USS England, a 1400-ton Buckley class escort ship, was built at San Francisco, California. Commissioned in December 1943, she was assigned to escort and patrol duty in the south Pacific area early in 1944. Between 19 and 26 May 1944, while serving as part of an anti-submarine hunter-killer group, England sank the Japanese submarines I-16, RO-106, RO-104, RO-116 and RO-108. A few days later, she joined other ships in destroying a sixth enemy submarine, RO-105. This impressive feat, facilitated by poor Japanese Navy communications security, remains unsurpassed in U.S. Navy history and earned England a Presidential Unit Citation. It also prompted Admiral Ernest J. King, the Chief of Naval Operations and Commander in Chief U.S. Fleet, to proclaim "There'll always be an England in the United States Navy", a commitment honored between 1963 and 1994 by the service of USS England (DLG/CG-22), but which appears to be currently in abeyance.
Through the rest of 1944 and into 1945, as the active war zone progressed ever further toward Japan, England continued her southern and central Pacific escort and patrol work. Beginning in late March 1945, she took part in the invasion of Okinawa and subsequent operations in that area. While on picket duty on 9 May, she was hit in her forward superstructure by a suicide plane, resulting in serious damage to the ship and the loss of 37 lives among her crew.
England was sent to the U.S. east coast for repairs, arriving at the Philadelphia Navy Yard in June. While this work was underway, she also began conversion to a fast transport, with the new hull number APD-41 assigned in July. However, soon after the end of World War II, conversion was cancelled. The partially rebuilt ship was decommissioned in October 1945. In November 1946, USS England was sold for scrapping.
USS England was named in honor of Ensign John Charles England, USNR, who was killed in action on board USS Oklahoma (BB-37) during the 7 December 1941 Pearl Harbor air raid.
This page features nearly all our views of USS England.
For pictorial coverage on England's Commanding Officer at the time of her successful engagement with the six Japanese submarines, see: W. B. Pendleton.
If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."
Click on the small photograph to prompt a larger view of the same image.
Photo #: 19-N-60939 USS England (DE-635) Off San Francisco, California, on 9 February 1944. Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives. Online Image: 55KB; 740 x 510 pixels Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system. |
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Photo #: 19-N-60938 USS England (DE-635) Off San Francisco, California, on 9 February 1944. Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives. Online Image: 60KB; 740 x 535 pixels Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system. |
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Photo #: 19-N-60940 USS England (DE-635) Off San Francisco, California, on 9 February 1944. Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives. Online Image: 57KB; 740 x 520 pixels Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system. |
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Photo #: 19-N-60941 USS England (DE-635) Bow-on view, taken off San Francisco, California, on 9 February 1944. Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives. Online Image: 56KB; 740 x 615 pixels Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system. |
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Photo #: 19-N-60942 USS England (DE-635) View from off the ship's stern, taken off San Francisco, California, on 9 February 1944. Note name painted on her transom, and depth charge racks and smoke generators mounted on deck above. Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives. Online Image: 66KB; 740 x 615 pixels Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system. |
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Photo #: 80-G-336947 USS England (DE-635) Off the Philadelphia Navy Yard, Pennsylvania, on 21 July 1945. She was there for repairs after being hit by a "Kamikaze" off Okinawa on 9 May 1945. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Online Image: 65KB; 740 x 605 pixels Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system. |
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Photo #: 80-G-336949 USS England (DE-635) Damage from a "Kamikaze" hit received off Okinawa on 9 May 1945. This view, taken at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, Pennsylvania, on 24 July 1945, shows the port side of the forward superstructure, near where the suicide plane struck. Note scoreboard painted on the bridge face, showing her Presidential Unit Citation pennant and symbols for the six Japanese submarines and three aircraft credited to England. Also note fully provisioned life raft at right. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Online Image: 127KB; 740 x 615 pixels Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system. |
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Photo #: 80-G-336953 USS England (DE-635) Fire damage in the pilothouse, near where a Japanese "Kamikaze" struck England while she was off Okinawa on 9 May 1945. This view was taken at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, Pennsylvania, on 24 July 1945. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Online Image: 142KB; 595 x 765 pixels Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system. |
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Photo #: 80-G-336950 USS England (DE-635) Burned-out officers' stateroom in the forward superstructure, from a "Kamikaze" that hit near her bridge while she was off Okinawa on 9 May 1945. This view was taken at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, Pennsylvania, on 24 July 1945. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Online Image: 151KB; 595 x 765 pixels Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system. |
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Photo #: 19-N-51897 USS England (DE-635) Is christened by Mrs. Harry B. England, mother of Ensign John C. England, the ship's namesake, during launching ceremonies at the Bethlehem Steel Company shipyard, San Francisco, California, 26 September 1943. Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives. Online Image: 78KB; 740 x 525 pixels Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system. |
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Photo #: 19-N-51896 USS England (DE-635) Slides down the building ways at the Bethlehem Steel Company shipyard, San Francisco, California, during launching ceremonies on 26 September 1943. Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives. Online Image: 47KB; 610 x 735 pixels Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system. |
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If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."
page made 12 December 2000