Active Service
She was first assigned patrol and general icebreaking duties on the Hudson and Delaware Rivers, and the outbreak of war found her stationed at Cape May, New Jersey. In accordance with Executive Order No. 89-29 of 1 November 1941, Mohawk was directed to serve as part of the naval forces of the United States. Assigned to North Atlantic escort operations with the Greenland Patrol, where she served for the entire war, Mohawk launched a total of 14 attacks against submarine contacts between 27 August 1942 and 8 April 1945.
On the evening of the 27 August 1942 the USS Laramie (AO-16) was torpedoed while steaming in convoy at the eastern end of Belle Isle Strait. The Mohawk escorted the Laramie into port at Sydney, Nova Scotia on 30 August 1942.
One of Mohawk’s most famous deeds was being the last ship to radio General Dwight D. Eisenhower on the day before the Normandy invasion confirming that the weather was going to be clear enough to proceed. Unfortunately, she hit an iceberg shortly after the message was sent and sustained a hole in her side. After a temporary fix in Greenland, she returned to the United States for permanent repairs to the hull.
Mohawk also survived a friendly fire attack from British planes. While on patrol near Iceland, she was misidentified by British planes, which bombed her, damaging the main deck. She returned to Boston for emergency repairs.
Read more about this topic: USCGC Mohawk (WPG-78)
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