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Contact Info
Home Town Montclair, New Jersey
Last Address Bluefield, Virginia Buried at Maple Hill Cemetery, Bluefield, Virginia.
Date of Passing Mar 05, 1964
Wall/Plot Coordinates Unknown
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Yacht Alva was built by the Germans in 1931 and twelve years later she was sunk by the Germans. The USS Plymouth PG-57 began life as the yacht Alva, built at Friedrich Krupp Germaniawerft, Kiel, Germany for William K. Vanderbilt II. He used the ship on expeditions to the South Pacific, Mediterranean and South America from 1931 to 1935. On Nov. 4, 1941 he gave the ship to the U.S. Navy, they converted her into a patrol gunboat and used her for convoy escort duty along the U.S. east coast and to Cuba.
On her last voyage she left New York to escort a convoy to Key West when on Aug. 5, 1943 the U-566 slammed a torpedo into her. The ship took on a heavy list and sank in two minuets. Her commander, Lt. Ormsby M. Mitchel Jr., USNR was terribly wounded when he was thrown into a bulkhead after the explosion, but continued to oversee the abandonment of the ship. He survived, but lost a leg from his injuries. For his devotion to duty he was awarded the Navy Cross. Because of the swiftness of the sinking ninty-one crewmen were killed, four died of wounds the following day. Only eighty-five survivors were picked up and landed at Norfolk.
World War II/American Theater/Sinking of USS Plymouth (PG-57)
From Month/Year
August / 1943
To Month/Year
August / 1943
Description Sinking, 5 August 1943
On her last voyage, Plymouth departed New York City on 4 August 1943 as part of the escort for a convoy bound for Key West. At 21.37 hours the following evening she made underwater sound contact about 90 miles east of Elizabeth City, North Carolina. As she swung left, to bear on the target, a violent underwater explosion occurred just abaft the bridge. The force of the explosion rolled Plymouth to starboard. She then took on a heavy list to port with her entire port side forward of amidships in flames. She sank within two minutes.
Lieutenant Ormsby M. Mitchel, Jr., USNR, in command of Plymouth, was thrown violently against a bulkhead and sustained serious injuries, which later required amputation of his left leg. Despite his own condition, he directed abandon ship operations, remaining at his post until the ship went down. Rescued from a raft by Calypso, Lieutenant Mitchel was awarded the Navy Cross for extraordinary heroism. Soundman 3/Class Franklin A. McGinty was also awarded the Navy Cross and Purple Heart posthumously. Ensign Rubin Keltch, of New York City, was also awarded the Navy Cross posthumously for his service aboard the Plymouth. Ensign Keltch unhesitatingly risked his life to assist several survivors to safety. After making sure they were safe he went back in to the engine room to save several men, but although the men came out he never did.
Rescue operations were hampered by heavy seas and sharks. Only 85 of the crew survived to be taken to Norfolk on 6 August. A Board of Investigation concluded that Plymouth had been sunk by a torpedo fired from an enemy submarine. The submarine was U-566.
