USS Thorn (DD-647)

<h2>Atlantic service, May 1943 – January 1944</h2>
<p data-rte-fromparser="true" data-rte-empty-lines-before="1">Following shakedown and trials out of Casco Bay, Maine, <i>Thorn</i> joined Destroyer Squadron<span data-rte-entity="nbsp">&nbsp;</span>19 (DesRon 19). Between 28 May 1943 and 2 January 1944, the destroyer conducted four round-trip convoy escort mission signs on the New York–Norfolk–Casablanca route — the first trip as part of Task Force 69 (TF69) and the other three as part of TF64. On her last convoy run, she escorted two <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22oiler%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22oiler%20%28ship%29%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Afalse%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5Boiler%20%28ship%29%7Coiler%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="104-5960236055df768d699245" href="/wiki/Oiler_(ship)" title="Oiler (ship)" class="mw-redirect">oilers</a> to <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22Ponta%20Delgada%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22Ponta%20Delgada%2C%20S%5Cu00e3o%20Miguel%20Island%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Afalse%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BPonta%20Delgada%2C%20S%5Cu00e3o%20Miguel%20Island%7CPonta%20Delgada%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="104-5960236055df768d699245" class="new" title="Ponta Delgada, São Miguel Island (page does not exist)" rel="nofollow" data-uncrawlable-url="L3dpa2kvUG9udGFfRGVsZ2FkYSxfUyVDMyVBM29fTWlndWVsX0lzbGFuZD9hY3Rpb249ZWRpdCZyZWRsaW5rPTE=">Ponta Delgada</a>, in the Azores, in company with <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22%3Ci%3EStockton%3C%5C%2Fi%3E%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22USS%20Stockton%20%28DD-646%29%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Afalse%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BUSS%20Stockton%20%28DD-646%29%7C%27%27Stockton%27%27%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="104-5960236055df768d699245" href="/wiki/USS_Stockton_(DD-646)" title="USS Stockton (DD-646)"><i>Stockton</i></a> (DD-646) — the first ships to enter the port under the terms of the new agreement between the Allies and the government of Portugal.
</p><p data-rte-fromparser="true" data-rte-empty-lines-before="1">On 3 January 1944, the day after <i>Thorn</i> arrived back in New York harbor, <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22%3Ci%3ETurner%3C%5C%2Fi%3E%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22USS%20Turner%20%28DD-648%29%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Afalse%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BUSS%20Turner%20%28DD-648%29%7C%27%27Turner%27%27%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="104-5960236055df768d699245" href="/wiki/USS_Turner_(DD-648)" title="USS Turner (DD-648)"><i>Turner</i></a> (DD-648) blew up and sank in <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22Ambrose%20Channel%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22Ambrose%20Channel%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BAmbrose%20Channel%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="104-5960236055df768d699245" class="new" title="Ambrose Channel (page does not exist)" rel="nofollow" data-uncrawlable-url="L3dpa2kvQW1icm9zZV9DaGFubmVsP2FjdGlvbj1lZGl0JnJlZGxpbms9MQ==">Ambrose Channel</a>, 5,000<span data-rte-entity="nbsp">&nbsp;</span>yards astern of <i>Thorn</i>. Calling away the ship's motor whaleboat, <i>Thorn</i> sent: a rescue party to try to recover survivors. Lt. James P. Drake, USNR, and Boatswain's Mate, First Class, E. Wells were awarded <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22Navy%20and%20Marine%20Corps%20Medal%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22Navy%20and%20Marine%20Corps%20Medal%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BNavy%20and%20Marine%20Corps%20Medal%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="104-5960236055df768d699245" href="/wiki/Navy_and_Marine_Corps_Medal" title="Navy and Marine Corps Medal">Navy and Marine Corps Medals</a> for their bravery in the rescue of three <i>Turner</i> survivors, and three other men received commendation bars for their part in the operation.
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