The U.S.S. Tabberer (DE-418) was laid down at Houston, Texas on January 12th, 1943 by the Brown Shipbuilding Company. She was launched on February 18th, 1944, sponsored by Mrs. Mary M. Tabberer, and was commissioned on May 23rd, 1944 with Lt. Henry Lee Plage, USNR, in command. On June 27th, Tabberer headed toward Bermuda for her shakedown training. At the end of a fortnight's post-shakedown at the Boston Navy Yard, she got underway on August 16th to escort the U.S.S. Severn (AO-61) to the Hawaiian Islands. The two ships transited the Panama Canal later that month, and reached Pearl Harbor on September 7th. For over a month, the destroyer escort conducted underway training in the waters surrounding the islands. Her exercises included antisubmarine warfare drills, and gunfire practice. She also screened carriers Coral Sea (CVE-57), Ranger (CV-4), and Saratoga (CV-3) during night flying qualifications and amphibious support training. On October 16th, Tabberer sortied from Pearl Harbor with Task Group (TG) 12-7, a hunter/killer group built around the U.S.S. Anzio (CVE-57), formerly the U.S.S. Coral Sea (CVE-57). Upon arrival at Eniwetok on the 23rd, the ships joined Admiral Halsey's 3rd Fleet, and on October 27, stood out of Eniwetok as TG 30-7. After stopping at Ulithi during the first three days of November, the task group headed for the 3rd Fleet fueling group's operating area to conduct antisubmarine sweeps. On November 18th, TG 30-7 registered its first kill when Tabberer's sister-ship the U.S.S. Lawrence C. Taylor (DE-415) sent I-41 to the bottom, after a coordinated depth charge attack with the U.S.S. Melvin R. Nawman (DE-416). Following a replenishment period at Ulithi, Tabberer sortied with TG 30-7 on December 9th to resume antisubmarine sweeps of the Philippine Sea during Task Force 38's Luzon strikes, in support of the Mindoro landings. On December 17th, as Tabberer was steaming in company with the 3rd Fleet fueling group to the east of the Philippine Islands, rising wind and a choppy sea forced her to break off preparations to take on more fuel. The barometer dropped precipitously as the weather grew worse. By evening, the small but powerful warship was fighting a full typhoon. During the night, Tabberer lost steerageway and could not fight her way out of the deep troughs. She frequently took rolls up to 60 degrees, and on several occasions, approached an angle of 72 degrees from the vertical. The high winds and seas continued to batter her on the 18th. By 18:30 her mast and radio antennae were gone. At 2130, a signalman trying to rig an emergency antenna, sighted a man in the water, and then sounded the "man overboard" alarm. Tabberer rushed to the rescue. Once on board, the sailor reported that he was from the U.S.S. Hull (DD-350), and that his ship had sunk at about noon that same day. Thus, the Tabberer was the first ship of the 3rd Fleet to learn of the tragedy of December 18th, 1944. Though unable to call for help, she immediately embarked upon a search for the survivors. Her rescue efforts continued throughout the night, all day on the 19th, and into the 20th. In all, the U.S.S. Tabberer saved the lives of 55 officers and men, both from the U.S.S. Hull and also the U.S.S. Spence (DD-512). Later, Tabberer was relieved by other units of the fleet. An additional 36 men, a few of whom belonged to the crew of the typhoon's third victim, the U.S.S. Monaghan (DD-354), were also rescued by the Tabberer. The outstanding rescue efforts during the storm resulted in the awarding of Navy and Marine Corps medals for several crewmembers. Lt. Plage won the Legion of Merit, and for the Tabberer, the Navy Unit Commendation. On December 21st, the destroyer escort re-entered Ulithi lagoon before heading back to Hawaii. She stopped at Eniwetok early in January 1945 and reached Oahu soon thereafter. She stood out of Pearl Harbor on January 29th. She steamed via Eniwetok and Saipan to screen TF 38 during the air strikes which supported the marines who stormed ashore at Iwo Jima on February 19th. Tabberer remained in the Volcano Islands through the first week of March 1945, screening the carriers from enemy submarines and aircraft. Though the task force was subjected to several air attacks, and carriers suffered kamikaze and bomb hits, Tabberer sustained no damage. On March 7th, she headed for the Philippines and entered San Pedro Bay, Leyte on the 12th. From late March to early May, the destroyer escort cruised with various task groups of TF 38 during the invasion of Okinawa. Once again she protected the American carriers from Japanese submarines and aircraft, while their planes struck enemy positions. Although she operated continuously for 52 days, and sighted many unidentified planes, the ship never came under attack. Frequently she rejoined the Anzio hunter/killer group for nighttime antisubmarine sweeps. Tabberer put into Apra Harbor, Guam, on May 11th to replenish and make repairs. On the 23rd, she rejoined Anzio for further antisubmarine operations on the sea lanes between Okinawa and the Marianas. On May 31st, Anzio planes scored a kill, and the Tabberer assisted the U.S.S. Oliver Mitchell (DE-417) in recovering evidence of their success. Following a fortnight's visit to San Pedro Bay, Leyte, she resumed antisubmarine sweeps with the Anzio task group. For the remainder of the war, she hunted Japanese submarines and protected the logistics group during the 3rd Fleet's final air assault on the Japanese home islands. During the final months of the war, she destroyed mines and rescued downed Anzio air crewmen. After the cessation of hostilities on August 15th, 1945, Tabberer remained in the Far East to support the occupation forces. She escorted ships between Okinawa; Jinsen, Korea ; and Tientsin and Taku, China. She also destroyed mines in the Yellow Sea. On December 22nd, the warship departed Tsintao, China, to return to the United States. Along the way, she made stops at Okinawa, Eniwetok, and Pearl Harbor, before entering San Francisco on January 15th, 1946. In April, she shifted to San Diego where she was placed out of commission, in reserve, on April 24th, 1946. Tabberer was recommissioned at San Diego on April 7th, 1951, Lt. Commander Williard J. McNulty in command. In June, she changed home ports from San Diego to Newport, Rhode Island, and in August reported for duty with the Atlantic Fleet. For the next nine years, she operated along the Atlantic seaboard from Key West, Florida to Halifax, Nova Scotia. Frequently, she operated in the Caribbean Sea, often near Guantanamo Bay and Vieques Island. Tabberer participated in a variety of exercises, and on several occasions, embarked with the Naval Academy and NROTC midshipmen for their summer cruises. She left the western Atlantic only once during this period, in the fall of 1957, for a two month deployment to the Mediterranean. After that, she resumed her operations along the east coast with Lt. Cmdr James C. Wilson in command from June of 1958. On April 19, 1959, the destroyer escort put into port for the last time. At Philadelphia, she began preparations for deactivation. Tabberer was placed out of commission, in reserve, in May of 1960, and was berthed at Philadelphia for the remainder of her career. On August 1st, 1972, her name was struck from the Navy List. On October 3rd, 1973 she was sold for scrapping to Mr. David Hahn of Key West, Florida. The United States Ship TABBERER proudly earned four Battle Stars and a Navy Unit Commendation for service in World War II. This website is NOT copyrighted - share at will... Presented by: MATT WILSON son of Lt. Cmdr. James C. Wilson email: Matt@MattWilson.com Millville - New Jerseymailto:Matt@MattWilson.comshapeimage_2_link_0