“Loss of U.S.S. INGRAHAM DD444”

Early in the morning of 22 Augusta 1942, the Troop Ship Convoy and Task Force started getting underway and forming up outside of HALIFAX. It was very impressive sight. The Battleship USS New York, Cruiser USS Philadelphia, with Rear Admiral Davidson embarked as Commander Task Force (CTF) and nine destroyers. Most of my day was spent handling visual communications.

The Swanson was on the port bow of the convoy, as part of the anti-submarine screen. Shortly after sunset in the dusk of the evening, in diminished visibility due to fog, the Swanson obtained a Sonar contact. During the next three hours we made two separate depth charge attacks. We were ordered to rejoin the convoy screen, which was approximately 50 miles ahead of us. The Swanson went to full speed in extremely poor visibility to over take the convoy.

After 2 or 3 hours we had regained our station in the screen, I decided to turn in for the night, and had just lain down in my bunk, when a loud thud sounded through the water. I thought a ship had been torpedoed, so I raced to the bridge, where I believe it was Saine SM3/c who told me that there was a collision between one of our destroyers and a ship of the convoy.

There was a lot of voice communication on theTBS (talk between ships). CTF was trying to assess the situation. The CTF ordered the Ingraham to investigate.

As the Ingraham started entering the Convoy, I remember a TBS message from CTF to Ingraham but not the exact words. The gist of the message was: “It is dangerous to pass between ships of a column !” . Almost immediately there was another explosion in the convoy. This was the Ingraham being rolled over and her depth charges exploding. The USS Chemung had rammed her broadside. At that moment we actually did not know what had happened. A few minutes later the TBS confirmed a collision between the Ingraham and Chemung. I believe it also stated there was a “Fire on the Chemung’s bow”.

The mood on the Swanson bridge was somber, as we knew that probably men had died or were dying out there in the darkness. Momentarily the TBS had become silent. I recall that Captain Markham and Executive Officer Lieutenant Robertson standing on the starboard wing of the bridge starting in the direction of the convoy, even though we could see nothing. After a few seconds their attention was diverted back to conning the ship as CTF ordered the destroyer on the port quarter to look for survivors and render assistance. This required a realignment of the screen and the Swanson ended up on the port quarter (coffin corner ) of the convoy.

At or during this time CTF ordered EMERGENCY turns for the convoy and the Task Force. This kept everyone alert and up on their toes.

By dawn the next day we knew that the Buck had been in a collision with the Awatea and due to a depth charge exploding Buck’s stern was mangled. She was being towed back to Halifax. That the Ingraham a sister ship to the Swanson was lost with very few survivors.

Information released after the war was:

USS Buck DD420 Seven men killed.

USS Ingraham DD444 Out of 345 officers and men only 10 men and 1

officer survived.