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Photos, Otto Weber
1944
Text by Ed Weber, his son June 2011
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---------------------------- Original Message ----------------------------
Subject: USS Vance - Otto Weber, SC1 From: "chief" Date: Wed, June 22, 2011 8:57 am To: History@ussvance.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------- WOW George Mr. Bettors, My name is Ed Weber and you and I communicated a couple years ago in regard to the above referenced. My daughter Mary recently sent you an e-mail that you promptly responded to - thank you for the quick response to her. Otto is my father and her grandfather. She has an interest in her grandfathers service in the USCG as well as some specifics about his time aboard the Vance, thus the reason for her contacting the Association. Since she started this it has also piqued my sons interest (former Marine vet - what can I say) and both have been asking me a lot of questions - but I know very little as most who went through WWII don't or didn't say much - even when asked. My father was not much different although at times there were things in my growing up that would cause him to make a comment in relation to a similar experience. As an example we were in Cape Hatteras years ago fishing when we were caught up in the fringes of a hurricane that came up the coast and he made comments that it was almost as bad as the nor'easter in the north Atlantic aboard the Vance that he went through - there are a couple of black and white photos that appear to be taken from the bridge that he had that show the extremely rough seas - we are still looking for them but I can clearly remember them. The reason for this mail is to end you some pictures of some items that I have and to advise you of what I know to be amongst the various family members, as follows; Somewhere we have a framed photo of the Vance, it appears to be an "official photo" showing the ship at anchor, camouflage paint scheme, I seem to remember 1 mast, near the top of the mast the (early) radar was "blacked out". The picture is horizontal, maybe 9 x 12 or 9 x 14, bow to the left -port side shot. I think that the photo was "stamped" with a date, I only seem to remember 1944. Still looking for this - somebody in the family has it tucked away. There are a couple black and white photos that I noted above. One shows the Vance in an extremely violent storm (the one he associated with the hurricane?? - maybe, probably never really know) that appears to show the Vance rolled about 25 - 30 degrees to starboard (yup, I know what that is). He mentioned once or twice the ship rolling to the point that he thought it would not recover. I also seem to remember that there was icing of her bow and other upper works. There was a picture of him and another crew member in the galley with a roast pig - complete with an apple. He said that he had made this for Christmas (either '44 or '45) along with ham and turkey. I believe that the other crew member with him in the photo resided in St. Petersburg, Fl. We did visit this gentlemen a couple of times (they fished in the gulf - of course!). I'm sorry but I cannot recall his name. My father often remarked at how much food was tossed overboard and what a waste it was ... the crew would not eat the roasted pig - it went overboard. The crew did do justice to the ham and turkey. I have his white canvas sea bag with his name, service number and ship's name and designation on it. Photo attached. I have two shells from the ship - one is 8 inches long with a 2 inch base, primer in the base with the "dent" from the firing pin of whatever gun fired it. The base of the brass shell has "American Armament Corp. SA GUN New York USA" stamped around in the base. Photo attached. The other shell my father called his "red tracer round". This shell is 18 inches long with a 2 5/8 inch base. There is a lead nose section, a red painted collar section between the nose and the brass shell. There is a rod from inside all of this from the base of the nose to the base of the shell - you can unscrew the various 3 pieces apart. The base is just full of a bunch of info, bear with me and I will try to explain (I'm an old Air Force vet - what can I say!) Around the base is the following: a small stamp of an anchor with the letters U and S on either side of the anchor shaft (faces toward center of base). A stamp of a diamond shape with the letter B in it (faces toward center of base). Lot No, 466 across the base, not around it. LM 1943 around the base following the diamond w/B (faces toward center of base), and M329453 stamped around the base (faces toward the outside). To make matters worse there is stuff stamped over(?) this info. I have the following: DUMMY CARTRIDGE 46-3 (faces toward outside), there is MKM stamped over or under the 46-3, can't tell which way (faces toward outside), There is a large stamped P over the M in M329253, this P is parallel with the words Lot No. There is an M stamped over the 2 in M329453, this faces toward the center. OK, that's it, a little busy with little room. Also the shell has 3 drilled holes in the casing where the powder was removed, my father said that this was originally a live tracer round, but that one of their armament guys converted this in the ships shop (as well as others) to use for practice, show and tell. Anyone you know that can advise as to what gun(s) these went to, what they were called etc. ??? We would appreciate it. Thats all for now - more than enough. We will work on locating pictures, getting copies and getting them to the Association. Thank you! Edward Weber |
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