I am looking for some information about the U.S.S. Zane. A World War I (Destroyer?) converted to a high speed mine sweeper. I’m doing general research right now, but thought some of you might have already researched this in depth. I’m in touch with a WWII Navy Veteran named Joseph E. Gunterman who served on it during WWII. I’m not sure if he was on it during Pearl Harbor, though. But he was there during the invasion of Sassavelle Island and they ran aground while dropping off the 169th Infantry on New Georgia, Solomons, I believe. I talk regularly to the son of one of the men in the 169th who was transported by the U.S.S. Zane. It’s a pretty small world, when you think about it…
Here’s a Navy website with information about Zane. She also served in the Guadalcanal Campaign.
http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-xz/dd337.htm
JT
Thanks for the reply jacobtowne,
That was a helpful link. Here’s the text from the site you posted (for anyone else who might be interested) http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/s...h-xz/dd337.htm
USS Zane, a 1190-ton Clemson class destroyer built by the Mare Island Navy Yard, California, was commissioned in February 1921. After initial service along the west coast, she was deployed on the Asiatic Station between June and October 1922 and placed out of commission at the beginning of February 1923. Zane recommissioned in February 1930 and spent the nearly all of the 1930s as part of the Battle Force, operating in the Pacific and the Caribbean. In 1934, she was briefly attached to the Rotating Reserve.
In 1940, Zane was converted to a high-speed minesweeper, receiving the new hull number DMS-14 in November. During the next year she served in Hawaiian waters. When the Japanese attacked the Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, she was moored in the harbor and fired her guns at attacking enemy aircraft. Later in the day, she swept the harbor entrance channel for possible mines and conducted anti-submarine patrols.
Zane was based in Hawaii and on the west coast until mid-1942, when she was sent to the south Pacific to participate in the planned attack on Guadalcanal and Tulagi. On 7 August, as Marines landed on both islands, she swept the assault area for mines and otherwise supported the landing forces. As the difficult campaign to hold Guadalcanal continued over the next few months, Zane was frequently called on to bring in reinforcements and supplies. On 25 October 1942, while on one such mission, she and sister ship Trever (DMS-16) were attacked by three much more powerful Japanese destroyers. Enemy shells took the lives of three of Zane’s crew, but both minesweepers were able to escape.
After Guadalcanal was secured, Zane remained in the south Pacific, where she took part in the occupation of the Russell Islands in February 1943 and the invasion of New Georgia in late June. Damaged by grounding in the latter operation, she was repaired at the Mare Island Navy Yard, California. Zane returned to Hawaii in late September 1943. In January-February 1944, she participated in the invasion of the Marshall Islands and in June and July supported the landings on Saipan and Guam.
The rest of the Pacific War saw the now-elderly Zane in target towing and escort roles in the central and western Pacific. She was reclassified AG-109 in June 1945 and left the Philippines in October, nearly two months after the fighting ended. After passing through the Panama Canal in November, Zane arrived at Norfolk, Virignia, where she was decommissioned in mid-December. She was sold for scrapping in October 1946.
This page features selected views of USS Zane (DD-337, later DMS-14 and AG-109).
Hopefully Joe Gunterman will tell me more about it and I’ll be able to add more to this (with his permission, of course)