Please report any broken links or trouble you might come across to the Webmaster. Please take a moment to let us know so that we can correct any problems and make your visit as enjoyable and as informative as possible.

AN ORAL HISTORY OF THE YMS-393
By Roger C. "Smitty" Smith

**************************************************************************************************************
My name is Roger C. Smith, "Smitty", and I served aboard the Minesweeper, USS YMS-393 from commissioning date, about October 1943, until about September 1945, when I was returned to the state on points, and served the balance of my enlistment in Bremerton, WA, where I was Master-at-Arms, and on the USS Essex [CV 9], putting her in mothballs at Pier 91 in Seattle, WA.

Our first mission on leaving San Pedro, CA) was to help escort, (as a sub screen) a convoy of ships to Pearl Harbor, HI. The convoy consisted of many ships, and our position on the port bow of the convoy placed us adjacent to several large tankers, carrying 100 octane gas for aircraft, and they had on their decks several carrier planes. The complete trip was successful, and we remained in Pearl Harbor about a week or 10 days. Our Commanding Officer was LTJG Hale, as I remember. We then left, alone, for Australia, and New Guinea, stopping at Palmers Island, [New South Wales]; Funafuti; and one other island, I can't remember. Our first port of call was either at Townsville or Gladstone, [Queensland, Australia] then to Cairns, and then to Milne Bay and on thru the New Guinea campaign, Langemak; Buna; bypassing Finschaven, and on to Hollandia. And from there to Moritai, Biak, Leyte, and then on to the Manila area, then on north to Appari, then back to the Leyte area, where I left the ship.

If anyone of the crew of the USS YMS-393 reads this, please get back to me.

My [e-mail] address is Chaucer@midrivers.com - or Roger C. Smith, 1514 Prospect Dr., Glendive, MT 59330-2052. Thanks - Smitty



Back To The Main Photo Index Back To the Mine Warfare Ship Photo Index Back to the Auxiliary Motor Minesweeper (YMS) Photo Index Back to the YMS-393 Main Page

Comments, Suggestions, E-mail Webmaster

This page created and maintained by Joseph M. Radigan (of blessed memory) & David Wright
All Pages © 1996 - 2023, NavSource History, All rights reserved.