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Bill Griggs, Author of Preludes to Victory: The Battle
of Ormoc Bay in WW II, served aboard USS KEPHART DE 207/APD 61 during WW II.
Following the war he majored in music education; graduated with a BS from STC
Trenton (The College of New Jersey) and earned an MA in music ed. at Columbia
U. He and his wife, Dorothy are the parents of 5 children and 2
grandchildren.
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Bill Griggs served as a sonarman 2/c aboard USS
KEPHART. The first 6 months of 1944 KEPHART saw duty in the Atlantic Ocean
and Mediterranean Sea as a convoy defender. Conversion from DE to APD began
on the last day of June '44. An APD is a high-speed destroyer transport;
KEPHART was reclassified APD-61 on 5 July and with her sister ships headed to
the Philippines in September 1944. Following 2 convoy runs, KEPHART loaded
troops for the amphibious assault at ORMOC BAY 7 December 1944. Fifty years
later, Bill Griggs collected the battle action accounts of 30 survivors of
the Battle of Ormoc Bay for the book: "Preludes to Victory: The Battle
of Ormoc Bay in WWII."
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USS KEPHART DE 207: Construction of this destroyer
escort was made possible by the citizens of Greensboro, NC, who purchased
over $5,000,000 in war bonds. KEPHART was launched 6 September 1943 by
Charleston Navy Yard, SC; commissioned 7 January 1944, Lt. Cmdr. I.H.
Cammarn in command. She served as a convoy escort with USS NEWMAN DE 205,
USS LIDDLE DE 206, USS COFER DE 208, and USS LLOYD DE 209. The 5 ships were
converted to APD in July 1944.
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DE 207 - A trim but deadly Buckley class destroyer
escort. Displacement 1400, L.306', B,36'10", Dr. 9'5", Sp. 24 k.
Cpl. 220. Armament: 3- 3",3- 40mm, 8 - 20mm, 3- 21" tt, 2- Dp ch.
8- K- gn., 1 -Hh.
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USS KEPHART DE 207 was named in honor of navy pilot
Lt. William Perry Kephart. He flew with Scouting Squadron 71 on board Wasp
CV-7. Lt. Kephart was killed in action 14 October, 1942 on a mission
engaging the enemy over Guadacanal.
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USS MOALE DD 693. Her 3 twin 5'' 38 gun mounts (6
guns) fired salvo after salvo at enemy forces in night action at ORMOC BAY
3 December 1944. MOALE and her sister ships, ALLEN M. SUMNER DD 692 and
COOPER DD 695 faced the enemy's air, land, surface and submarine attack-
all concentrated in one action at ORMOC BAY.
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USS COOPER DD 695: During night action in ORMOC
BAY,the 30 knot COOPER fired salvo after salvo into a nest of enemy ships.
In the melee, a Jap torpedo exploded COOPER, cutting her in two and causing
her to sink in less than one minute.
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USS WARD APD 16. The former DD 139 is obscured by
smoke after taking a Kamikaze crash at ORMOC BAY. This ship fired the first
shot on Japanese at Pearl Harbor 7 December 1941.
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An Admirable Class Minesweeper similar to USS SALUTE
AM 294 of MinDiv 34. Sailors of the SALUTE and others, were admired for
their guts and splendid performance at ORMOC BAY, MINDORO, LINGAYEN, SUBIC
BAY, MANILA and BORNEO. USS SALUTE hit a mine and exploded, killing 7, on 8
June 1945. She sank 9 June in Brunei Bay, Borneo.
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LCVP - Landing boats of USS KEPHART APD 61 were in
the first wave at ORMOC BAY, 7 December 1944
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ORMOC BAY: Four days after a Japanese torpedo sank
USS COOPER DD 695, swarms of KAMIKAZES attacked and crashed dived USS MAHAN
DD 364, USS WARD APD 16, USS LIDDLE APD 60, USS LAMSON DD 367, and bombed
AMs,LCIs, LSMs, and LSTs, on 7 December 1944.
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THE BATTLE OF ORMOC BAY ASSOCIATION: Organized by
veterans and survivors of the Battle of Ormoc Bay. Annual reunions are
attended by members and guests in selected cities throughout the USA. Its
purpose is dedicated to promoting the fellowship of World War II and
postwar crews of all ships participating in U.S. military actions in the
ORMOC BAY area of LEYTE, P.I. during December 1944. Founded September 29,
1984.
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