1944: April 16: Sinking of German U-boat, U-550 "Official Coast Guard Photo" No. 2553. Original Caption reads: "NAZI SEAMAN BURIED UNDER THE AMERICAN FLAG[:] A German sailor is buried at sea, under the American flag and with services read by a Coast Guard officer [Joyce's Commanding Officer, Robert Wilcox, USCG], from the deck of a Coast Guard-Manned Destroyer Escort. . . " Joining USS Gandy (DE-764), USS Joyce (DE-317) and USS Peterson (DE-152) intentionally rammed German (Type IXC) U-boat, U-550, in the North Atlantic east of New York on April 16, 1944. The destroyer escorts then subsequently deployed depth-charges and gunfire to sink the submarine. Previously, U-550 sank the U.S. merchant tanker, SS Pan Pennsylvania, on the same day. Joyce and Peterson picked-up the survivors. During the action, shells from the destroyer escorts set afire Pan Pennsylvania's abandoned wreck. Here U-550 survivors are shown aboard USS Joyce after being rescued.