Notice: Ads help support our website operation, if you would like to turn them OFF for this visit;

USS Gamble (DM-15)

The USS Gamble was built as a destroyer in WWI, but was converted to a minelayer in WW2.

Class & type    Wickes-class destroyer
Displacement    1,090 tons (1,108 t)
Length    314 ft 5 in (95.8 m)
Beam    31 ft 9 in (9.7 m)
Draft    8 ft 8 in (2.6 m)
Speed    35 knots (65 km/h)
Complement    113 officers and enlisted
Armament    
4 × 4 in (102 mm)/50 guns
2 × 3 in (76 mm)/23 guns
12 × 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes
1 × depth charge projector
2 × depth charge tracks

Shipname: USS Gamble (DM-15)
Hull Number Designation: DM-15
Ship Type:
Ship Class:
Commissioned:
Displacement:

The USS Gamble (DM-15) was at Pearl Harbor, 7 December 1941.

UNITED STATES FLEET

MINE DIVISION TWO

U.S.S. Gamble

Pearl Harbor, T.H.

December 13, 1941

1. The following is a chronological list of offensive measures taken and damage inflicted upon enemy during raid, December 7, 1941. Al times are approximate. The ship was nested with Mine Division TWO in berth D-3.

    

   0745	Heard explosions on Ford Island.
   0756	Wave of about 50 Japanese planes attacked battleships and Naval Air Station, Ford Island, planes flying at low altitudes about 500 feet over battleships from direction of Diamond Head, about 700 feet over Ford Island. Five successive waves of the attack of about 10 planes each.
   0758	Went to General Quarters, opened fire with .50 cal. machine guns on planes passing over nest at about 800 feet altitude. Set material condition afirm except for certain protected ammunition passages.
   0759	Opened fire with 3"/23 cal. AA guns, firing as planes came within range, fuses set 3 to 8 secs.
   0805	Mounted and commenced firing with .30 cal. machine guns on galley deck house.
   0810	Commenced making preparations to get underway. Lighted off four boilers.
   0925	One Japanese plane shot down by A.A. fire, falling in water on port beam about 1000 yards away from ship. Believed shot down by ROBERTS, W.L., BM2c, U.S.S. Gamble, port machine gunner (#2 machine gun) .50 cal., and JOOS, H.W., GM3c, U.S.S. Gamble (#1 machine gun) starboard.
   0930	Division commenced getting underway. U.S.S. Breese underway.
   0930	U.S.S. Gamble got underway and cleared mooring buoy.
   0937	Japanese planes attacked near main channel entrance.
   0955	Temporarily anchored, astern of U.S.S. Medusa.
   1005	Underway proceeding out of channel.
   1015	Shifted .30 cal. A.A. machine guns to top of pilot house on fire control platform.
   1021	Cleared channel entrance. Eight depth charges were armed and the ship commenced off-shore anti-submarine patrol off Pearl Harbor entrance.
   1204	Established sound contact with submarine and dropped three depth charges. Position bearing 162° T from Diamond Head Light, distant 2.5 miles.
   1255	Proceeded on course 270° T at 20 knots to join friendly forces upon receipt of orders from CinCPac.
   1412	Sighted sampan bearing 320° T.
   1435	Slowed to investigate but did not search. Sampan position approximately 4 miles south of Barbers point.
   1628	Sighted smoke bomb off port bow.
   1631	Submarine surfaced.
   1632	Fired one shot 4" gun and missed, short and to the left. Submarine displayed U.S. colors, and ceased firing. Submarine submerged and fired recognition red smoke bomb.
   1647	Proceeded west.
   1732	Sighted Enterprise and exchanged calls. Instructed by Commander Aircraft, Battle Force to join Enterprise.
   1744	Joined Enterprise and took station as third ship with two other plane guard destroyers.

2. Two planes are to be credited to ships of Mine Division TWO. Other A.A. fire may have struck the planes, but .50 cal. and 3"/23 fire from mine Division TWO finished them. There was no distinguished action by any individual, but all men showed courage, zeal and initiative. They did not hesitate in their action in face of strafing attack from planes. Their conduct under fire was commendable. This vessel sustained no losses. Only damage done was broken main radio transmitting antenna and one parted strand in fore stay to foremast. No losses or injuries were sustained.

[signed]
D.A. CRANDELI

Source: Enclosure (E) to CINCPAC action report Serial 0479 of 15 February 1942, World War II action reports,

Sources of this information on the USS Gamble (DM-15) comes from a variety of sources ranging from Jane's Fighting Ships to official US Naval (Department of the Navy) documents, navsource and US National Archives along with materials from sailors and donors to our collection. We wish to obtain material including but not limited to deck logs, cruise books, roster-muster rolls, photos, citations and technical operation and training materials. We are also looking for volunteers to help transribe roster muster rolls so that we can get this material into our searchable database.

You can make donations and contact us to assist or answer questions. Help us Save Military History One Sailor at a Time and the history of the USS Gamble (DM-15) DM-15.