page_title: USS Roche
section_title: Pacific Fleet, 1945
hierarchical_section_title: USS Roche / History / Pacific Fleet, 1945
caption_attribution_description: English: The U.S. Navy destroyer escort USS Roche (DE-197) hit a mine on 29 September 1945 while escorting the troop transport USS Florence Nightingale (AP-70) to Tokyo, Japan. The explosion twisted her stern and rudder, three crewmen died. Roche was towed by the tug ATR-35 to Tokyo Bay. On 18 October, a board of inspection and survey decided that Roche was beyond economical repair and recommended that she be cannibalized. Subsequently decommissioned, Roche's hulk was sunk off Yokosuka on 11 March 1946. The photo was taken from the destroyer USS Parker (DD-604).
context_page_description: USS Roche was a Cannon-class destroyer escort in service United States Navy from 1944 to 1945. She hit a mine in late September 1945. As it was uneconomical to repair her, she was scuttled in March 1946.
context_section_description: In May 1945, Roche was ordered to the Pacific Fleet and on 9 June she was underway for Guantanamo Bay for refresher training. She transited the Panama Canal on 1 July; and, after taking on supplies and passengers at San Diego, proceeded to Pearl Harbor where she conducted further training exercises. On 8 August she steamed for Eniwetok, receiving en route, word of the Japanese surrender. Arriving Eniwetok on 16 August, she departed 18 August for Ulithi. She then steamed back to Eniwetok and escorted LCI-520 and LCI-761, carrying occupation troops, to Wake Island. Returning to Eniwetok, she operated on anti-submarine patrol as a precaution against any Japanese submarines which had not heard of the surrender.
  On 22 September Roche got underway for Tokyo Bay as escort for the Florence Nightingale (AP-70). Just a few minutes after morning quarters on 29 September, a loud explosion shook the ship from stem to stern and was immediately followed by another. Battle stations were manned before it was learned that the ship had struck a floating mine. The fantail was a mass of twisted steel; but, due to the quick action of repair parties, all watertight hatches in the vicinity were dogged down to keep the ship afloat and a port list was created artificially to aid in maintaining watertight integrity. There were three deaths in the explosion and many injuries. Ten men were transferred to Florence Nightingale. Roche was taken in tow by ATR-35, and 15 days after the surrender papers had been signed on board the USS Missouri, Roche entered Tokyo Bay and moored to repair ship Telamon (ARB-8).
  On 18 October a board of inspection and survey decided that Roche was beyond economical repair and recommended that she be cannibalized. Subsequently decommissioned, Roche's hulk was sunk off Yokosuka on 11 March 1946. She was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 5 June 1946.
caption: Roche after hitting a mine, 29 September 1945.
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