Sinking of German Submarine U-881 by "April 27, 1945, Task Group 22.1, part of Operation Tear Drop, entered NOB Argentia, New Foundland for refueling and supplies. The group consisted of the USS MISSION BAY CVE-59, DEs USS J.R.Y. BLAKELEY DE-140 and USS FARQUHAR DE 139. This was five days after USS FREDERICK C. DAVIS DE-136 was torpedoed and sunk, while operating with CVEs BOGUE and CORE. The DAVIS was the last American ship sunk by the Germans in the closing days of WWII. May 2, 1945 found the USS HERBERT C. JONES DE-137, USS DOUGLAS L. HOWARD DE-138, USS FARQUHAR DE-139, USS J.R.Y. BLAKELY DE-140, USS HILL DE-141 AND USS FESSENDEN DE-142 forming screen 56 USF10A on USS MISSION BAY CVE-59, leaving NOB Argentia at 1944 hours, returning to the Operation Tear Drop line of defense. After days and nights patrolling and picking up possible contacts and false alarms, we came to May 6, 1945. The German submarine U-881, which was placed in service May 27, 1944, after having made her first trip to the US Easter Coastal waters, was operating at the southern part of the Grand Banks, when she encountered the MISSION BAY group. Captain Dr. Heinz Frische tried to bring his ship in range to torpedo the MISSION BAY. He closed to 1300 yards. At that time, 0516 hours, the FARQUHAR made sonar contact on the starboard bean at 1300 yards. FARQUHAR changed course and was on top of him before he could fire on the MISSION BAY. At 0523, Lt. Lloyd R. Borst on the bridge, ordered a pattern of 13 depth charges released, set shallow. Sonar buoy released at 0527 registered several violent explosions. FXR gear was streamed out to commence search. At 0550, HOWARD and HILL joined the search with HOWARD being in charge. At 0554, General Quarters (GQ) was sounded. At 0719 we started search plan #20. At 0741 the ship secured from GQ. HOWARD, with Captain E. W. Yancey as division commander, and HILL stayed with FARQUHAR a full twelve hours searching the area. After no further contacts or evidence, Captain Yancey presumed the U-boat was sunk without a trace and called off the search. FARQUHAR did not have to wait to learn that, indeed, she had sunk U-881. It was the last German submarine sunk by an American vessel in the Atlantic. She lies at 43° 18' N, 47° 44' W; her entire crew of 53 aboard. FARQUHAR received the Bronze Star for this action. This information is partly from memory, but most came from FARQUHAR's daily deck log, Eric-Jon Bakker of the Netherlands, a good friend and historian who researched German U-boats and histories published in Sea Classics Magazine in the March 1993 and May 1995 editions. Also, from Destroyers in WWII by T. Roscoe and US Naval Operations in WWII, Vol. 10, by Samuel E. Morison."
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