Milwaukee Soldiers and Sailors in World War II

Milwaukee Sailors Adam Piotruszewicz and Roy Lepsey Aboard the U.S. Milwaukee

Milwaukee sailors Adam John Piotruszewicz(left) and Roy Lepsey (right) did their World War II Navy service aboard the U.S.S. Milwaukee, a ship almost as young as they were.

The third ship to bear the name Milwaukee, CL-5 was a light cruiser with a length of 555’6”, draft of 13’6” and a speed of 34 knots. An Omaha class cruiser, she had 10-21 torpedo tubes and was fitted with a powerful echo sounder. She was built at a cost of $7,500,000 and commissioned on June 20, 1923 at Tacoma, Washington with Captain William C. Asserson in command of a crew of 29 officers and 429 enlisted men. Captain Asserson reported to the Commandmant, 13th Naval District, at Seattle, Washington and then went to Tacoma for duty in connection with fitting out the U.S.S. Milwaukee at the Todd Drydock and Construction Corporation.

The captain had to deal with the problems of new construction as well as with the problems caused by a long delay in construction of the Milwaukee. One of these problems developed while she gathered barnacles alongside the pier in Tacoma. A coil of steel cable rusted into the steel weather deck in the vicinity of the anchor engine. No amount of paint could cover the ring shaped depression which was still visible when the ship was transferred to the Russians in 1944. The Milwaukee’s shakedown cruise took her to Hawaii, Australia, the Fiji Islands
and New Caledonia for the Pan Pacific Scientific Congress which opened in Sydney, Australia on August 23, 1923.

The Milwaukee was filled with the newest, most sophisticated sonic depth finding equipment and gathered knowledge of the Pacific Ocean as she served there in the two decades between the world wars. Despite her Pacific Ocean cruising, two highlights of the Milwaukee’s peacetime service occurred in the Caribbean. On October 24, 1926, the U.S.S. Milwaukee and the U.S S. Goff steamed into the Isle of Pines at Guantanamo Bay to help victims of a fierce hurricane which had ravaged the island four days before. The two American ships set up a medical center at the city hall in Neuva Gerone, donated over 50 tons of food to the devastated area, replaced downed telephone lines, and maintained wireless communications with the outside world. The efficient and tireless work of the crews made many loyal friends for the American Navy. On February 14, 1939 the U.S.S. Milwaukee steamed north of Hispaniola and Puerto Rico and set a world record. She recorded the greatest depth to be discovered in the Atlantic Ocean, 5041 fathoms or 30,246 feet and the spot has been called “The Milwaukee Depth” since then.

Japanese and German totalitarianism reached out to draw the Milwaukee in their talons. In December 1937, the Japanese bombed the U.S. gunboat Panay in the Yangtze River near Hankow, China. The Milwaukee was part of the U.S. Navy’s response to the challenge. She got underway from San Diego on January 3, 1938, on a cruise to the Far East, including Singapore, the Philippines, and Guam returning home April 27 as tensions abated. On December 7, 1941, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor.

When Japan struck, the Milwaukee was being overhauled in the New York Navy Yard. Under Captain Forest B. Royal, she departed New York on December 31, 19141, to escort a convoy to the Caribbean. She arrived at Balboa in January 1942, and transited the Panama Canal. She escorted eight troop transports to the Society Islands, returning to the Atlantic through the Panama Canal on March 7, 1942. Roy Lepsey was aboard the Milwaukee during 1941 and 1942, while she helped the U.S. Naval war effort get underway. After stopping at Trinidad, the Milwaukee proceeded to Recife, Brazil, where she joined the South Atlantic Patrol Force. It is at this point that the paths of Ada John Pietruscewicz, and the U.S.S. Milwaukee merged with each other for two years.

Adam joined the Navy late in 1941 and spent most of 1942 and 1943 cruising on the Milwaukee. During 1942 and 1943, the Milwaukee made many patrols from the ports of Brazil, traveling from the border of French Guiana, down to Rio de Janerio and across the Atlantic Narrows almost to the African coast.

On May 9, 1942, the Milwaukee received an SOS from the Brazilian Merchantman S.S. Commandant Lyra. It had been torpedoed by a German submarine off the coast of Brazil and the Milwaukee crew rescued 25 men including the ship’s captain. November 21, 1942, was another day of action for the Milwaukee. A task group of ships including the U.S.S. Milwaukee, the U.S.S. Cincinnati, and the U.S.S. Somers challenged the German motorship Anneliese Easberger, and scuttled and sank her. The Milwaukee picked up 62 prisoners and disembarked them at Recife, Brazil on November 24, 1942.

The year 1943 saw Adam Pietruszewicz disembarking too. He was transferred to the naval warehouse at Recife, where he served as the GSK store keeper in charge. Later in the year, he went back to the Milwaukee and cruised with her from 1943-1944. June 1943, was a memorable month for the Milwaukee. In the early part of the month while operating in the South Atlantic at about 24 degrees south latitude and 20 degrees west longitude, the Milwaukee was rammed by the Omaha. Milwaukee sailors remember it well. James Lyman said the collision happened at least 500 miles out of Recife. Snowy Hemphill said, “The Omaha was passing to take station ahead of us. Her Waterbury steering gear went out and her rudder jammed.” Captain Berthelotte’s story went this way: “The Omaha’s bow struck our portside about the area of the F &T Division sleeping area forward of the Logroom. Then her starboard anchor caught in an airport in the machine shop and tore out a section of the side.”

The remainder of the month of June 1943, was taken up with ordinary shipboard life, as recorded in the Milwaukee’s log. On June 3, E.G. Phillips, AOM, was admitted to the sick bay for a contusion of the right foot. Phillips was hurt while lowering an aviation depth charge down the ladder of No. 3 hatch. The bomb slipped off the hatch and struck his right foot. Between June 15-18, the ship was apparently underway and arrived at Trinidad on July 19, 1943. On June 24, the Milwaukee arrived in some port of the U.S., because several of the passengers were transferred.

The U.S.S. Milwaukee continued its South Atlantic Patrol and departed New York with Convoy UT-9 on February 27, 1944, enroute to Belfast, Ireland. In March, the Milwaukee joined Convoy JW-58, composed of 49 ships enroute to Murmansk, Russia. The Milwaukee was on the way to be turned over to the Soviet Northern fleet. She saw some exciting action before she reached Russia. One day German planes shadowed the convoy and were shot down by fighter planes launched by HMS activity. A wolfpack tried to penetrate the convoy screen during the night of March 31, 1944, but was driven off. The following night seven U-boats shadowed the convoy, but were driven off and that morning carrier-based planes reported sinking a U-boat about ten miles astern.

On April 4, 1944, four escorts of the Russian Navy joined the Convoy, now headed for Archangel, and a few hours later, the U.S.S. Milwaukee left the convoy and headed for Kola Inlet. There on April 20, 1944, the ship was transferred on loan to the Soviet Union. An excerpt from the ship’s log of that day tells the story: “11:04 – In accordance with instructions emanating from the President of the United States of America, the American Ambassador, Moscow U.S.S.R., Mr. W.A. Harriman, and the Commander Twelfth Fleet, the U.S.S. Milwaukee was officially delivered to and accepted by the Navy of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics at Vaengea Bay, U.S.S.R.

At this time the American Ensign was lowered and the flag of the U.S.S.R. was raised. The transfer was affected by Captain C.F. Fielding, U.S.N., representing the United States of America and Commodore Zubkov, U.S.S.R. Navy, representing the Navy of the U.S.S.R. Upon the lowering of the Ensign of the United States of America, the American watch was ordered secured by the commanding officer and the Russian watch was ordered secured by the Russian commanding officer. Upon assumption of command by Commander Zubkov, U.S.S.R. Navy, the name of the Milwaukee was changed to Murmansk.

The transfer of the Milwaukee was effected by the signing of a bilateral deed by Captain C.F. Fielding, authorized representative of the United States of America, and Commander Zubkov, authorized representative of the U.S.S.R. The American crew, consisting of 32 officers and 372 enlisted men remained on board as guests of the Soviet Navy, awaiting the arrival of British escorts. Then the entire personnel, with the exception of six officers and 32 enlisted men remained in the Murmansk for the purpose of instructing Russian Naval personnel, returned in escorts of convoy RA-59 with orders to report to the Commander of Twelfth Fleet.

After five years of service under the Russian flag, the Murmansk was transferred back to the Americans at Lewes, Delaware, in March 1949. Captain Joseph U. Lademan Jr., a native of Milwaukee, boarded the cruisers and was greeted by six side boys and Russian Commander V. Kotov. Three Russian flags were lowered from the cruiser, a Russian bugler sounded attention, and 150 Soviet and 25 American sailors stood at attention on the main deck as the Soviet National Anthem sounded. The highlight of the ceremony occurred when Captain Lademan returned the receipt the Russians had given the U.S. government in 1944 for the Milwaukee to Admiral E.G. Glenkov, Soviet Naval Attaché in Washington. The 150 Russian seamen were taken in Navy tugs to the freighter Molotov, lying one-quarter mile away in the Delaware Bay.

As soon as the transfer was completed, the Molotov left the bay and sailed out into the Atlantic. The American sailors from Fort Miles, Delaware, began boarding the Milwaukee. Seaman Ray Cash said, “I got to see the Milwaukee after she was returned by the Russians and she was not a very pretty sight.” On October 27, 1949, on Navy Day, the Milwaukee’s name was struck from the Navy list.

On December 20, 1949, she was sold to the American Shipbreakers Inc., Wilmington, Delaware for $148,000 or 1/50th of her initial cost of $7,500,000. Her helm rests in the conference room at the Milwaukee Port Authority. The U.S.S. Milwaukee, CL5, had a long, interesting life. She was in the thick of World War II, yet was never touched by enemy bombs or shells. The only known torpedoes fired at her failed to explode. She was rammed four times and nearly blown-up by another ship alongside the dock. She steamed from 74 degrees north latitude to 40 degrees south and visited every continent except Antarctica. She transited the Panama Canal 21 times, and the equator at least 44 times. She remains a living memory to the men who served aboard her, including Adam Piotruszewicz and Roy Lepsey.

This poem expresses the way most of the sailor aboard the Milwaukee felt about her:

“The Mighty Milly still sails on in seas of pleasant memories and we shall not forget her in the days that yet remain. We feel her noble presence still guides us on our course.”