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"USS Spence (DD-512), a Fletcher class destroyer, was laid down on 18 May 1942 by the Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine; launched on 27 October 1942; sponsored by Mrs. Eben Learned; and commissioned on 8 January 1943, Lieutenant Commander H. J. Armstrong in command. The ship was named for Robert T. Spence, superintendent of the construction of USS Ontario (1813), and captain of USS Cyane (1815)."
Spence received eight battle stars for World War II service. It was lost in Typhoon Cobra 380 nautical miles east of Manila, 18 December 1944, with 315 lives lost.
"On 17 December [1944], Spence prepared to refuel and pumped out all of the salt water ballast from her tanks; but rough seas caused the fueling operation to be cancelled. The next day, the weather worsened and the storm turned into a major typhoon. As the ships wallowed in canyon-like troughs of brine, Spence's electrical equipment got wet from great quantities of sea water taken on board. After a 72-degree roll to port, all of the lights went out and the pumps stopped. The rudder jammed; and, after a deep roll to port about 11:00, Spence capsized and sank. Only 24 of her complement survived. One of the 24 survivors was David Moore, an African American who floated at sea for two days and also was responsible for saving the lives of two other men. USS Hull and USS Monaghan were also sunk in the typhoon. Spence was struck from the Navy list on 19 January 1945.
- http://destroyerhistory.org/fletcherclass/ussspence/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Spence_(DD-512)
- https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/1976551/manila-american-cemeter...
- How these images changed a woman's family history, CNN, retrieved Aug. 16, 2020. Her uncle's decision to fight in World War II horrified his conservative Mennonite family, who rarely spoke of him even after his death. She discovers the truth about his service decades later.