>From the “Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships,” 

(1968) Vol. 3, pp.225-226.





HAMMERBERG





	Owen Francis Patrick Hammerberg was born at Daggett, 

Mich., 31 May 1920.  He enlisted in the Navy 16 June 1941 

and subsequently served in battleship IDAHO (BB-42) and 

submarine chaser ADVENT (AM-83 and later PC-1587).  In 1941, 

he underwent instruction at the Deep Sea Diving School, 

Washington, D.C., and was assigned duty with the Salvage 

Unit under Service Force, Pacific Fleet.  He lost his life 

during rescue operations at Pearl Harbor 17 February 1945.  

Disregarding all personal danger, he rescued one diver who 

had been trapped in a cave-in of steel wreckage while 

tunneling under a sunken LST.  After this rescue, Hammerberg 

went even farther under the buried hulk and, while rescuing 

a second diver, was pinned down by another cave-in and 

perished.  Boatswain’s Mate Hammerberg was posthumously 

awarded the Medal of Honor.





DE-1015

Displacement:  1,340 t.

Length:  315’

Beam:  37’

Draft:  18’

Speed:  25 k.

Complement:  206

Armament:  3 3”; 

	1 depth charge track;

	6 depth charge projectors;

Class:  DEALEY



	HAMMERBERG (DE-1015) was launched 20 August 1954 by the 

Bath Iron Works Corp., Bath, Maine; sponsored by Mrs. 

Elizabeth Moss, mother; and commissioned 2 March 1955, Lt. 

Comdr. Murray E. Draper in command.



	Based at Newport, HAMMERBERG participated in convoy 

exercises, trained students at the Fleet Sonar School, Key 

West, and conducted antisubmarine warfare exercises during 

her first 2 1/2 years of service.



	HAMMERBERG departed Newport 3 September 1957 to 

participate in maneuvers with units of NATO.  Antisubmarine 

training in the Irish Sea was followed by visits to 

Plymouth, England and Brest, France, before the destroyer 

escort returned to Newport 21 October.  Then, after 

hunter-killer exercises with aircraft carrier TARAWA 

(CVS-40), HAMMERBERG sailed from Newport 1 April 1958 to 

Bodo, Norway, to take part in combined exercises with the 

Norwegian Navy.  She returned to Boston 14 May.



	Departing Newport 27 January 1959, HAMMERBERG sailed to 

Guantanamo Bay for refresher training, then took part in 

antisubmarine warfare training with the navies of Chile and 

Peru.  She returned to Newport 21 April.



	Between May 1959 and February 1960, HAMMERBERG was busy 

with antisubmarine exercises interspersed with cruises to 

Newfoundland and Puerto Rico.  In March and April, she 

participated in amphibious operations at Onslow Beach, N.C., 

and deployed 23 August 1960 for her second South American 

cruise.  HAMMERBERG returned to Newport 13 December.



	HAMMERBERG departed Newport 7 August 1961 on her third 

South American cruise.  In November, at the request of the 

Organization of American States, HAMMERBERG and other 

American ships patrolled offshore the Dominican Republic to 

help ensure the orderly change over of that government and 

check Communist influence.  HAMMERBERG returned to Newport 1 

December.  During 1962, HAMMERBERG participated in convoy 

escort operations and operated with the Fleet Sonar School 

in Key West.  On 7 November, HAMMERBERG was en route south 

to Mayport, Fla., where she was diverted to patrol the 

Florida Coast during the Cuban Crisis.  On 29 November, 

after President Kennedy had resolved the Cuban Crisis, she 

sailed for Newport, R.I., for a well-deserved rest and 

tender availability.  1963 found HAMMERBERG in the Boston 

Naval Shipyard.  From June to November, she devoted time to 

"Unites IV"--a deployment which was to comprise the 

circumnavigation of South America in the conduct Of ASW 

operations with seven South American navies.  On 30 

November, HAMMERBERG proceeded to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for 

participation in "PHIBASWEX I-63", a large-scale amphibious, 

ASW operation with over 30 other units of the Atlantic 

Fleet.  On 17 December, she arrived Newport, R.I.  During 

1964, HAMMERBERG participated in Operations "Springboard," 

"Canus Silex," and "Steel Pike," all exercises to sharpen 

the ship and crew not only in her important mission of 

locating and destroying submarines, but also in patrol, 

escort, rescue, evacuation, blockade and surveillance 

assignments.



	On 8 February 1965, HAMMERBERG got underway for 

Northern Europe to join NATO "Match Maker I" Squadron in 

Exercise "Pilot High."  On 3 May, the squadron left Lisbon 

for Operation "Pole Star" off Halifax, Nova Scotia.  After 

return to Newport 20 July, HAMMERBERG went into repair at 

Boston Naval Shipyard.  She then trained Off Guantanamo Bay, 

Cuba, and in August 1966 rendezvoused with escort VAN 

VOORHIS (DE-1028), guided missile frigate LEAHY (DLG-16) and 

submarine REQUIN (SS-481) off Trinidad to participate in 

Operation "Unitas VII" through November.  She continued her 

tactical maneuvers into 1967 constantly ready as a 

deterrent, protecting the free world from aggression.



	[Stricken from the Navy Register on 14 December 1973, 

HAMMERBERG was sold on 17 July 1974.



K. Jack Bauer and Stephen S. Roberts, “Register of Ships of 

the U. S. Navy, 1775-1990,” p.239.]





Transcribed by Michael Hansen

mhansen2@home.com