing of the Reci ...
where she arrived 11 July for duty with the Pacific Fleet. She conducted ASW exercises in the
Hawaii Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...
an operating area until 28 August when she sailed for
Saipan Saipan () is the largest island and capital of the Northern Mariana Islands, an unincorporated Territories of the United States, territory of the United States in the western Pacific Ocean. According to 2020 estimates by the United States Cens ...
Island and Sasebo, Japan, as escort for a convoy of amphibious landing ships.


End-of-War activity

Upon her arrival at Sasebo 22 September, she escorted a convoy of LSTs to the
Philippine Islands The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
3 days later, arriving Leyte Gulf 2 October. She remained in the Philippines on escort duty throughout October and sailed from Guiuan,
Samar Samar ( ) is the third-largest and seventh-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 1,909,537 as of the 2020 census. It is located in the eastern Visayas, which are in the central Philippines. The island is divided in ...
, 4 November with 29 returning veterans for Pearl Harbor. Arriving the 15th, she continued to San Diego 17 November; upon her arrival the 23d she debarked her passengers and received orders to report for duty with the Atlantic Fleet. Sailing from San Diego the 25th, she passed through the Panama Canal 3 December and put into New York harbor on the 10th. ''Joyce'' remained at New York for an inactivation overhaul until 21 January 1946 when she departed for a 3-day voyage to Green Cove Springs, Florida. She remained there and decommissioned 1 May to become a unit of the Florida Group, Atlantic Inactive Reserve Fleet.


Converted to Radar Picket Ship

With the outbreak in June 1950 of Communist aggression in
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...
''Joyce'' was recalled to active duty; taken to Mare Island Naval Shipyard,
Vallejo, California Vallejo ( ; ) is a city in Solano County, California, United States, and the second largest city in the North Bay (San Francisco Bay Area), North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, Bay Area. Located on the shores of San Pablo Bay, the ci ...
, where she converted to a
radar picket A radar picket is a radar-equipped station, ship, submarine, aircraft, or vehicle used to increase the radar detection range around a nation or military (including naval) force to protect it from surprise attack, typically air attack, or from c ...
escort (DER-317); and recommissioned 28 February 1951. Following shakedown along the
California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
coast, she departed 12 May for duty with the Atlantic Fleet; arriving
Newport, Rhode Island Newport is a seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Rhode Island, United States. It is located in Narragansett Bay, approximately southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, Providence, south of Fall River, Massachusetts, south of Boston, and nort ...
, 21 June, she joined Escort Squadron 10 and commenced picket duty. She participated in air defense exercises along the
New England New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the ...
coast and during the next 8 months made three barrier picket patrols along the Atlantic coast from
Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region of Labrador, having a total size of . As of 2025 the population ...
to
Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...
. She steamed from Newport 19 February 1952 in company with Escort Squadron 10 bound for practice barrier patrols in the Caribbean. Cruising the Caribbean from
Panama Panama, officially the Republic of Panama, is a country in Latin America at the southern end of Central America, bordering South America. It is bordered by Costa Rica to the west, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north, and ...
to
Trinidad Trinidad is the larger, more populous island of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, the country. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is the southernmost island in ...
, she returned to Newport 20 March and joined Escort Squadron 16. After conducting ASW tactics with in the Virginia Capes Operating Area, she departed Newport 30 June, joined the Eastern Air Defense Force, and commenced radar barrier station patrols to protect North America from surprise attack. Interrupted only by overhauls and refresher training, these picket patrols continued for 5 years; ''Joyce'' ranged the Atlantic from
Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...
and Newfoundland to the Virginia Capes and the
West Indies The West Indies is an island subregion of the Americas, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, which comprises 13 independent island country, island countries and 19 dependent territory, dependencies in thr ...
. Departing Newport 17 July 1957, ''Joyce'' sailed with her squadron for duty in the Pacific and, via the
Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles of the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. It shares a Maritime boundary, maritime border with Puerto Rico to the east and ...
, Panama, and San Diego, arrived Pearl Harbor 18 August. Following 6 weeks of training, she commenced radar picket and ASW patrols from Pearl Harbor to
Midway Atoll Midway Atoll (colloquialism, colloquial: Midway Islands; ; ) is a atoll in the North Pacific Ocean. Midway Atoll is an insular area of the United States and is an Insular area#Unorganized unincorporated territories, unorganized and unincorpo ...
and the
Marshall Islands The Marshall Islands, officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands, is an island country west of the International Date Line and north of the equator in the Micronesia region of the Northwestern Pacific Ocean. The territory consists of 29 c ...
. She departed Pearl 13 May 1958 and sailed for
Eniwetok Enewetak Atoll (; also spelled Eniwetok Atoll or sometimes Eniewetok; , , or , ; known to the Japanese as Brown Atoll or Brown Island; ) is a large coral atoll of 40 islands in the Pacific Ocean and with its 296 people (as of 2021) forms a legi ...
Atoll where she conducted search and rescue operations at the Eniwetok Proving Grounds Area. Returning to Pearl Harbor 17 June, she resumed her picket patrols until 16 March 1960 when she set sail for the West Coast.


Final decommissioning

Arriving
Long Beach, California Long Beach is a coastal city in southeastern Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is the list of United States cities by population, 44th-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 451,307 as of 2022. A charter ci ...
, 22 March, she entered the Long Beach Naval Shipyard for inactivation overhaul. ''Joyce'' decommissioned 17 June 1960 and was assigned to the Long Beach Group, U.S. Pacific Fleet Reserve. ''Joyce'' later transferred to the San Diego, California, Group, where she remained until she was sold for scrapping 11 September 1973.


The Books

In the spring of 2016, Berkley/Caliber, and imprint of Penguin Random House, published Randall Peffer's book ''Where Divers Dare: The Hunt for the Last U-boat'' about the battle between USS Joyce, and U-550, the divers' discovery of the wreck of "550" and the extraordinary friendships that resulted between the German survivors and their American rescuer. In 2017 Lyons Press published ''Never to Return'' by Randall Peffer and Col. Robert Nersasian. Through the use of extensive interviews with survivors of "Leopold," "Joyce," and the German submarine "255," the book tells the story of the battle between "Leopold" and "255" and the struggles of the 28 men who survived. The book also resolves unanswered questions about why it took "Joyce" so long to begin rescuing the crew of "Leopold" from the icy water. Col. Nersasian's brother Sparky was one of the 28 survivors.


Awards

''Joyce'' received one battle star for World War II service.


References

*


External links


Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships




{{DEFAULTSORT:Joyce (DE-317) Edsall-class destroyer escorts Ships built in Orange, Texas 1943 ships World War II frigates and destroyer escorts of the United States