Spangenberg (DE-223), a destroyer escort, was laid down on 5 April 1943 by the Philadelphia Navy Yard; launched on 3 July 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Gussie Spangenberg; and commissioned on 15 April 1944, Lt. Thomas H. P. Whitney in command.

After completing trials around Philadelphia and Norfolk and shakedown in the vicinity of Bermuda, Spangenberg returned to Norfolk on 1 June. She served temporarily as a school ship for student officers and as escort to coastwise merchant traffic before beginning duty with transatlantic convoys. On 13 July, the destroyer escort joined Escort Division 66 (CortDiv 66) and put to sea the next day form Hampton Roads, Va., in the screen of a convoy bound for the Mediterranean Sea. The convoy, UGS 48, made a fairly quiet passage until the day before it reached Bizerte, Tunisia. At 0100 on 1 August, a flight of about 20 German bombers attacked the formation. Spangenberg was able to lay a good smoke screen which helped to prevent the German attack form damaging the American ships. This was Spangenberg's only brush with the Luftwaffe. The convoy made Bizerte on 2 August, and Spangenberg stayed for 11 days before sailing for the United States on the 13th. She reached Boston on the 28th.

From 9 to 17 September, CortDiv 66 conducted training exercises at Casco Bay, Maine. Spangenberg returned to Hampton Roads on 20 September and, two days later, sailed in the screen of convoy UGS 55, headed for North Africa. She was at Bizerte from 12 to 18 October; then she screened the convoy back to the United States and arrived in Boston on 6 November. Spangenberg and the other ships of CortDiv 66 conducted more exercises at Casco Bay and, at the end of November, moved to Argentia, Newfoundland, to act as killer group for Task Unit 27.1.2. She conducted antisubmarine searches around Argentia and Halifax until February of 1945 and, on one occasion, made a depth charge attack on a second contact but scored no kill. The destroyer escort spent the month of February operating with friendly submarines in Block Island Sound, Long Island Sound, and in the area south of Block Island.

Spangenberg began an availability period at Boston on 3 March. After a short cruise to Casco Bay on 20 and 21 March, she got underway for Horta in the Azores, en route to England. She arrived in Liverpool on 3 April. From that port, she moved to Londonderry in Northern Ireland. There CortDiv 66, under British control, operated as an antisubmarine escort group out of Londonderry and out of Milford Haven, England. Spangenberg returned to the United States at New York on 1 June 1945 and was converted to a radar picket destroyer escort.

At the completion of her conversion and post-conversion trials, Spangenberg sailed from New York for Port Arthur, Tex., to participate in the Navy Day celebration. On 3 November, she headed toward Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for three weeks of refresher training. The destroyer escort departed Cuban waters on the 26th and returned to Norfolk, Va. For the next 18 months, Spangenberg sailed up and down the eastern coast of the United States engaged in training exercises. During that period, she left that area only once, in May and June of 1947, to carry scientists of the Naval Research Laboratory south of the equator to observe an eclipse of the sun. She returned the scientists to Washington on 9 June, stopped at Norfolk for a month, and then reported to Charleston, S.C., on 18 July 1947 for inactivation. Spangenberg remained berthed at Charleston as a unit of the Atlantic Reserve Fleet for almost 18 years. In March of 1949, she was redesignated a radar picket destroyer escort, DER-223, but on 1 December 1954, reverted back to a destroyer escort, DE-223. Spangenberg's name was struck from the Navy list on 1 November 1965 and, on 4 October 1966, her hulk was sold to the North American Smelting Co. of Wilmington, Del., for scrapping.

 

The following information was provided by crew members of the DE 223.

Excerpts from Quartermaster Al Amato's personal notebook:

March 7, 1944	Basic Crew formed at Norfolk, VA. Training program began at Unit D in N.O.B. Norfolk.
April 15, 1944	USS Spangenberg, DE 223 commissioned at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. Captain: Lt. Cmdr. T. H. P. Whitney; Exec: Lt. Larry Griffin
May 5, 1944	DE 223 left Norfolk on its shakedown cruise and a visit to Bermuda
June 4, 1944	Returned to Philadelphia Navy Yard for minor repairs in dry dock. Entire crew given Port and Starboard 5 day leave
July 17, 1944	Arrived in Bizerte, Tunisia on first trip across Atlantic. It was a fairly easy crossing.
August 27, 1944	Arrived at Boston Navy Yard (our official home port). First mission completed with the greatest success. All hands intact. 5 day leave started for crew.
October 7, 1944	Pulled into Palermo, Sicily. The second time across was a little rougher ride.
November 7, 1944	Back in Boston (no leave this time). A short stay and then back to Casco Bay, ME, for a short stay. This is the main anchorage for U.S. Destroyers and Destroyer Escorts for the North Atlantic.
November 29, 1944	Newfoundland - at the Navy Base in Argentia. The weather appears too rough to depart. DE 223 ordered away from dock due to heavy winds. We ride it out at anchor.
December 25, 1944	Christmas at Casco Bay, ME
January 1, 1945	New Years Day in Portland, ME
January 13, 1945	Back in Newfoundland. Heavy submarine activity in this area.
January 23, 1945	Arrived in Halifax after clearing German subs from Torpedo Alley (entry channel to Halifax) with Div. 66: DE 213 USS Powell, DE 578 USS Paine, DE 577 USS Luke, DE 223 USS Spangenberg
February 4, 1945	Arrived at New London, CT. Engaged in maneuvers with US subs. We learned some new anti-submarine tactics.
February 27, 1945	Still at New London. Crew starts Port and Starboard 9 day leaves.
March 8, 1945	Boston - leaves continue.
March 28, 1945	Div. 66 enroute to England. We stopped at Horts, Fayal Island, Azores for fuel and supplies.
April 3, 1945	Arrived at Liverpool, England. We did such a good job at Halifax, the British requested out division for anti-submarine assistance in the Irish and North Seas.
April 6, 1945	Arrived in Londondery, Ireland for a brief visit and then - out on patrol. What an easy duty. Almost as many days in port as at sea.
April 16, 1945	Milford Haven, Wales, for a short rest; then out again.
April 26, 1945	Returned to Londondery, Ireland (our new home port) for a rest period. Most of us had a 3 day leave at Camp Cromore and visited Port Rush and viewed the "Giants Causeway."
May 6, 1945	Arrived at Loch Alsh, Scotland - The Casco Bay of Scotland. V. E. Day.
June 2, 1945	Arrived in New York City. Waiting shipyard time for conversion to APD.
June 7, 1945	30 day leaves started using Port and Starboard method.
June 29, 1945	Ship sailed to Leonardo Pier at Earl, NJ. Ammunition unloaded.
June 30, 1945	DE 223 enters "Marine Basin" in Gravesend Bay, Brooklyn, NY, for conversion to "Turbo-Electric Radar Picket Duty." Most of crew quartered in barracks at Brooklyn Navy Yard. Skeleton crew on board DE 223 around the clock. Approx. 5 men on 24 hr. duty.
August 14, 1945	V. J. Day
October 15, 1945	Left Marine Basin. Ship is now APD 223.
October 17, 1945	Left New York City enroute to Port Arthur, TX, for Navy Day display.
October 25, 1945	Arrived at Sabine Canal. Proceeded to Port Arthur, TX. Tied up at Engineers Pier for 10 days. Visitors came from miles around to visit and inspect the Spangenberg.
November 2, 1945	Lt. Cmdr. William J. Daly relieves Lt. Cmdr. T. H. P. Whitney as Skipper of the USS Spangenberg
November 3, 1945	Departed from Port Arthur, TX, enroute to Guantanamo, Cuba, for a second "Shake-down" cruise.
December 2, 1945	Left Guantanamo Bay
December 5, 1945	Norfolk, VA. Now a part of Task Force 66. At sea Monday to Friday for exercises and drills for an APD.
December 15, 1945	Boston once again. Also Port and Starboard leaves. Some crew members spent Christmas at home.
January 7, 1946	Underway from Boston; to return, once again to N. O. B. Norfolk. We picked up where we left off with Task Force 66. Monday to Friday at sea with many drills. Officers' wives at Old Point Comfort Hotel.
February 9, 1946	A rest with 9 days in port. Most crew members receive a 4 day leave.
March 3, 1946	Left Norfolk, VA, enroute to Casco Bay, ME. Released from Task Force 66 and now an active member of DE Div. 2 (T. G. 22.1)
March 15, 1946	Eight crew members leave the USS Spangenberg for discharge from the Navy. (Al Amato left the USS Spangenberg on March 15 and his notebook ends on that date)