RECOLLECTION
E. L. Robertson 1987
Some time during 1943, the Swanson along with 3 other destroyers were escorting four oil tankers through the Caribbean enroute to Aruba. We were on the starboard beam of the tankers in the escort screen.
It was a dark moonless night and we were using our SG radar to maintain proper station. Additionally the SG radar was to search for any surface targets. Some time around 2000 hours while we were at evening General Quarters the starboard look out (a seaman and a veteran of several years in the Navy, who had been known to partake of alcoholic beverage from time to time.) reported a target bearing approximately 25 degrees on our starboard bow ! Everyone on the bridge immediately started searching the area with their binoculars without success. Radar and sonar but reported no target or contact. There was some doubt as to whether our “look out” actually had a target but he kept insisting there was a target out there. Then I ordered the Gunnery officer to lock in his guns with the 36” searchlight. The other screening destroyers and oil tankers were notified by voice radio, that we had a visual target and we were going to illuminate. At some point during this time we did acquire radar contact with either the SG or FD radar. When the 36" searchlight came on there was a German U-Boat conning tower and he was crash diving! We immediately opened fire but the shells landed all around the U-Boat tower. He successfully evaded us.
Our “look out” sighting of the German U-Boat probably saved our oil tankers, because the U-Boat was maneuvering for firing position. We interrupted his plans just in time. We continued searching the area with sonar. The Commander Caribbean Sea Frontier ordered the Swanson to search the area for the next 24 hours. We were unsuccessful in regaining contact, and arrived in port a day after our other escort vessels.
Our screen commander was very pleased with the Swanson and somewhat displeased with the Commanding officer of the USS Buck DD420 who was in a better position to have sighted the U-Boat and taken action but failed to do so. His radar actually had the target but due to a breakdown in internal communications he was unaware that his radar had a target.
Some one later jokingly said: “That here was proof that drinking alcohol improves night vision!”
No one but our “veteran seaman” saw the target until we ILLUMINATED! Nevertheless I thought to myself that Swanson had acquitted herself well. We had beaten the other destroyers to the punch. CIC had outdone itself, coming up with a beautiful plot of exactly when and where everything happened. No doubt about it! – Our ship was becoming a true man of war!