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Scott # 634 Naval Ship Cover USS Gamble

$12.95

Dated 5/30/1935  USS Gamble

On 7 December 1941, Gamble had returned from offshore patrol, when her peaceful Sunday morning routine was broken by the first of the Japanese carrier-based planes which pounded American ships in the harbor. Gambles gunners joined the fire of other warships and saw one enemy plane fall into the water on her port beam. After the attack she took antisubmarine patrol station in the screen of Enterprise, and later guarded the approaches to Pearl Harbor. In mid-February 1942, she headed south in the escort for a convoy to Pago Pago, Samoa, then joined Ramsey in laying a protective mine field off Tutuila. At the end of March the two minelayers shifted to the Fiji Islands, to lay a minefield in Nadi waters 7–14 April. Returning to Pearl Harbor for heavier armament, Gamble helped safeguard convoys to Midway during the time of that crucial and historic battle, then headed south with Breese and Tracy to lay a defensive mine field off the entrance to Second Channel, Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides Islands.

On 27 August 1942, Gamble joined a task unit headed to Guadalcanal. Although designated a destroyer-minelayer, the old four-piper still carried antisubmarine gear. On the morning of 29 August, when her lookouts spotted a large enemy submarine, she immediately went into action. After several depth charge attacks, Gamble ran through large oil slicks, found deck planking, and observed a large air bubble break the surface. Later her victim was identified as I-123, whose dying radio had signaled “under heavy enemy attack.” That afternoon she proceeded at full speed to Nura Island where she rescued four stranded aviators from Saratoga. Continuing to aid in the struggle for Guadalcanal, she transported 158 Marines to the island 31 August, patrolled off Lunga Roads, then on 5 September assisted in freeing William Ward Burrows and escorted her to Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides Islands. Her patrol, escort, and transport duty continued as the drive for Guadalcanal pressed on to victory.

Five minutes after midnight, 6 May 1943, Gamble, with Preble and Breese, turned simultaneously in rain squalls which broke at times to disclose each to the other in perfect formation. Making 15 kn (28 km/h), each ship dropped a mine every 12 seconds, planting over 250 mines in 17 minutes across Blackett Strait, the western entrance to Kula Gulf and directly in the favorite route of the worrisome “Tokyo Express.” The ships then sped north to join the protective screen of Rear AdmiralWalden L. Ainsworth‘s cruiser-destroyer force before refueling at Tulagi. On the night of 7/8 May, four Japanese destroyers entered the mined waters. One, Kuroshio, went down, two others, Oyashio and Kagero, were badly damaged and sent out calls for help that brought Michishio to the scene. Aircraft, alerted by a coastwatcher, intercepted the rescue operation, sinking the two destroyers and sending Michishio limping back to port, badly damaged.

On 30 June 1943, during the invasion of New Georgia, Gamble laid a string of mines off the beachhead, before returning to Tulagi. In July welcome orders sent her back to the United States for overhaul. She headed west again 20 September 1943. Her minelaying duties then brought her to Empress Augusta Bay 1–2 November 1943 to support landing operations; Bougainville Strait, 7–8 November; Purvis Bay, Florida Island, 23–24 November, thence to the New Hebrides Islands for escort duty among the Solomons until she returned to San Francisco 12 October 1944.

After overhaul and refresher training, Gamble departed San Diego 7 January 1945, en route via Hawaii and the Marshalls to Iwo Jima where she arrived 17 February, to lend fire support to the various sweeping units, and to explode floating mines. During her shelling a direct hit on an ammunition dump exploded the enemy magazine like a giant firecracker at the foot of Mt. Surabachi.

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Additional information

Weight 3 oz
Dimensions 10 × 5 × .25 in