Talk:UG convoys

Convoy UGS 26

In 1943 Leaving 2nd-4th Dec- what were the 14 escorts in convoy UGS 26 from US East Coast to Mediterranean Sea & North African ports? We spent several days of Liberty while our convoy escorts were in Casablanca refuelling & restocking. (USS Peterson DE-152, USS Poole DE-151, USS Joyce DE-317 and others DEs.).

The west bound convoy (what Name & Number) returned to New York on 31 January 1944, theses same escorts, or were there fewer?).

From the booklet that I have, titled “Ship’s History of USS Peterson (DE-152)” by an unknown author, typed out on 11 pages (including cover) on 8" x 10.5" paper, on page 2 re. December 1943, it states the following:

“On December2, the PETERSON departed from New York on her first convoy trip. With three other men of war, and escorting 23 merchant ships, convoy UGS 26 set out for Casablanca, North Africa. At Norfolk 10 more escorts joined, plus 55 merchant ships, for a total of 81 ships and 14 escorts. The trip was uneventful, but the return voyage was to live in infamy in PETERSON annals, even though there were no casualties or enemy action. Throughout the entire return trip, some three weeks, the slow convoy was tossed and smashed about by howling gales and high seas in some of the winter weather the Atlantic had to offer. Some days the convoy failed to make any distance good, in one case losing for miles in a twenty-four hour period. Many merchant ships ran out of food, and finally the naval vessels came close to this situation, not as a result of poor planning, but because of the slowdown caused by the weather. At any rate, it was a “sad, badly pounded, but infinitely wiser group of men” that sailed back into New York in late January, sailors all! They had faced what they felt sure was the best the Atlantic had to offer and they had come out on top; however it remained to be seen later that worse weather was ahead.” ( there are 8 more pages, including losing our sister ship, the LEAPOLD DE-319 and the sinking of the German sub, U-550.) Hib Hibbard “Cass” Casselberry on USS Peterson DE-152 in 1943-45 now in Pompano Beach FL 22060 Lighthouse Cass (talk) 22:40, 31 December 2012 (UTC)