USCGC Spencer (WPG-36)

USCGC Spencer (WPG-36) was a of the United States Coast Guard and one of the famed "Treasury-class" of large cutters. Commissioned in 1937, she served with distinction through World War II, primarily in the Battle of the Atlantic, where she earned a reputation as a formidable U-boat hunter. Following the war, she continued in service until her decommissioning in 1954, leaving behind a legacy of significant contributions to Allied victory and Coast Guard history.

Design and construction

The design for the Spencer and her six sister ships was derived from the earlier and was intended for multi-role duties including law enforcement, search and rescue, and naval support. She was constructed at the United States Coast Guard Yard in Curtis Bay, Maryland, and was launched on 6 January 1936. The cutter was named for John Canfield Spencer, who served as Secretary of the Treasury under President John Tyler. Her design featured a robust hull for North Atlantic service, a main battery of two 5"/51 caliber guns, and facilities for a Grumman J2F Duck floatplane launched by a catapult.

Service history

After her commissioning on 30 January 1937, Spencer was initially assigned to the Boston area, performing typical Coast Guard duties such as ice patrol, maritime law enforcement, and life-saving. In the years leading up to World War II, she also conducted training cruises for the United States Coast Guard Academy. Following the Attack on Pearl Harbor and the U.S. entry into the war, she was quickly transferred to the operational control of the United States Navy under an executive order from President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

World War II service

Spencer's wartime service was almost entirely in the Battle of the Atlantic, where she served as a convoy escort under the command of the United States Atlantic Fleet. Assigned to Task Force 24 and later to Escort Group A-3, she protected vital Allied convoys on the North Atlantic and Mid-Atlantic routes. Her most famous engagement occurred on 17 April 1943, while escorting Convoy HX-233. In conjunction with the British destroyer HMS ''Beverley'', Spencer attacked, depth-charged, and sank the German submarine U-175 south of Iceland. This action, for which her commanding officer Harold S. Berdine received the Legion of Merit, was a significant morale victory and demonstrated the effectiveness of Coast Guard cutters in anti-submarine warfare.

Decommissioning and fate

After the war, Spencer returned to Coast Guard control and resumed peacetime duties, including patrols and training, based out of Stapleton, Staten Island. She was decommissioned on 31 January 1954 and placed in reserve at the United States Coast Guard Yard. She was later moved to the James River Reserve Fleet in Virginia. Despite efforts at preservation, the cutter was sold for scrap in September 1981 and subsequently dismantled in Baltimore, Maryland.

Awards and legacy

For her service in World War II, USCGC Spencer was awarded the American Defense Service Medal, the American Campaign Medal, the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal. Her successful prosecution of German submarine U-175 remains a highlight in the history of the United States Coast Guard's combat operations. The cutter's name was later revived for the USCGC Spencer (WMEC-905), ensuring the legacy of this distinguished Treasury-class cutter endures within the service.

Category:United States Coast Guard cutters Category:Treasury-class cutters Category:Ships built in Maryland Category:World War II frigates and destroyer escorts of the United States Category:1936 ships