Bill Johnson
Age: 86
Born: Aug. 20, 1924
Hometown: North Hollywood
Residence: Palm Springs
Military branch: U.S. Navy; USS England (DE-635), USS Brennan (DE-13)
Years served: May 1943 - March 1946
Rank: Sonarman Second Class
Family: Wife Narisse; three children, Janelle Butler of Carlsbad, Nancee Baldino of Agoura Hills and Chip Johnson of Valencia; six grandchildren
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U.S. Navy veteran Bill Johnson was a sonarman aboard the USS England (DE-635) — a destroyer escort credited with sinking six Japanese submarines in a span of 12 days during combat action in the Pacific.
“It's the most sinking of submarines by any one ship in any navy in the world,” he said.
The ship's successful sweep of enemy submarines between May 19 and May 31, 1944, earned the ship and its crew a Presidential Unit Citation and its Lieutenant Commander, Walton B. Pendleton, a Navy Cross — the highest medal awarded by the U.S. Department of the Navy, second only to the Medal of Honor.
The massive I-16 was the first sub destroyed. At 348 feet in length, she was nearly 15 yards longer than the USS England.
The I-16 had carried and launched a mini, two-man sub that attacked ships in Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.
Johnson said there was symbolism in the sinking of the I-16 — the USS England was named for John Charles England, an ensign killed aboard the USS Oklahoma at Pearl Harbor.
In the waters off of Guadalcanal, the I-16 was supplying troops with food, and when it exploded, floating to the surface were “Big sacks of rice, coated in rubber, so they could float them ashore,” he said.
All 225 men aboard went down with the submarine.
“Oil slicks, planking, prayer mats, chopsticks — stuff that was capable of floating to the surface,” Johnson said, describing the debris.
The USS England, traveling with a small group of destroyer escorts, was soon alerted to sub sightings near Truk Island.
“Naval intelligence had decoded the Japanese code. They were able to get positions of this line of subs which were across our supply lanes. They were trying to sink our supply ships or any fleet ships in the area.”
All of the subs were sunk by “hedgehogs,” a group of 24 projectiles fired over the bow of the ship that form a circular pattern in the water.
“They were counter-mined,” he said. “If one hits the sub all of them go off. If you miss, there's no water turbulence for the subs to hide behind.”
On May 9, 1945, while patrolling the island of Okinawa, the USS England was hit by a bomb-laden Japanese aircraft.
“It came in off the starboard fantail and into the bridge. It had a 500-pound bomb attached that went down two decks and exploded. As a result, 62 were killed, missing or wounded from that attack. I was very fortunate.”
The damaged ship, traveling without a radio, went by convoy to San Diego for repairs, but there were so many battle-scarred vessels already in the queue, the USS England was sent to the east coast — via the Panama Canal — for repairs.
“We went by ourselves down the coast of Mexico and ran into hurricane weather,” Johnson said. “We took 50-degree rolls,” in the churning surf.
It was the most frightening experience of his Navy career.
“I was more scared there than any place. The hatches were all battened down. We were afraid we were going to capsize. We bobbed around like a cork in a pail of beer for five days before we got out of it.”
When the ship was decommissioned in Philadelphia, the “scoreboard” — painted with pictures illustrating the ship's “kills” — six subs, one bomber and two fighters — was cut out of the bridge of the ship.
“It's on display at the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, next to John McCain's display of POW garb,” he said.
The ship's distinguished service record led to the designation, in 1960, of a second USS England (DLG-22), a guided missile cruiser.
After his military service was completed, Johnson became a detective with the Los Angeles Police Department from 1946 to 1977. After retiring from the LAPD, he worked as a private fraud investigator.
Staff writer Denise Goolsby will profile desert veterans from World War II on Sundays. Contact her at (760) 778-4587 or via e-mail at denise.goolsby@thedesertsun.com
