Interview with Scott Breckinridge, September 15, 1988

Interview Summary

Graduation from University of Kentucky Law School (1941)-- looking for a job in Washington D.C.-- living with brother John Breckinridge-- working for the Office of Export Control in the Board of Economic Warfare-- being commissioned as a naval officer while at O.E.C.-- attempt to get commission in Marine Corps prior to World War II-- assignment to Mayport Section Base in Florida-- primitive conditions encountered at Mayport-- German U-boat activity off Florida coast in 1941-42-- U.S. Navy's conversion of private boats for anti-submarine coastal patrol duty-- duty aboard the USS YP-32-- mistaking a porpoise for a torpedo-- use of "pogy boats" for patrol duty-- characteristics of and equipment and ordnance on the YP-32-- danger of dropping depth charges off the YP-32-- being shot at by another American patrol craft-- investigating reports of submarine activity on the YP-32 off the Florida coast-- mining of St. John's River channel by German U-boat-- expendability of patrol craft-- use of sonar-- American strategy for sinking U-boats with patrol craft-- heading up an eleven ship search for German U-boat-- almost sinking the YP-32 by dropping a depth charge-- attending Sub-chaser Training Center-- comical incidents aboard coastal patrol vessels-- landing of German spies at Ponte Vedra Florida-- opinion of the war in 1941 and role of censorship-- problems with navigational exercises at Sub-chaser Training Center-- problems with dud rounds during gunnery practice-- assignment to the Flower-class corvette USS Saucy (formerly British corvette HMS Arbutus)-- experiences in San Juan Puerto Rico while waiting for Saucy-- report of Saucy being sunk by U-boat-- characteristics and equipment and ordnance aboard the Saucy-- effectiveness of ASDIC equipment-- duty as communications officer on the Saucy-- promotion to j.g.-- convoy duty in the South Atlantic and encounters with German submarines-- towing disabled tanker into port after U-boat attack-- trouble with the crew on liberty at Fortaleza Brazil-- picking up survivors of a U-boat sunk by an American PBM aircraft in the South Atlantic-- opinion of German U-boat crew-- dealing with the prisoners onboard ship-- hoisting "homeward bound pennant" going to Charleston South Carolina-- the ship's responsibility on convoy duty-- first-rate sonar man aboard the Saucy and Breckinridge's efforts to keep him-- overhaul of the Saucy in by Charleston Naval Yard and installation of radar and Hedgehogs and Long Range Navigation (LORAN) systems-- operation of Hedgehog equipment-- convoy duty in the North Atlantic from Argentia Newfoundland to Greenland and Iceland-- resentment at being assigned to the Coast Guard's Task Force 24-- American escorts' submarine attack doctrine-- duty as executive officer aboard the Saucy-- rivalry between ship and Navy Yard personnel and damage done to the Saucy-- "moonlight requisitioning" of equipment at Naval Yard-- St. John's harbor in Newfoundland-- encounter with iceberg and pan ice at Sondre Stromfjord Greenland-- damage caused by pan ice-- promotion to captain of the Saucy.

Interview Keyword

military service experience War Veterans World War II World War II veterans

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