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After fitting out, Bunch departed Southwest Pass on 12 September 1943. She proceeded via Key West, Fla., and carried out her shakedown training out of Bermuda until 15 October, on which date she sailed for Boston. Following post-shakedown availability at the Boston Navy Yard, the ship proceeded via the Cape Cod Canal and Newport, R.I., to New York. On 1 November 1943, Bunch commenced her escort work, as she shepherded the New York section of convoy UGS-23 out of coastal waters. That same day, she obtained a sonar contact and attacked with two “hedgehog” patterns on what she later evaluated as a “non-submarine” contact. Released the following day, Bunch proceeded to Hampton Roads, reporting soon thereafter to Commander, Task Force (TF) 23 for duty. Over the next eight months, Bunch made six round-trip voyages across the Atlantic and back, escorting convoys between New York and Londonderry, interspersing that work with refresher training at Casco Bay, Maine, and availabilities at Boston. |
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Bunch (DE-694) was laid down on 22 February 1943 at Bay City,
Michigan, by the Defoe Shipbuilding Co.; launched on 29 May 1943;
sponsored by Mrs. Kenneth C. Bunch, the widow of the late Radioman 1st
Class Bunch; and commissioned at the U.S. Naval Station, New
Orleans, La., on 21 August 1943, Lt. Comdr. Alfred A. Campbell, USNR,
in command.|
From 28 July to 12 October 1944, Bunch – reclassified as APD-79 on 31 July 1944 – underwent conversion to a high speed transport at the Naval Frontier Base, Tompkinsville, Staten Island. The yard period was not without incident, though, as during that time, on 8 August 1944, Bunch suffered slight damage when she was rammed the gasoline tanker Ammonusuc (AOG-23). |
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Fitting out as a flagship, she departed New York on 13 October 1944. Steaming first to Hampton Roads, and thence to Annapolis, Bunch briefly visited the latter port before she commenced training operations in Chesapeake Bay on 23 October. Between that date and 10 December, Bunch trained pre-commissioning crews out of Norfolk; men from 11 other high speed transports received instruction in her during that period.
Following an availability at the St. Helena Annex, Bunch then departed the Convoy Escort Piers at the Naval Operating Base, Norfolk, on 20 December 1944. In company with sistership Hopping (APD-51), Bunch escorted the transports Anne Arundel (AP-76), Dorothea L. Dix (AP-67), and Lyon (AP-20), to the Canal Zone, arriving on Christmas Day 1944. She transited the Panama Canal the following day, reporting for duty to the Commander in Chief, Pacific Fleet, and ultimately reached San Diego on 3 January 1945.
Designated as flagship for Commander, Underwater Demolition Group “Baker,” and of Cammander, Task Group (TG) 52.13, Capt. Roy D. Williams, the high speed transport, combat-loaded with a demolition team as were five of her sister ships, was joined by two other high speed transports that carried spare demolition dquipment and explosives but did not have embarked teams. She took part in landing rehearsals on the 14th, and, in company with the five high speed transports in her division that had embarked teams, conducted tactical exercises in Leyte Gulf the following morning, after which time TG 52.13 exercised at lowering and recovering the ships’ LCPRs off Cabugan Grande Island, in rough seas and a driving rain.
After her men had enjoyed “general recreation and beer parties” at Cabugan Grande Island on the 16th and 17th, Bunch and TG 52.13 proceeded to San Pedro Bay. Fueling from Big Horn (AO-45) and provisioning from Hydrus (AKA-128) on the 18th, the warship embarked five Army observers the same day. After a final conference on the upcoming landings on the 20th, Bunch sailed for Kerama Retto on the 21st, screening Transport Group “Easy,” Western Islands Attack Force (TG 51.1).
On 26 March 1945, Bunch went to general quarters at 0330, as she prepared to enter Transport Area “Easy,” five miles west of Kube Shima, in the Kerama Retto group of the Ryukyus. Detached at 0500, Bunch and Hopping escorted the attack transport Natrona (APA-214) to her rendezvous with the control boat, SC-1328, in Area “Jig.” Released from that task at 0600, Bunch and Hopping proceeded to stations screening the transport area. Topping off with fuel from the attack cargo ship Wyandot (AKA-92) that morning, the warship spent the remainder of the day screening the troopships.
At 0130 the following morning, Bunch fired on a single enemy plane, which soon disappeared out of range. Securing from battle stations at 0210, the high speed transport nevertheless remained on the alert; at 0338 she opened fire with her 40-millimeter battery on an enemy plane approaching from the port quarter. Although the ship went to general quarters, no attack developed, and she stood down at 0400. Released from the transport screen later in the day, Bunch left TG 52.13’s formation early in the first dog watch (1608) for a high speed observation sweep of the objective beaches (White 1, 2, and 3) on Okinawa. Owing to the fact that the waters off the beaches had not yet been swept for mines, and that the heavy fire support units lay on the outer edge of the unswept area, Bunch could not close to less than five miles of the objective. She retired from the scene at 1637 to permit the other ships of TG 52.13 to make their individual sweeps.
After spending the night with the fire support night retirement unit, Bunch went to general quarters for the dawn alert, at 0555 on 28 March. From her ringside seat, the fast transport observed Henry A. Wiley (DM-29) splash two “Vals” (Aichi D3A carrier bombers) and a suicide plane attempt to crash the nearby Crosley (APD-87). Bunch secured from general quarters at 0655, and after being detached form screening the night retirement group, proceeded to screen the fire support units as they lay off the main invasion beaches. She assumed patrol station R-16 off Mae Shima.
Lookouts sighted enemy planes at extreme range at 2314 on 28 March, off Bunch’s starboard beam. Going to general quarters at that point, the high speed transport commenced firing on what she identified as a “Betty” (Mitsubishi G4M twin-engined bomber) at 0110 on the 29th; the plane splashed by gunfire from the ships astern, Bunch secured from battle stations soon thereafter. Going back to general quarters for the dawn alert at 0525, Bunch spotted planes at 0605 but did not fire owing to the extreme range. Action soon came closer to home, however, for just seven minutes later, her lookouts and SL radar operator picked up a small boat, 2,200 yards off the port bow. Bunch went to full speed and altered course to investigate; after establishing the boat’s enemy character, she opened fire with .50-caliber, 20- and 40-millimeter batteries, and destroyed it, 500 yards away.
At 0631, Bunch detected a second suicide motor boat – later judged to have come from Mae Shima, which was still in the hands of the enemy – bearing down upon the ship. Machine gun fire from the high speed transport stopped the craft dead in the water, however, and its crew jettisoned the explosive charge, which immediately blew up. Bunch altered course to pick up the crew of the suicide boat and take them prisoner, but a nearby destroyer “eradicated” both boat and swimmers with a well-placed five-inch burst. After making a report of the incident over the low-frequency voice radio (TBS), Bunch resumed her station, patrolling until detached at 0730 to await word to carry out her pre-landing task.
Since a reconnaissance of the “White” beaches had showed that no demolition work would be required, Bunch retired to seaward and resumed screening; detached from that at 0645 on 30 March, the high speed transport steamed toward the “Orange” beaches. Lying 5,800 yards off the objective, Bunch put her boats in the water at 0905 and retired to a patrol area to await the return of her craft and her swimmers, while LCI(G)s provided close fire support for the unfolding demolition operations. Detonating her charge at 1137, Bunch recovered all of her boats at 1225. After standing by for further orders, she then transported passengers from the amphibious command ship Estes (AGC-12) to designated high speed transports, whence they would be transferred to ships of the main northern and southern attack forces early the following morning. Completing her assigned task at 1700, she cleared Kerama Retto at 1930 and assumed patrol station R-7.
Steering figure-eight courses, Bunch was on screening station soon after the mid watch commenced, at 0117, when she picked up word of an incoming air raid. Reducing her speed to 10 knots to reduce an observable wake, she observed an enemy twin-engined bomber pass along the port side, some 150 yards away. Bunch opened fire with her .50-caliber and 40-millimeter gun batteries and went to general quarters but no attack occurred. Ultimately, at 0550, Bunch was relieved on station and proceeded with TG 52.13 to transfer a UDT-21 passenger to the attack transport Mendocino (APA-100). She steamed thence in company with Crosley and Loy (APD-56) to Kerama Retto to fuel; once there, Bunch topped-off from Warhawk (AP-168). She remained at anchor throughout the night, her engines on half-hour standby and an armed watch alerted to keep a lookout for suicide swimmers.
Underway at 0254 on 1 April 1945, Bunch cleared the western anchorage at Kerama Retto with TG 52.13, and proceeded east toward the transport area off the northern and southern Nagushi beaches. With the dissolution of the formation at 0500, she steamed to the line of departure to transfer UDT-21 liaison personnel to the “White” beach control vessel, PC-578. Passing south of the transport area and north of the LST area, Bunch accomplished the transfer at 0616, and then rapidly cleared the area to keep clear of the waves of landing craft forming for the run-in to the beach.
The warship screened the transports for the remainder of the first day of the Okinawa landings, 1 April, and after being relieved of that duty at dawn the following morning, proceeded toward “White” beach to allow Lt. E. P. Clayton, commanding officer of UDT-21, to confer with the beachmaster regarding post-assault demolition needs. Leaving the beachhead area at 1500, Bunch then proceeded toward night screening station A-20.
At 1839, around dusk, however, observing a small convoy under attack by five enemy planes, she went to general quarters. Bunch took two of them under fire despite the fact that they were just out of range. On crashed the attack transport Henrico (APA-45), the other started a run on Bunch but turned away when fired upon by the ship and dropped a bomb at Dickerson (APD-21). Missing with its ordnance, however, the same plane returned and crashed Dickerson.
The fire was gaining considerable headway as Bunch maneuvered to go to help Dickerson, but by 1930 was “fairly well under control.” Seeing that she was “receiving considerable structural damage” alongside the stricken ship, Bunch pulled away, sending a fire and rescue party over, however, in one of the LCPRs. Swimmers from UDT-21, utilizing their rubber boats, had in the meantime rescued many of Dickerson’s survivors that had gone over the side to escape the flames. Bunch’s captain credited UDT-21’s officers and men as being “instrumental in saving many lives.”
Joined by men from Crosley, Bunch’s fire and rescue party succeeded in getting gasoline-driven handy-billies in operation to battle the fires on board Dickerson, which had broken out afresh. Bunch, which had taken on board the damaged vessel’s casualties, passed a towline and three fire hoses across to her, and began to tow her, while men cut away Dickerson’s boats on her port side to lessen the list. Although the salvagers had again made headway against the fires, they broke out with renewed vigor after the towline and hoses parted. A freshening wind made the matter of getting another hawser across difficult. Eventually, Arikara (ATF-98) arrived on the scene, took Dickerson in tow and extinguished her fires, and brought her to Kerama Retto. Bunch’s fire and rescue party returned to their own ship at 0320 on 3 April.
After screening Arikara and Dickerson to the logistics anchorage at Kerama Retto, Bunch transferred the six officers and 55 enlisted men from the damaged high speed transport to PCE-852 by 1000 on 3 April, for further transfer to a larger hsip and hospitalization. She then returned to station A-20 where she operated for the remainder of the day, observing little enemy air activity. Dickerson, however, deemed too badly damaged to be restored to service, was taken out to sea and sunk the next day.
Late on the afternoon of 4 April, Bunch steamed to the southern anchorage at Kerama Retto, and rendezvoused there with Gilmer. On that day, Bunch became flagship for all high speed transports present in the Okinawa area, Capt. Williams becoming Commander, TG 52.11. At 1600, she departed Kerama Retto, and rendezvoused with Estes, east of Okinawa. Following a conference on board the command ship, Bunch screened her for a time until being detached to take screening station A-17, 20 miles south of Mae Shima.
Detached from that duty at 1045 on 5 May, Bunch sped to rendezvous with Estes, and at 1230 took station in the screen for that command ship, the battleship West Virginia (BB-48), and Arikara. While screening the Eastern Islands Bombardment Group, Bunch operated in Estes’s vicinity to afford Capt. Williams and his chief of staff, Cdr. Kauffman, a chance to supervise UDT reconnaissance and demolition operations at the eastern islands and in Nakagusuku Wan (later Buckner Bay).
Bunch maintained her duties in the screen into the 6th, until ordered to rendezvous with Eldorado (AGC-11) off the western beaches of Okinawa, to transport flag officers for a conference on board that ship. During that conference, Bunch remained in the vicinity.
At 1605, the high speed transport received a report of enemy planes in the area; seeing antiaircraft fire blossoming in the sky off her port quarter, Bunch spotted a “Zeke” (Mitsubishi A6M5 Type OO carrier fighter) off her starboard quarter at long range. Her starboard 40-millimeter guns opened up at a range of 700 yards, disintegrated the tail of the “Zeke” and splashed it, 100 yards off the ship’s port beam.
After transporting flat officer passengers from Eldorado back to Estes during the first dog watch, Bunch resumed screening. She remained with Estes on the 7th, transporting Comdr. Kauffman to that ship at one point in the day and then screening the amphibious command ship during her night retirement. Released from the screen at 1000 on the 8th, she then transported Capt. Williams and his staff to a conference on board Vice Admiral Richmond K. Turner’s flagship, Eldorado. After fueling from Saranac (AO-74), Bunch picked up Capt. Williams from Biscayne (AGC-18) before taking up a screening station. Warned to expect heavy suicide attacks the following day, Bunch delivered staff officers to a conference on board Panamint (AGC-13) on the 9th.
The following day, 10 May, with UDT-21 idle and awaiting operational assignment, Bunch transferred it to Appling (APA-58) to avoid “needless exposure to enemy action” while the ship served as a screening vessel. She operated on auxiliary radar picket station during the day on the 10th.
That same day, having received orders alerting her to her scheduled participation in operations to capture Ie Shima, Bunch proceeded to Panamint and dropped off Capt. Williams and Comdr. Kauffman for a conference relative to the operation, before she reembarked UDT-21. Planning and preparation for the Ie Shima operation continued on the 12th, and on the 13th, Bunch set course for the objective.
She lay off the southern beaches at 0830 on 13 April 1945, so that Capt. Williams could direct the reconnaissance within 6,000 yards of the beach. Bunch completedher mission by 1054, when she recovered her boats and men; the latter reported encountering only enemy small arms fire in the course of their work. That night, Williams and his staff attended a conference on board Panamint off the Hagushi beaches, Okinawa. Returning the following morning (14 April), Bunch and UDT-21 resumed their pre-invasion work at Ie Shima, again encountering small arms fire in so doing; that night, the ship retired to Okinawa, and another conference, that time on board Eldorado.
Underway late in the forenoon watch on 15 April, Bunch fueled from Taluga (AO-62) and then returned to her anchorage off Okinawa. With enemy aircraft reported in the vicinity at 1830, Bunch went to battle stations and opened fire with her 5-inch and 40-millimeter battery, helping to splash an enemy plane off the beach. Securing from general quarters at 2000, she manned battle stations an hour later; sporadic enemy air activity kept the ship in that state of readiness until 2220. Japanese attacks on the airfield at Yontan, visible from the ship, continued throughout the night.
Bunch returned to the waters off Ie Shima the following morning, disembarking some of UDT21’s men to the beach control vessel, PC-1603, so that they could report to the beachmaster for use by the wave commanders in guiding the assault boats to their respective beaches. She then stood out to screen the transports. At 0811, she went to battle stations as she picked up reports over the TBS of radar picker destroyers to the northwest battling heavy enemy aircraft attacks. At 0935, Bunch spotted two “Kates” (Nakajima B5N Type 97 carrier attack planes) approaching the transport area at low speed. One approached from the northeast and Bunch took it under fire, and joined the nearby transports in splashing the attacker soon thereafter. Antiaircraft fire drove off the second “Kate” to the south, where a “Corsair” shot it down.
On 17 and 18 April, Bunch supported UDT-21’s operations, retiring nightly to Okinawa to anchor; on the latter date, enemy shell fire compelled the ship to shift berths out of range, while demolition of the beach proceeded apace. Post-assault demolition work by UDT-21 occupied the ship on the 19th and 20th, and she wrapped up her work at Ie Shima on the 21st. Considerable enemy air activity occurred in her vicinity during that period, but no Japanese planes came within gun range.
Bunch proceeded to Kerama Retto at the end of the forenoon watch on the 23rd; after fueling from Cuyama (AO-3), the high speed transport returned to the Nagushi beaches for night screening duties. She patrolled station B-25 on the 24th and into th 25th, until detached at 1400 on the latter day to proceed to rendezvous with Goodhue (APA-107) at Kerama Retto. Following that, during which time she received orders covering her departure from the Okinawa area, she anchored off the Hagushi beaches for the night.
At 0700 on 26 April, Bunch got underway, and rendezvoused with a convoy off the western beaches of Okinawa, whence she sailed for Ulithi. She escorted this 19-ship convoy of transports to its destination, anchoring at Ulithi at 1305 on 30 April. After provisioning, Bunch pushed on for Guam on 1 May, and reached her destination the following morning. From 3 to 17 May, Bunch, having debarked UDT-21, enjoyed an availability; ship’s work permitting, her crew partook of daily recreation: beer parties, swimming parties, and baseball games.
Bunch sailed for Okinawa on the 19th, and reached Hagushi on the 22nd. After an unsuccessful attempt at fueling from Suamico (AO-49) on the 23rd, Bunch remained at anchor off Hagushi until the morning of the 25th, at which time she steamed to Kerama Retto for four days’ availability to effect repairs to her sonar, which became inoperable during the voyage from Guam to Okinawa. Receiving orders for her next operation, the assault on Iheya Shima, on the 30th, she proceeded “on duty assigned” at the close of the first watch on the 31st.
Following the postponement of the operations against Iheya Shima, because of foggy weather, Bunch fueled from Enores (A)-69) on 1 June, and then briefly screened that ship, returning thence to Hagushi. Underway the following morning, Bunch took part, in a standby function, in the assault on Iheya Shima; inclement weather and an excellent combat air patrol (CAP) took care of enemy planes, and Bunch remained at anchor during the night and forenoon. The calculated tracks of two approaching typhoons, though, compelled the assault group to get underway and stand out, eventually steaming in the lee of the Motobu peninsula, anchoring in the small bay directly north of that area. While the weather disturbed the wind and sea only slightly, it limited Japanese air activity.
Returning to Iheya Shima with the assault group the following morning, Bunch got underway for the northern part of the island, onlyto receive orders directing her to return whence she had come. After then remaining at anchor throughout the night, Bunch carried out a reconnaissance of the northern beaches, finding their gradient to be such that the landing of heavy equipment could be accomplished without any demolition work by the UDTs. Escorting a coastal convoy to Hagushi on 7 June, Bunch steamed to Kerama Retto on the 8th, where she fueled from Brazos (AO-4).
Assigned next to the assault on Aguni Shima, Bunch sailed at 0115 on 9 June; during the passage in the stygian darkness, she heard an enemy plane. Her gun captains showed “excellent judgement” in withholding fire until it was directly overhead, not allowing the Japanese to ride in on the tracers and possibly crash the ship. The landings having been accomplished with little or no resistance, Bunch joined PCE(R)-855 in escorting a small convoy, comprised of Oak Hill (LSD-7) and LST-95, back to Hagushi.
On 11 June, Bunch operated with the survey ship Pathfinder (AGS-1) in conducting a reconnaissance of Naha harbor, followed by the necessary charting and demolition operations. During the course of those evolutions the following day, she suffered damage from debris thrown against the ship by her propeller wash in shallow waters, nicking the tip of one screw. She remained anchored the rest of the day in support of the ongoing demolition work at Ie Shima. On the 14th, she fueled from Chicopee (AO-34), after which time she proceeded to Kerama Retto for logistics.
Between 15 and 22 June, Bunch continued demolition work at Ie Shima. Except for a trip back to Hagushi on the 19th for more explosives, she remained at Ie Shima, at that task, American forces in that area undergoing intermittant air attacks nightly. Excellent smoke coverage left Bunch no opportunity to take enemy planes under fire.
Bunch next participated in the assault on Kume Shima on 26 June, the landings taking place in the more sheltered waters on the southeast part of the island. Encountering “no observable enemy opposition,” after UDT-21 had guided the LSTs assigned to the operation into the bay, and equipment had been discharged, the high speed transport returned to Hagushi. She then returned to Ie Shima soon thereafter to complete the demolition work she had begun several days previously.
At 0950 on 1 July 1945, Bunch sailed from Okinawa, screening Auburn (AGC-10); the following day she exploded a mine, “expending considerable .30 cal. ammunition” in doing so. Making landfall at Saipan at noon on 5 July, Bunch received orders from Auburn on 9 July to proceed independently to Eniwetok and thence to Pearl Harbor. Reaching Eniwetok the same day, she fueled from Meredosia (IX-98) and cleared the Marshalls by the end of the afternoon watch, bound for the Hawaiian Islands.
Reaching Pearl Harbor on the 16th, Bunch fueled, took on provisions, and sailed late the following afternoon, proceeding via Maui, where she exchanged demolition gear. She made port at Oceanside, Calif., early on the afternoon of 24 July, where she disembarked UDT-21 and its gear; within an hour, the ship had shifted berths to the Standard Shipbuilding Corp., San Pedro, and commenced a period of yard repairs and an overhaul. The end of the war with Japan in mid-August found Bunch in the midst of that yard period.
After fueling, provisioning, and unloading UDT explosives preparatory to sailing for the forward areas, Bunch departed San Diego on 6 September with five other APDs. During the voyage to Pearl Harbor, they conducted group tactical exercises, and individual emergency and general drills with ships steaming in regular war cruising condition. At 0130 on 10 September, Bunch’s air search radar picked up emergency signals, and she altered course to the north-northwest to investigate. She and her sister ships spread out into a scouting line to cover a larger search area; they maintained that routine until Commander, Hawaiian Sea Frontier, informed them that the plane that had been having difficulties had reached base safely. Bunch reached Pearl Harbor on the afternoon of 12 September.
The following day, Bunch reported to Commander, Mine Force, Pacific (ComMinPac) for duty; soon thereafter, she began loading five LCPRs equipped for shallow water moored minesweeping and embarked men assigned temporary duty in connection with the projected sweeping operations. She sailed on 15 September for Eniwetok, and reached that island on the 22nd. Underway on the 23rd after fueling from YO-182, Bunch arrived off Okinawa on the 28th, rendezvousing with Bibb (AGC-31) off Buckner Bay, and formed part of a typhoon sortie group. She remained at sea with that group until 1 October, when she dropped anchor in Buckner Bay.
After loading minesweeping cargo and obtaining fuel and stores, Bunch sailed for Chinese waters on 6 October. Reaching Shanghai on 10 October, the high speed transport unloaded cargo to be distributed to motor minesweepers (YMS) and minesweepers (AM). She also underwent voyage repairs while her crew enjoyed recreation and liberty in the fabled far eastern city. Underway for Okinawa on 16 October, she returned to Buckner Bay on the 18th.
Over the next several days, Bunch assisted in the salvage of ships that had been swept ashore in previous typhoons that had ravaged Okinawa with the past weeks, as well as loaded additional cargo for her return to Shanghai. During this time (19 to 25 October), all of the ship’s LCPRs were utilized in the salvage operations, after which time they were again fitted out for moored type minesweeping operations in the Shanghai area. Underway for Shanghai on 26 October, Bunch reached her destination on the 28th. She spent the rest of October and the first week of November undergoing voyage repairs alongside Dixie (AD-14).
On November 8 1945, Bunch departed Shanghai for Hangchow Bay, whence she operated until 14 November along with three YMSs and two submarine chasers (PC), as a minesweeping and mine disposal unit. During that time, she and her consorts cleared a lane twelve miles long and one mile wide of Japanese mines. The operation netted five of the horned spheres destroyed. After the second day of sweeping, however, the unit abandoned the use of LCPRs as minesweepers because of wear and tear on the boats; the prevailing four to six knot currents made small boat operations slow and hazardous to the boats. One YMS, Bunch’s captain wrote in her war diary, could complete sweeping her assigned area in eight hours, covering more than four LCPRs had done in just two days! He concluded that while “the small boat moored minesweepers should be valuable in restricted areas and [in] very shallow water, they would be impractical and relatively ineffective in water where other and larger vessels can sweep.”
Having completed her assigned mission, Bunch departed Hangchow Bay on 15 November 1945, and after obtaining onward routing, sailed for Okinawa on the 18th. She reported to Commander, Minecraft, Okinawa on 20 November, at Buckner Bay, and after loading cargo, got underway for Kiirun, Formosa, on the 26th. She reached her destination on the following day, and remained there through the end of the month.
Underway on 1 December 1945 for Shanghai, Bunch escorted YMS-72 to that port for hull repairs. The ships encountered gale force winds and heavy seas en route, but by modifying course and speed accordingly, weathered the voyage successfully. Bunch remained at Shanghai until the morning of 6 December, when she sailed to return to Kiirun, steaming in company with six YMSs and one LCS. After making port at her destination on the 9th, she steamed to the naval port of Takeo, Formosa, on the 11th. She discharged cargo there until the 12th, when the ship got underway and returned to her former berth at Kiirun.
Bunch put to sea on 16 December, and took up a position off Kiirun Harbor, to render navigational assistance to a group of YMSs sweeping the approaches. During the day, she lay-to, about 20 miles north of the harbor entrance, directing the movements of the sweepers by radar and voice radio. That procedure, Bunch’s captain reported, permitting minesweeping operations to continue even in periods of reduced visibility.
Completing that task on 18 December, the high speed transport sailed the following morning for Shanghai in company with the minesweepers Velocity (AM-128) and Threat (AM-124), each with a landing ship in tow (LC(FF)-45 and LCS(L)-22, respectively) YMS-259 and LCS(L)-58. Bunch served as convoy guide for the passage, which was undertaken to permit the two craft in tow to receive repairs, and “to return to port for the holiday season those vessels…no longer needed at Kiirun.” During the passage, Threat spotted a mine; Bunch detached LCS(L)-58 to investigate; the latter sank the mine with gunfire.
Bunch and her charges reached Shanghai on 22 December, and the high speed transport spent the remainder of the month at various buoys at that city, “singing carols and observing holiday routine.” On 2 January 1946, Bunch got underway, and after fueling from Kennebec (A)-36), remained alongside that ship until the following day, when the high speed transport stood downriver, bound for Taichow, China.
During the war, some 1,936 mines had been sown in the East China Sea; quite naturally, in the wake of hostilities a major task remained to be performed, that of sweeping those mines to allow seaborne commerce to resume in the region. As part of that effort, Bunch operated with YMS-338, YMS-329, and YSM-366 in Taichow Bay, before she shifted her area of operations to Wenchow Bay on 6 January, where she provided those ships with fresh water and fuel; she plotted the minesweeping operations by radar on the 7th and 8th. Returning to Taichow Bay the following morning, Bunch and her consorts carried out sweeping operations there until sailing for Hong Kong that afternoon.
Bunch had to take YMS-366 in tow on 11 January, and brought the crippled minesweeper – that had had difficulty with fuel oil pressure – into Hong Kong on the morning of the 13th. Three days later, the ship unloaded minesweeping gear into an LCM; on the 17th, after fueling from Kaskaskia (AO-27), the high speed transport sailed for Okinawa.
Reaching Buckner Bay during the forenoon watch on the 20th, Bunch soon began seeing the separation of men who had earned enough “points” for discharge and transferred from the ship to begin the voyage home. After loading minesweeping gear, the high speed transport sailed for Japanese waters on the 25th, reaching Sasebo the following day. Pushing on for Wakayama on the 29th, she reached her destination during the first dog watch on the 30th. Shifting to Kobe on 2 February, Bunch embarked eight officers and 75 enlisted passengers for transportation to the United States over the days that preceded her departure on 21 February 1946.
Stopping at Eniwetok only long enough to fuel (27-28 February), and at Pearl Harbor (6-8 March), Bunch reached San Francisco at the close of the forenoon watch on 14 March. Steaming to San Diego Bay on the 17th, she ran speed trials on the 18th, and moved to the Naval Repair Base at San Diego on the 20th, where she remained until decommissioned on 31 May 1946. Placed in reserve in July 1947, Bunch never returned to active service. Struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 1 April 1964, she was bid upon by Zidell Explorations, Inc., a scrap firm, who desired to defer scrapping, though, so that the ship could be converted to a barge. That particular sale, however, apparently did not go through, and the ship’s hulk was sold for scrap subsequently.
Bunch was awarded two battle stars for her World War II service.
