Fall 2024 Militaria & Collectibles Auction
Lot 156:
Description
Well used original WWII era Size 22 x 34 inch wool 48 star Union jack (moth holes throughout) well marked to the US Coast Guard Cutter Argo WPC-100 which was in service from 1933 – 1948. Early in 1942 Argo was attached to the Atlantic Fleet as a convoy escort. While on escort duty on 22 June 1942, Argo made a depth charge attack in which the charges failed to explode. On the 27th of the same month, she made another contact at 10:45 but ended the search fifteen minutes later. Two minutes later a ship in the convoy was torpedoed and at 01:49 Argo found a contact at 1,500 yards (1,400 m) with the target moving slowly to the right. The cutter closed to 650 yards (590 m) but lost contact at 150 yards (140 m) and released a five-charge pattern and sighted a large oil bubble upon completion of the attack. Investigating the location where the charges were released, her crew observed a large area of bubbles and an oil slick leading to the horizon, presumably in the vicinity but beyond where the attack was made. At 02:10 she released a pattern of three charges and oil was still coming to the surface. She then released one charge at a depth of over 300 feet (91 m) (rather than the other set for 200 ft, 61 m). Presuming the submarine was destroyed, she changed course to rejoin the convoy. While Argo was in convoy on 6 January 1944, the merchant tanker Camas Meadows and the Navy gunboat USS St. Augustine collided. St. Augustine sank quickly and Argo rescued 23 survivors and picked up six bodies. Crewmembers from Argo and her sister ship Thetis were recognized for their actions following the collision. On 11 May 1945, three days after the surrender of Germany, while patrolling off the east coast, Argo participated in the surrender of three German submarines: U-805, U-234 and U-873. The cutter took aboard a number of prisoners and escorted the German submarines to Portsmouth Navy Yard in Portsmouth, New Hampshire without incident.
Condition: See description for notes on condition. Please note that all items are sold as is without returns, so please ask questions in advance of bidding.
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