USS SCRIBNER DE-689 Ship History
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, August 2024
Scribner (DE-689) was laid down on 29 June 1944 at Quincy, Mass., by the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Co.; reclassified as a high speed transport, APD-122, on 17 July 1944; launched on 1 August 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Theresa J. Scribner, mother of Petty Officer Scribner; and commissioned on 20 November 1944, Lt. Cmdr. Gordon M. Street, D-V(G), USNR, in command.
After shakedown, Scribner departed Norfolk on 12 January 1945, escorting thye repair ship Vulcan (AR-5) to Panama and then proceeding to Pearl Harbor, Territory iof Hawaii, where she arrived on 6 February. She underwent training with her embarked underwater demolition team (UDT) at Maui between 11 and 13 February; and then sailed to Leyte for further training. The ship arrived off Okinawa with the invasion force on 26 March, and that night began UDT reconnaissance operations with Kinzer (APD-91) at Kerama Retto. Her marines also examined the Eastern Islands and Menna Shima before disembarking on Okinawa on 18 April. Scribner then commenced patrol duty around the transport anchorage which lasted until her departure on 22 July except for an absence between 15 May and 7 June for upkeep at Guam and a UDT survey of Kume Shima on 13 and 14 June. The ship then returned to the United States to undergo UDT training for the planned invasion of Japan; but since the surrender came the day before she arrived, she underwent three weeks of overhaul at San Pedro, Calif., instead.
Scribner departed the west coast on 7 September 1945; and, after making several logistics voyages in the Western Pacific, arrived at Manila, Philippines, on 19 October. She was then assigned to escort a group of U.S. transports which was to embark Chinese troops at Haiphong, Indochina, and disembark them at Darien in north China to disarm Japanese troops in the area. Political difficulties delayed the convoy’s departure from Manila until 30 October, and the Chinese troops were finally disembarked at Chinwangtao, China, an alternate location, on 12 November. Scribner then escorted the transports to Taku on 14 November, and served there as headquarters ship for the port director between 24 November and 4 December, and as radio guardship there until 19 January 1946. She moved to Tsingtao on 20 January 1946, and sailed for Haiphong on 21 March. The ship was relieved there on 11 April and began the long trip home the next day, arriving at Charleston, S.C., on 1 July 1946 for inactivation.
Decommissioned on 15 November 1946, Scribner was placed in reserve. Scribner was struck from the Navy Register on 1 August 1966 and sold on 6 September 1967 to Gregg, Gibson, & Gregg, Inc., Miami, Fla., for scrapping.
Scribner received one battle star for her World War II service.
