Historian - October 2007

At Portsmouth Naval Shipyard’s Berth 6 is a Coast Guard Cutter named CAMPBELL. She is homeported there with two other Cutters, RELIANCE and TAHOMA. CAMPBELL is the sixth ship to bear that name. The first four were named for George Washington Campbell, Secretary of the Treasury in 1814. The fifth was named for James Campbell, Postmaster General in 1863. The sixth CAMPBELL is named for the previous five, but especially her immediate predecessor.

The first CAMPBELL was a schooner that patrolled Chesapeake Bay from 1830 to 1834. The second, also a schooner, served in the Gulf of Mexico from 1834 to 1839 and participated in the Second Seminole War, one of three conflicts in Florida between various groups of Native Americans and the United States. The third CAMPBELL was built in 1848. She was sleek and trim and was called the “Queen of the Sailing Cutters.” The fourth was built in Somerset, Massachusetts, and patrolled New England waters from 1853-1875.

The fifth CAMPBELL was built at the Philadelphia Navy Yard in 1936. She was the longest serving and most famous of her generation of cutters, having served for forty-six years. During her career she saw duty in World War II and both the Korean and Vietnam Wars. She cruised along at 20 knots and was ideally suited as a convoy escort ship.

On February 21, 1943, CAMPBELL (#5) was escorting a convoy. In the early morning hours that day they found themselves surrounded by a German U-boat Wolf Pack. A battle ensued and after rescuing 50 survivors from one of our sunken ships, CAMPBELL turned to attack several U-boats, including U-753, inflicting such great damage on them that they had to retreat from the Wolf Pack. The next day she attacked U-606 with depth charges. The submarine was forced to surface where it continued a fierce attack. CAMPBELL came about and rammed the enemy sub almost totally disabling it. CAMPBELL was severely damaged during the ramming and received a great gash on her side that resulted in extensive flooding in the engine room. Even so, she heroically fought on and dropped two more depth charges that reportedly lifted U-606 four feet out of the water. After a final gun battle, U-606 surrendered and her captain gave the order to abandon ship. Though suffering from serious flooding and a loss of power and propulsion, CAMPBELL lowered her rescue boats and picked up the surviving German sailors. Several days later, she was towed back to port where she was repaired and soon after dispatched back into the Atlantic to continue her war time service.

After Korea and Vietnam, CAMPBELL actively served the remainder of her days from her homeports in New York City, Portland, Maine, and Port Angeles, Washington. At that time of her decommissioning in 1982, she was the oldest active continually commissioned vessel in the United States Fleet.

Our current CAMPBELL proudly continues the 177 year CAMPBELL tradition. She is 270 feet long with a beam of 38 feet. She displaces 1,860 long tons. She has two 9 foot diameter propellers and twin 18-cylinder, 3,650 hp diesel engines. She is armed with a MK 75, 76mm Naval Gun on her bow and a couple high caliber machine guns, and she has a flight deck that is equipped to support several different Coast Guard helicopters. Her 99 person crew consists of 14 officers, 8 Chief Petty Officers and 77 enlisted men and women. She has been homported at the Shipyard since moving there from New Bedford, Massachusetts on September 27, 2003. Most of the time she is out to sea actively engaged in Maritime Homeland Security operations including Migrant Interdiction; Defense Readiness; Drug Interdiction; Ports, Waterways and Coastal Security; Maritime Law Enforcement; Search and Rescue; and operations involving Aids to Navigation, Marine Safety, Living Marine Resources and Marine Environmental Protection.

You can bet that there is a link to St. John’s Lodge here somewhere. Next month we’ll make the connection for you. Until then, …

We're always ready for the call, we place our trust in Thee.

Through surf and storm and howling gale, high shall our purpose be.

"Semper Paratus" is our guide, our fame, our glory, too.

To fight to save or fight and die, Aye! Coast Guard we are for you!

To visit the CAMPBELL's web site:

http://www.uscg.mil/lantarea/cutter/campbell/campbell.html

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