USS Joyce ( DE - 317 ) USS " Joyce " ( DE - 317 ) was an built for the U . S . Navy during World War II . She served in the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and provided destroyer escort protection against submarine and air attack for Navy vessels and convoys . She was named in honor of Ensign Philip Michael Joyce who was killed in action on 19 February 1942 during the bombing of Darwin , Australia . She was laid down 8 March 1943 by the Consolidated Steel Corp . , Orange , Texas ; launched 26 May 1943 ; sponsored by Mrs . Harold T . Joyce , mother of Ensign Joyce ; and commissioned 30 September 1943 , Lt . Comdr . R . Wilcox , USCG , in command . World War II North Atlantic operations . After shakedown off Bermuda , " Joyce " joined Escort Division 22 for transatlantic convoy escort duty . Sailing from Norfolk , Virginia , 4 December 1943 , she helped escort a 100 - ship convoy to North Africa . She returned to New York from Casablanca 31 January 1944 , then departed 1 March as part of the escort for a fast convoy bound for Derry , Northern Ireland . While steaming 400 miles south of Iceland on the night of 9 March " Joyce " braved two attacks from a German U - boat to rescue 28 survivors from the stricken , which was torpedo ed while investigating a radar contact . " Joyce " steamed at top speed for Derry and arriving 11 March , transferred Leopold ' s wounded . A week later she departed for New York in company with a westbound convoy , which reached the East Coast 28 March . Sinking of German Submarine U - 550 . " Joyce " departed New York 15 April for her second escort run to Northern Ireland . While screening for a straggler the following morning she was ordered to direct rescue operations for the gasoline tanker , which was torpedoed and set aflame while taking station in the convoy . After picking up 31 survivors , including the tanker ' s captain , " Joyce " detected a submarine by sonar at 0950 and pressed home an attack . She dropped a deadly pattern of 13 depth charges which forced U - 550 to the surface , bow first , some 2 , 000 yards to her stern . A screening escort , , opened fire and rammed the after section of the U - boat . " Joyce " , Gandy , and shelled the submarine , silenced her deck guns and forced the hapless U - 550 to surrender . " Joyce " ordered the Germans to abandon ship , but before a boarding party could seize the captured prize , the Germans scuttled her . Only 40 minutes after " Joyce " had detected her , she plunged stern first beneath the waves . " Joyce " rescued and took prisoner 13 survivors , including the U - boat ' s skipper , escorted the convoy safely to Derry 26 April , and returned in convoy to the United States where she arrived New York 12 May . During the next year " Joyce " conducted eight more escort voyages for convoys bound from New York to Great Britain ; she returned to New York from her last convoy run 13 May 1945 . Transferred to the Pacific Fleet . " Joyce " departed New York 4 June and steamed for ASW and gunnery training with units of Escort Division 22 in the Caribbean . Sailing from Guantánamo Bay 20 June , she transited the Panama Canal the 23d and steamed via San Diego , California , for Pearl Harbor where she arrived 11 July for duty with the Pacific Fleet . She conducted ASW exercises in the Hawaiian operating area until 28 August when she sailed for Saipan Island and Sasebo , Japan , as escort for a convoy of amphibious landing ships . End - of - War activity . Upon her arrival at Sasebo 22 September , she escorted a convoy of LST s to the Philippine Islands 3 days later , arriving Leyte Gulf 2 October . She remained in the Philippines on escort duty throughout October and sailed from Guiuan , Samar , 4 November with 29 returning veterans for Pearl Harbor . Arriving the 15th , she continued to San Diego 17 November ; upon her arrival the 23d she debarked her passengers and received orders to report for duty with the Atlantic Fleet . Sailing from San Diego the 25th , she passed through the Panama Canal 3 December and put into New York harbor on the 10th . " Joyce " remained at New York for an inactivation overhaul until 21 January 1946 when she departed for a 3 - day voyage to Green Cove Springs , Florida . She remained there and decommissioned 1 May to become a unit of the Florida Group , Atlantic Inactive Reserve Fleet . Converted to Radar Picket Ship . With the outbreak in June 1950 of Communist aggression in South Korea " Joyce " was recalled to active duty ; taken to Mare Island Naval Shipyard , Vallejo , California , where she converted to a radar picket escort ( DER - 317 ) ; and recommissioned 28 February 1951 , Lt . Comdr . J . P . McGrady , in command . Following shakedown along the California coast , she departed 12 May for duty with the Atlantic Fleet ; arriving Newport , Rhode Island , 21 June , she joined Escort Squadron 10 and commenced picket duty . She participated in air defense exercises along the New England coast and during the next 8 months made three barrier picket patrols along the Atlantic coast from Newfoundland to Puerto Rico . She steamed from Newport 19 February 1952 in company with Escort Squadron 10 bound for practice barrier patrols in the Caribbean . Cruising the Caribbean from Panama to Trinidad , she returned to Newport 20 March and joined Escort Squadron 16 . After conducting ASW tactics with in the Virginia Capes Operating Area , she departed Newport 30 June , joined the Eastern Air Defense Force , and commenced radar barrier station patrols to protect North America from surprise attack . Interrupted only by overhauls and refresher training , these picket patrols continued for 5 years ; " Joyce " ranged the Atlantic from Nova Scotia and Newfoundland to the Virginia Capes and the West Indies . Departing Newport 17 July 1957 , " Joyce " sailed with her squadron for duty in the Pacific and , via the Dominican Republic , Panama , and San Diego , arrived Pearl Harbor 18 August . Following 6 weeks of training , she commenced radar picket and ASW patrols from Pearl Harbor to Midway Atoll and the Marshall Islands . She departed Pearl 13 May 1958 and sailed for Eniwetok Atoll where she conducted search and rescue operations at the Eniwetok Proving Grounds Area . Returning to Pearl Harbor 17 June , she resumed her picket patrols until 16 March 1960 when she set sail for the West Coast . Final decommissioning . Arriving Long Beach , California , 22 March , she entered the Long Beach Naval Shipyard for inactivation overhaul . " Joyce " decommissioned 17 June 1960 and was assigned to the Long Beach Group , U . S . Pacific Fleet Reserve . " Joyce " later transferred to the San Diego , California , Group , where she remained until she was sold for scrapping 11 September 1973 . Awards . " Joyce " received one battle star for World War II service .