Allied Warships

USS Spence (DD 512)

Destroyer of the Fletcher class

Navy	The US Navy
Type	Destroyer
Class	Fletcher
Pennant	DD 512
Built by	Bath Iron Works (Bath, Maine, U.S.A.)
Ordered	9 Sep 1940
Laid down	18 May 1942
Launched	27 Oct 1942
Commissioned	8 Jan 1943
Lost	18 Dec 1944
Loss position	14° 57'N, 127° 58'E

History	Foundered in a typhoon east of Samar in position 14º57'N, 127º58'E, 315 of the crew were lost including the Commanding Officer, Lt.Cdr. James Paul Andrea, USN. There were only 24 survivors, which were rescued by the USS Gatling, USS Swearer and USS Tabberer.

Commands listed for USS Spence (DD 512)

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	Commander	From	To
1	Lt.Cdr. Henry Jacques Armstrong, Jr., USN	8 Jan 1943	8 Jul 1944
2	T/Lt.Cdr. James Paul Andrea, USN	8 Jul 1944	18 Dec 1944 (+)

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Notable events involving Spence include:

7 Jun 1943
HMS Queen Elizabeth (Cdr. R.C. Haskett-Smith, DSO, RN) conducted trials off Hampton Roads. She is escorted by the destroyers Spence (T/Cdr. H.J. Armstrong, Jr., USN) and Dashiell (T/Cdr. J.B. McLean, USN). (1)