(Note: For those not accustomed to naval time, 0400 is 4 a.m. in the morning, 1200 is noon, 2000 is 8 p.m. and 2400 is 12 p.m or midnight. Watch officers shortened their initial time entry for each watch period by leaving off two zeroes.)

The battleship USS New York and the light cruiser USS Philadelphia provided the Ocean Escort for Convoy AT-20. Embarked in Philadelphia was CTF 37, Rear Admiral Lyal Davidson, commanding the entire operation. Captain John Heffernan USN, as ComDesRon 13, led a destroyer screen consisting of a full destroyer squadron of the latest U.S. destroyers. Heffernan had his flag on the USS Buck, DD420. USS Woolsey DD437, USS Ludlow DD438, USS Edison DD439, USS Wilkes DD441, USS Nicholson DD442, USS Swanson DD443, USS Ingraham DD444 and USS Bristol DD453 completed the ASW screen. Buck was a one stacker of the Sims class. The rest were Benson-Livermore two stackers with elevated foc'sle decks. Davidson's Task Force had been assembled to make sure that neither Germany's subs nor its surface forces could interfere with AT-20's passage. Chapter Four includes the events of the night of August 22, 1942.

In 1985, I visited the National Archives on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington DC to re-acquaint myself with the logs of the USS Edison, DD439, on which I served from July 1942 to October 1944. Many of Edison's logs were written in my hand. My notes taken during that visit furnished the basis for some of the events covered in my story. That story is now available in paperback. By 1998, some of this history was beginning to appear in summary form on a number of websites. In its summary of the sinking of the USS Ingraham, DD444, a screening destroyer assigned to Convoy AT-20, one important naval website mis-identified the ship that struck her. Understandable! Fog was the first enemy encountered after the convoy's departure from Halifax. Fog hides facts. Then I received e-mail feedback from the book "Joining The War At Sea 1939-1945". The comments addressed the very same matter in which that one website erred, specifically, in naming the ship that struck the Ingraham causing her to explode and sink. As a result, I went into greater detail on the website www.daileyint.com, in an Appendix D to the original web version, dated Oct. 30, 2000. Up to this point, what had occurred in terms of the losses of that fateful night were pretty well established but there was little written as to why two collisions occurred in this powerful convoy. I felt that an answer might come from examining a number of ship's logs for the 2000-2400 watch of August 22, 1942, and for as many subsequent watch periods as seemed fruitful. I returned to the National Archives (NARA) and consulted the logs of the USS Philadelphia CL41, the USS Buck DD420, the USS Bristol DD453 and the USS Chemung AO30. This examination provided important details on the two collisions that occurred in Convoy AT-20 during its first night out of Halifax.

In company with David Shonerd, Captain USN (Ret), my Naval Academy roommate for our Plebe Year (1939-40), and, on the 13^th of November 2000, my driver, guide and overnight host, I visited the new National Archives in College Park, Maryland. David had telephoned the Archives that morning. The ship's logs that we needed had been pulled from the stacks and were ready for examination.

It did not take long to find what we were looking for, watch log information identifying specific vessels in specific incidents. In the paragraphs with quote marks that follow, I have transcribed ship's logs for selected watch periods. I might note here that David and I were not typical of the many doing research that day in November 2000. We were both about to be 80 years old. One of us had participated in the World War II event that we were examining. The other was a warship and wartime qualified watch officer who served in the Pacific during most of World War II. Rapid focus on the key paragraphs of the 1942 logs was achieved. I am indebted to Dave Shonerd not only for the physical transport and Archives arrangements but also for helping to pinpoint so quickly the essential log entries related to the loss of the USS Ingraham.

For a better understanding of the transcribed paragraphs, let me lay out how Convoy AT-20 would appear to an aircraft flying overhead. Steaming east, and formed in three merchant ship columns, Column 1 would be on the port flank, Column 2 would be the center column and Column 3 on the starboard or south flank. Out ahead of Column 1 was the cruiser, USS Philadelphia, and out ahead of Column 3 was the battleship, USS New York. I cannot establish the position of every ship, but the lead ship in Column 1 was SS Letitia. Very likely, right behind her came the SS Awatea. Letitia's station gave the Philadelphia, carrying the Task Force Commander and overall officer in charge, and the Letitia carrying the senior officer for the convoyed ships, good visual proximity. Except for fog! Column 1 contained four ships, with the Navy oiler USS Chemung bringing up the rear. Column 2 contained only three ships and Column 3 again had four ships. Carrying the Screen Commander, the destroyer Buck has an assigned screen station but was free to move about. It is understandable that the Buck, Letitia and Philly would wish to maintain best visual contact for use of visual signals, especially flag hoists and blinker. These ships carried the senior responsible parties for AT-20. From the logs transcribed below, I can infer that Bristol, Swanson and Ingraham were in the screen on the port or north side of the convoy. I know from being there and from consulting Edison logs on an earlier occasion, that Edison was on the starboard side to the south of the main body. Very likely Woolsey and Ludlow were in the right hand sector too as this threesome often screened adjacent sectors. I cannot speak for location assignments of Wilkes and Nicholson.

During the 20-24 watch on August 22, 1942, Convoy AT-20 sailed into dense fog. Fog became the master of the evening. The Philadelphia's log notes that she streamed her towing spar with 400 yards of line. This was a fog-induced measure to provide the next ship in line a visual object on which to keep station.

From the log of the USS Philadelphia, CL41

Log was approved by Paul S. Hendren, Commanding; date is August 22, 1942.

"20-24 Steaming as before. 2002 USS Edison cast off. 2015 Changed course to 115 deg. (T) Changed speed to 13.5 knots. 2020 Changed course to 110 deg. (T), changed speed to 15.5 knots. 2030 Changed speed to 14.6 knots. Strange ship entered formation, bearing 270 deg. Relative, distant 1000 yards, passed well clear. 2055 Streamed towing spar, 400 yards line. 2100 Ship sighted at 2005 identified as USCG Naninshaw. 2230 Destroyer assumed to be #2 (USS Buck) sighted passing astern from port quarter. 2233 Collision astern, presumed to be between #2 (USS Buck) and #12 (SS Awatea). 2235 Destroyer sighted bearing 250 deg. Relative, on opposite course. 2238 Violent explosion on port quarter. 2238 General Quarters, all hands in life jackets. 2238 Emergency turn to starboard to course 155 Deg. (T) 2250 Changed course to 110 deg. (T) 2310 Radar contact bearing 034 deg. Relative. 2334 Secured from General Quarters, set Condition of readiness " II Mike"; set material condition "Baker Plus."

H Lockwood, Lt (jg) USNR.

My explanatory notes:

(1) The "emergency turn" noted above was 45 degrees starboard. U.S. convoys used the British Mersigs signal book when steaming with mixed nationality convoys and escorts. The 45-degree emergency turn to starboard was signaled at night with flares and was executed immediately. It was a "ship's turn" with all ships turning at once.

(2) There have been some questions raised in earlier queries concerning the timing of the events on the 20-24 watch on August 22, 1942. I discovered in Philadelphia's next watch period entry, the 00-04 mid-watch, that her clocks were set ahead one hour to Zone +2 time on that ship. All ships were not necessarily keeping the same local time.

(3) The watch stander on the Philadelphia was recording Philadephia's actions and observations on his watch. CTF 37, aboard Philadelphia, whose war diary I have not seen, undoubtedly gave the USS Buck an order over the TBS to enter the convoy. Buck's log shows that her mission on that fateful evening was to give the Letitia, leading Column 1 in the convoy, a message about where CTF 37 wanted her to keep station. Very likely a bull horn (loud voice) or a gun to shoot across a written message would be used to pass the information. Radio silence was being observed to deny German U-boats low frequency radio signals that the latter might intercept to locate convoys. The Navy vessels had TBS transmitters for voice communication with each other on higher carrier frequencies around 70 megacycles. These shorter radio waves were assumed to be line of sight and would not give location away. (Lack of discipline in the form of unnecessary chit chat in some convoys revealed that TBS transmissions could actually carry beyond the horizon.) The merchant ships did not have TBS equipment and relied on low frequency radio, which would bounce through the atmosphere in sky waves and in ground waves. So, to maintain radio silence, messages to and from merchant ships relied on MERSIGS visual signals in good visibility. In fog, the only option for a vital message if radio silence was to be maintained was to have a messenger ship go alongside, as the Buck was assigned to do for passing information to the SS Letitia.

(4) Except for rare breaks, fog obscured the transit path of AT-20. The Philly had launched a towing spar with 400 yards of line behind her.. She saw ships only at close range and even then only in "patches" where the fog would have lifted. The Philly watch stander noted the second destroyer, five minutes later on "opposite course," proceeding, as the Buck had, down Philly's port side similar to the route the Buck had taken just before her. The Buck had been noted crossing astern after which a first collision occurred. The second destroyer barely made it down the port side, and was not noted in the Philly log entry as having crossed astern. Philly's last visual sighting of this second destroyer, noted to be on an opposite course, was followed by a "violent explosion." Fog did not obscure the flash of that explosion but did obscure the ships involved. That violent explosion was the Ingraham DD444, and though the writer of the log on the Philly ventured no collision explanation to go along with the explosion, we know from other records that it was the oiler, USS Chemung, that hit that second destroyer, the USS Ingraham. Following this collision, Ingraham exploded. These collisions were no fault of the ships in convoy. Those ships did not even have the knowledge that destroyers would be moving about in the paths of the convoy ships. For their part, the destroyers involved had orders to "deliver a message" (Buck) or to investigate a collision in the convoy (Ingraham), but could see nothing. The destroyers involved could not even be sure that the towing spars being used in the fog would keep ships in the convoy lined up. Current or wind could cause the second ship in column to be offset from the line of the one ahead and such an offset would become greater the further back a ship was.

From the log of the USS Buck DD420

L.R. Miller, Lieut. Comdr. USN Commanding, approved this entry.

"20 to 24

Steaming as before. 2005 formation base course changed to 110 deg., true, 135 deg. PSC 2025 Sighted strange ship on starboard bow, this ship proceeded to investigate. Convoy executed emergency turn to starboard. Ship identified as friendly, USCGS Menemsha. (Note: The Indian name of this Coast Guard ship sounded different to the watch stander on the Philly.) This ship proceeded to overtake convoy at 20 kts 190 RPM. (Note: "this ship" is the Buck, not the stranger.) 2150 Passed close by Column 3 of convoy, leaving USS New York to starboard. 2210 Prior to reaching screening station, while still only 3000 yards ahead of convoy, this ship was ordered by CTF37 to deliver a message to the SS Letitia, stationed in main body. This ship reversed course to port, steaming at 10 kts, 90 RPM. Contact maintained with main body by radar. (Note: No ships had short wave radar such as SG. The best any U.S. destroyer in this convoy had was air search radar, the SC. It was worse than useless for penetrating the main body of a convoy in fog.)This ship on opposite and parallel course to convoy, sighted USS Philadelphia. Captain at the conn: This ship turned to port in order to pass astern of the Philadelphia, after which proposed plan was to parallel the convoy and deliver message to Letitia from between columns 1. and 2. 2222 Maneuvering on various courses and various speeds as necessary to pass close astern of Philadelphia 2225 This ship was rammed on starboard side of fantail just aft of gun #5 by the bow of the SS Awatea. Ship just astern of Philadelphia. Collision took place at 90 degree angle, the bow of the SS Awatea piercing two thirds of the way through this ship at point of collision; this ship showing turns for 20 kts, 190 RPM 2226 Explosions felt below stern of this ship as a depth charge which had shaken loose exploded. (Note: It was not set on "safe" and exploded a few seconds after rolling off into the water.) 2229 All engines stop. Stern of this ship clear of transport. Fantail reported damaged such that any use of engines might prove fatal to stern of ship and men trapped there. (Note: Men were in after steering engine room.) Reported that port shaft was intact and that port engine might still be used. Damage control party investigating damages and commencing rescue work. Wounded men taken to ward room as soon as extracted; ship's doctor in charge of caring for wounded personnel. After compartments reported flooded. Watertight integrity reported to have been investigated and found to be satisfactory. Ship adrift and darkened top side as rescue work proceeding on stern."

This log was signed by C.R. Barton Lieut. (jg) D-V (G) USNR

Barton added a correction:

"Correction: this speed being made just prior to collision. When collision was seen to be unavoidable, all engines were stopped; upon stern becoming free of transport, the port engine was given 1/3 ahead, then standard, and responded to take stern somewhat clear of depth charge explosion."

USS Buck log continued:

"00-04 condition Afirm set; rescue and repair work in progress. 0211 USS Edison arrived at scene; standing by 0235 Rescue work in damaged compartments completed; following named men missing, Rowse, Louis Glennwood, 372-23-21, SC 3/c, USN; Dungan, Raymond Lee, 272-43-99, Sea 1/c, USN; Evans, Roy, 311-36-50, Sea 2/c, USN; Davis, Arthur Edward, 283-64-91, Sea 2/c USNR; Duro, Howard Arthur, 646-18-49, Sea 2/c, USNR; Nemeth, Wendell 633-88-33, A.S., USNR. 0310 Commenced maneuvering various speeds on port engine using varying amounts of rudder to bring the ship to heading 310 deg.t. 0345 Commenced lying to; port engine racing, propeller believed lost; no way on ship. Set condition of readiness two mike on gun and torpedo. On batteries.

Robert K. Irwin, Lieutenant, US Navy"

"04-08

Lying to as before. 0427 secured main engines 0530 sighted USS Chemung; standing by to receive tow line from her .0630 USS Chemung maneuvering alongside; starboard motor whaleboat lowered to transfer medical supplies to that ship and assist in passing tow line. 0740 starboard motor whaleboat hoisted and secured. 0750 Tow line from Chemung, consisting of 600 feet of mooring wire in place, that ship commencing to steam ahead slowly."

G.H. Harrington

Lieut. USNR

"08 to 12

Underway as before 0924 tow line parted, lying to waiting to receive another line 1100 tow line secured consisting of 120 fathoms of 10 inch manila and 15 fathoms of anchor chain 1135 tow line parted, lying to, waiting to receive another line."

C.M. Crouch

Lieut. (jg) D-V (t) USNR

From the log of the USS Bristol DD453: Approving these entries,

C.O. LCDR Chester Clark Wood USN

Nav. LCDR Morton Sunderland USN

Bristol's log shows that she passed through the boom at Halifax NS on the 04-08 watch on August 22, 1942 and proceeded to join the screen of Convoy AT-20 which was in the process of forming up for transit to Greenock, Scotland. Transcription from this log begins for the evening watches of August 22, 1942.

"18-20 Steaming as before 1850 Swanson (Note: USS Swanson DD443) laying depth charges. This ship (Note: meaning Bristol) drawing ahead in screen. (Note: Likely covering part of Swanson's sector.) 1940 Screening vessels returning to normal stations 1940 Sunset. Darken ship"

W.J. Lederer ,Lieut. USN

"20-24

Steaming as before. 2040 USS Ingraham reported to be resuming station. USS Bristol moved to regular station on port quarter of convoy. 2142 USS Swanson passed about 2000 yards on our port beam resuming station. 2225 Observed explosion on starboard beam, distance about 4000 yards 2226 On orders from SOPA (Note: Senior Officer Present Afloat, CTF 37) USS Bristol stood over to investigate. Picked up two officers and nine enlisted men from USS Ingraham which ship had just sunk."

Wm J. Flather III

Lt. (jg) USNR

Aug. 23, 1942

"00-04 Standing by USS Chemung and continuing search of area for other possible survivors. List of survivors from USS Ingraham picked up: Owen, Roy, Ens USNR; Brown, Melvin Ens USNR (Note; Mel Brown was a June 19, 1942 graduate of the US Naval Academy and was commissioned an Ens USN); Scaffe, Charles PCBM USN 261-69-57; Cooper, Priest G. Jr. Cox. USN 311-26-71; Anderson, Ray M. Cox. USN 371-59-76; Woody, Coleman E. S 2/c USN 355-69-50; Wilhelm, Luther Leonard S 1/c 266-39-37; Allen, Frank Edward, F 1/c USN, # unknown; Corcoran, Thomas Phillips S 2/c USNR # 642-03-40; Kennedy, Leon L., F 1/c USN #256-36-75; Cooper, Ernest Charles S 2/c USNR #614-06-92.

0215 Joined USS Buck DD420, badly damaged by collision. Circling Buck and Chemung as protective screen. Boilers #1 & 4 in use. Ship darkened, condition of readiness three, material conditions "Baker." Medical care being given to men rescued."

T.Fraley Jr

Lt. USNR

"04-08 Steaming as before. Screening USS Buck and USS Chemung. Screened ships lying to, this ship circling at 12 knots. USS Chemung passing tow line to USS Buck. All survivors under medical care."

W. J. Lederer

Lieut. USN

"8-12 Steaming as before. USS Chemung has USS Buck in tow on course 310 deg. T. 0928 Tow line parted. Began steaming in circle screening both ships. 1015 USS Buck again in tow. Began patrolling at 12 knots area 45 deg either side of tow of USS Chemung distance about 400 yards. Base course 270 deg. T."

Wm J Flather III

Lt (jg) USNR

"12-16 Steaming as before. Patrolling station ahead of Chemung and Buck in semicircle of 4000 yard radius beam to beam. 1427 Heavy rain squall with reduced visibility 1500 Squall passed over. Chemung estimated to be on course 260 deg. PGC speed 5 knots."

T. Fraley Jr.

Lt. USNR

From the log of the USS Chemung AO-30:

Log page approved by J.J. Twomey

"20-24 Steaming as before. 2235 Collision with destroyer.

Major injuries. Commander John J. Twomey USN; Ensign Neal McEwen Craig Jr. USNR; Holland, John - Service number unknown RM 3/c USN; McLaughlin, Robert F. #642-05-58 S 2/c USNR; Minor injuries: Lieut. Ray E. Wingler USNR;Dehm, Francis A. 403-57-29 S 2/c USNR; Hymmel, Walter M. 328-49-10 FC 1/c USN; Sokolowski, John A. 311-93-79 S 2/c USNR; White, Ralph Iron Jr. 614-09-17, S 2/c USNR."

W. Barnett

Explanatory Notes continued.

(5) The log entry immediately above is the total mention in Chemung's logs of a collision that left Chemung on fire forward with flames visible for miles as the fog cleared. I surmise that Commanding Officer Twomey's major injuries may have incapacitated him, possibly requiring his Executive Officer to take over. Such a change of command could have influenced the pace of Chemung's immediate damage actions and also kept the CO from supervising some of the later record keeping. In the story "Joining The War At Sea 1939-1945", I recount how the Chemung asked Edison to come alongside and put Chemung's fire out. Had their CO not been injured, I doubt that Chemung would have asked a destroyer to put her fire out when her own equipment and training were so much more extensive. With understandable delay due to their skipper's injuries, Chemung's crew did then deal effectively with the damage and with the subsequent fire.)

Epilogue: Ingraham was lost while escorting Convoy AT-20. Within 15 months, torpedoes coursing through the Mediterranean Sea had sunk the USS Buck, the USS Bristol and the SS Awatea. Seaman Apprentice Wendell Nemeth lost his life in the after steering engine room of the USS Buck DD420 on August 22, 1942. On October 12, 2000, Fireman Apprentice Nemeth , with serious injuries, survived the bomb attack on the destroyer USS Cole.

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