Destroyer escort
Encyclopedia
A destroyer escort is the classification for a smaller, lightly armed warship
designed to be used to escort convoy
s of merchant marine ships, primarily of the United States Merchant Marine
in World War II
. It is employed primarily for anti-submarine warfare
, but also provides some protection against aircraft and smaller attack vessels employed in this application. The US built roughly 457 destroyer escorts spread out over 8 classes. The Royal Navy
equivalent of the destroyer escort was known as a frigate.
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The Lend-lease Act was passed into law in the USA in March 1941 enabling the United Kingdom
to procure merchant ships, warships, munitions and other materiel
from the USA, in order to help with the war effort. This enabled the UK to commission the USA to design, build and supply an escort vessel that was suitable for anti-submarine warfare in deep open ocean situations, which they did in June 1941. Captain E.L. Cochrane of the American Bureau of Shipping
came up with a design which was known as the British Destroyer Escort (BDE). The BDE designation was retained by the first six Destroyer Escorts transferred to the United Kingdom ( BDE 1, 2, 3, 4, 12 and 46); of the initial order of 50 these were the only ones the Royal Navy
received, the rest being reclassified as Destroyer Escort (DE) on January 25, 1943 and taken over by the United States Navy
.
When the United States entered the war, and found they also required an anti-submarine warfare ship and that the destroyer escort fitted their needs perfectly, a system of rationing was put in place whereby out of every five destroyer escorts completed, four would be allocated to the U.S. Navy and one to the Royal Navy.
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Full size destroyer
s must be able to keep up with and exceed the speed of fast capital ship
s, typically needing better than 25-35 knot speeds (dependent upon the era and navy) and carrying torpedo
es and a smaller caliber of cannon to use against enemy ships, as well as anti-submarine detection equipment and weapons.
A destroyer escort only needed to be able to maneuver relative to a slow convoy (which in WW II would travel at 10 to 12 knots), defend against aircraft, detect, pursue and attack submarines. These lower requirements greatly reduce the size, cost, and crew required for the destroyer escort. While fleet destroyers were more effective for anti-submarine warfare, the destroyer escort outweighed this by being able to be built faster and cheaper. Destroyer escorts were also considerably more seaworthy than corvette
s.
Destroyer escorts were also useful for coastal anti-submarine and radar picket ship duty.
Some 95 destroyer escorts were converted to APDs
(High Speed Transports). This involved adding an extra deck which allowed space for about 10 officers and 150 men. Two large davit
s were also installed, one on either side of the ship from which landing craft (LCVP
) could be launched. The modern Littoral Combat Ship
also adds transport and boat launching capabilities to a ship smaller than a destroyer.
As an alternative to steam turbine propulsion, many US DEs of the WW2 period had diesel-electric or turbo-electric drive, in which the engine rooms functioned as power stations supplying current to electric motors sited close to the propellers. Electric drive was selected because it does not need gearboxes (which were heavily in demand for the fast fleet destroyers) to adjust engine speed to the much lower optimum speed for the propellers. The current from the engine room can be used equally well for other purposes, and post-WW2 many DEs were recycled as floating power stations for coastal cities in Latin America under programs funded by the World Bank.
. While Admiral Halsey's main force of US carriers and battleships was pursuing the Japanese decoy carrier force, the task of guarding the landing ships and troops fell to escort carriers, destroyers and destroyer escorts. While the escort carriers launched their planes, the Butler-class destroyer escort ship Samuel B. Roberts
of task group Taffy 3 joined other out-gunned destroyers in a counter-attack against Admiral Kurita's powerful force of Japanese cruisers and battleships.
With no armor, only two 5-inch guns and 3 Mark-15 torpedoes capable of punching a hole in enemy hulls, her crew lacked the weapons and training in tactics to compete with the much larger heavy cruiser Chokai. The Roberts dodged shellfire to fire a salvo of 3 torpedoes which struck the cruiser. The battle continued for an hour, and the Roberts fired over 600 5-inch shells, and hit the upper works with 40 mm Bofors and 20 mm anti-aircraft guns at close range. Chikumas bridge was set afire and the number 3 gun turret was disabled. Chikuma scored two direct hits on the Roberts, which soon sank with 89 of her crew. After the battle the Roberts became known as "the destroyer escort that fought like a battleship". The Roberts was an instrumental part of a small task force of light ships that forced a much larger armoured battle force to turn away from American landing forces in Leyte Gulf, though at a high cost.
s, but retained the hull classification symbol
DE. However other navies, most notably those of NATO countries and the USSR, followed different naming conventions for this type of ship which resulted in some confusion. In order to remedy this problem the 1975 ship reclassification
reclassified ocean escorts (and by extension, destroyer escorts) as Frigate
s (FF). This brought the USN's nomenclature more in line with NATO, and made it easier to compare ship types with the Soviet Union (see Cruiser Gap
). As of 2006 there are no plans for future frigates for the US Navy. The DDG Zumwalt and the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS)
are the main ship types planned in this area. One major problem with ship classification is whether to base it on a ship's role (such as escort or air defense), or on its size (such as the amount of tons). One example of this ambiguity are the Ticonderoga-class
air defense ships, which are classified as cruiser
even though they use the same hull as the Spruance class destroyer
.
agreement, the Royal Navy
received 32 destroyer escorts of the Evarts class
and 46 of the Buckley class
. The Royal Navy initially used the names of captains of the Napoleonic Wars
for the ships; hence the Admiralty
calling these ships the Captain class frigate
s.
The main design difference between the Royal Navy frigates and the US Navy destroyer escorts was that the British Buckley class had the forward torpedo tubes removed (the Evarts class was not designed to carry torpedo tubes As well, British frigates had the ice cream makers, the iced water fountains, the dishwashers, and laundries (in some ships) removed, and the replacing of the primitive American two seat "thunder trough" toilets (which did not offer even so much as a simple canvas screen to spare blushes) with an enclosed water closet.
Destroyer Escorts were built for the Free French Navy. Although initially transferred under the Lend-lease Act these ships were permanently transferred under the Mutual Defense Assistance Program.
(MDAP) the Destroyer Escorts leased to the Free French were permanently transferred to the French Navy. In addition the following navies also acquired Destroyer Escorts:
French Navy
Hellenic Navy
Philippine Navy
Royal Netherlands Navy
National Navy of Uruguay
Warship
A warship is a ship that is built and primarily intended for combat. Warships are usually built in a completely different way from merchant ships. As well as being armed, warships are designed to withstand damage and are usually faster and more maneuvrable than merchant ships...
designed to be used to escort convoy
Convoy
A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support, though it may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.-Age of Sail:Naval...
s of merchant marine ships, primarily of the United States Merchant Marine
United States Merchant Marine
The United States Merchant Marine refers to the fleet of U.S. civilian-owned merchant vessels, operated by either the government or the private sector, that engage in commerce or transportation of goods and services in and out of the navigable waters of the United States. The Merchant Marine is...
in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. It is employed primarily for anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare is a branch of naval warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, or other submarines to find, track and deter, damage or destroy enemy submarines....
, but also provides some protection against aircraft and smaller attack vessels employed in this application. The US built roughly 457 destroyer escorts spread out over 8 classes. The Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
equivalent of the destroyer escort was known as a frigate.
Origins
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
to procure merchant ships, warships, munitions and other materiel
Materiel
Materiel is a term used in English to refer to the equipment and supplies in military and commercial supply chain management....
from the USA, in order to help with the war effort. This enabled the UK to commission the USA to design, build and supply an escort vessel that was suitable for anti-submarine warfare in deep open ocean situations, which they did in June 1941. Captain E.L. Cochrane of the American Bureau of Shipping
American Bureau of Shipping
The American Bureau of Shipping is a classification society, with a mission to promote the security of life, property and the natural environment, primarily through the development and verification of standards for the design, construction and operational maintenance of marine-related facilities...
came up with a design which was known as the British Destroyer Escort (BDE). The BDE designation was retained by the first six Destroyer Escorts transferred to the United Kingdom ( BDE 1, 2, 3, 4, 12 and 46); of the initial order of 50 these were the only ones the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
received, the rest being reclassified as Destroyer Escort (DE) on January 25, 1943 and taken over by the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
.
When the United States entered the war, and found they also required an anti-submarine warfare ship and that the destroyer escort fitted their needs perfectly, a system of rationing was put in place whereby out of every five destroyer escorts completed, four would be allocated to the U.S. Navy and one to the Royal Navy.
General description
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
s must be able to keep up with and exceed the speed of fast capital ship
Capital ship
The capital ships of a navy are its most important warships; they generally possess the heaviest firepower and armor and are traditionally much larger than other naval vessels...
s, typically needing better than 25-35 knot speeds (dependent upon the era and navy) and carrying torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
es and a smaller caliber of cannon to use against enemy ships, as well as anti-submarine detection equipment and weapons.
A destroyer escort only needed to be able to maneuver relative to a slow convoy (which in WW II would travel at 10 to 12 knots), defend against aircraft, detect, pursue and attack submarines. These lower requirements greatly reduce the size, cost, and crew required for the destroyer escort. While fleet destroyers were more effective for anti-submarine warfare, the destroyer escort outweighed this by being able to be built faster and cheaper. Destroyer escorts were also considerably more seaworthy than corvette
Corvette
A corvette is a small, maneuverable, lightly armed warship, originally smaller than a frigate and larger than a coastal patrol craft or fast attack craft , although many recent designs resemble frigates in size and role...
s.
Destroyer escorts were also useful for coastal anti-submarine and radar picket ship duty.
Some 95 destroyer escorts were converted to APDs
High speed transport
High Speed Transports were converted destroyers and destroyer escorts used to support amphibious operations in World War II and afterward. They received the US Hull classification symbol APD; "AP" for transport and "D" for destroyer....
(High Speed Transports). This involved adding an extra deck which allowed space for about 10 officers and 150 men. Two large davit
Davit
A davit is a structure, usually made of steel, which is used to lower things over an edge of a long drop off such as lowering a maintenance trapeze down a building or launching a lifeboat over the side of a ship....
s were also installed, one on either side of the ship from which landing craft (LCVP
LCVP
The Landing Craft, Vehicle, Personnel or Higgins boat was a landing craft used extensively in amphibious landings in World War II. The craft was designed by Andrew Higgins of Louisiana, United States, based on boats made for operating in swamps and marshes...
) could be launched. The modern Littoral Combat Ship
Littoral combat ship
A Littoral Combat Ship is a type of relatively small surface vessel intended for operations in the littoral zone . It is "envisioned to be a networked, agile, stealthy surface combatant capable of defeating anti-access and asymmetric threats in the littorals." Two ship classes are the first...
also adds transport and boat launching capabilities to a ship smaller than a destroyer.
As an alternative to steam turbine propulsion, many US DEs of the WW2 period had diesel-electric or turbo-electric drive, in which the engine rooms functioned as power stations supplying current to electric motors sited close to the propellers. Electric drive was selected because it does not need gearboxes (which were heavily in demand for the fast fleet destroyers) to adjust engine speed to the much lower optimum speed for the propellers. The current from the engine room can be used equally well for other purposes, and post-WW2 many DEs were recycled as floating power stations for coastal cities in Latin America under programs funded by the World Bank.
Battle off Samar
Destroyer escorts were not meant to fight against cruisers and battleships, but that is what happened in the Battle off SamarBattle off Samar
The Battle off Samar was the centermost action of the Battle of Leyte Gulf, one of the largest naval battles in history, which took place in the Philippine Sea off Samar Island, in the Philippines on 25 October 1944...
. While Admiral Halsey's main force of US carriers and battleships was pursuing the Japanese decoy carrier force, the task of guarding the landing ships and troops fell to escort carriers, destroyers and destroyer escorts. While the escort carriers launched their planes, the Butler-class destroyer escort ship Samuel B. Roberts
USS Samuel B. Roberts (DE-413)
USS Samuel B. Roberts was a John C. Butler-class destroyer escort of the United States Navy.Samuel B. Roberts was part of the Battle off Samar, an unlikely victory in which relatively light U.S. warships prevented a superior Japanese force from attacking the amphibious invasion fleet off the large...
of task group Taffy 3 joined other out-gunned destroyers in a counter-attack against Admiral Kurita's powerful force of Japanese cruisers and battleships.
With no armor, only two 5-inch guns and 3 Mark-15 torpedoes capable of punching a hole in enemy hulls, her crew lacked the weapons and training in tactics to compete with the much larger heavy cruiser Chokai. The Roberts dodged shellfire to fire a salvo of 3 torpedoes which struck the cruiser. The battle continued for an hour, and the Roberts fired over 600 5-inch shells, and hit the upper works with 40 mm Bofors and 20 mm anti-aircraft guns at close range. Chikumas bridge was set afire and the number 3 gun turret was disabled. Chikuma scored two direct hits on the Roberts, which soon sank with 89 of her crew. After the battle the Roberts became known as "the destroyer escort that fought like a battleship". The Roberts was an instrumental part of a small task force of light ships that forced a much larger armoured battle force to turn away from American landing forces in Leyte Gulf, though at a high cost.
Postwar U.S. ship reclassification
After World War II United States Navy destroyer escorts were referred to as ocean escortOcean escort
Ocean Escort was a type of United States Navy warship.Ocean Escorts were an evolution of the World War II destroyer escort types. They were intended as convoy escorts and were designed for mobilization production in wartime or low-cost mass production in peacetime.Their hull classification symbol...
s, but retained the hull classification symbol
Hull classification symbol
The United States Navy, United States Coast Guard, and United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration use hull classification symbols to identify their ship types and each individual ship within each type...
DE. However other navies, most notably those of NATO countries and the USSR, followed different naming conventions for this type of ship which resulted in some confusion. In order to remedy this problem the 1975 ship reclassification
United States Navy 1975 ship reclassification
The United States Navy reclassified many of its surface vessels in 1975, changing terminology and hull classification symbols for cruisers, frigates, and ocean escorts.- Classification prior to 1975 :...
reclassified ocean escorts (and by extension, destroyer escorts) as Frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
s (FF). This brought the USN's nomenclature more in line with NATO, and made it easier to compare ship types with the Soviet Union (see Cruiser Gap
United States Navy 1975 ship reclassification
The United States Navy reclassified many of its surface vessels in 1975, changing terminology and hull classification symbols for cruisers, frigates, and ocean escorts.- Classification prior to 1975 :...
). As of 2006 there are no plans for future frigates for the US Navy. The DDG Zumwalt and the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS)
Littoral combat ship
A Littoral Combat Ship is a type of relatively small surface vessel intended for operations in the littoral zone . It is "envisioned to be a networked, agile, stealthy surface combatant capable of defeating anti-access and asymmetric threats in the littorals." Two ship classes are the first...
are the main ship types planned in this area. One major problem with ship classification is whether to base it on a ship's role (such as escort or air defense), or on its size (such as the amount of tons). One example of this ambiguity are the Ticonderoga-class
Ticonderoga class cruiser
The Ticonderoga class of missile cruisers is a class of warships in the United States Navy, first ordered and authorized in FY 1978. The class uses phased-array radar and was originally planned as a class of destroyers...
air defense ships, which are classified as cruiser
Cruiser
A cruiser is a type of warship. The term has been in use for several hundreds of years, and has had different meanings throughout this period...
even though they use the same hull as the Spruance class destroyer
Spruance class destroyer
The Spruance-class destroyer was developed by the United States to replace a large number of World War II-built Allen M. Sumner- and Gearing-class destroyers, and was the primary destroyer built for the U.S. Navy during the 1970s....
.
- List of destroyer escorts of the United States Navy
US Navy destroyer escort class overview
| Class Name | Lead Ship | Commissioned | Ships Built |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evarts class Evarts class destroyer escort The Evarts class destroyer escorts were destroyer escorts launched in the United States in 1942–1944. They served in World War II as convoy escorts and anti-submarine warfare ships. They were also known as the GMT or "short hull" DE class, with GMT standing for General Motors Tandem Diesel... |
USS Evarts (DE-5) USS Evarts (DE-5) USS Evarts was the lead ship of her class of destroyer escorts in the United States Navy. She was named for Milo Burnell Evarts.Evarts was launched on 7 December 1942 at the Boston Navy Yard in Boston, Massachusetts, as BDE-5, intended for transfer to Britain. Instead, she was retained for use in... |
15 April 1943 | 72 |
| Buckley class Buckley class destroyer escort The Buckley class destroyer escorts were 102 destroyer escorts launched in the United States in 1943 - 1944. They served in World War II as convoy escorts and anti-submarine warfare ships. The lead ship was USS Buckley which was launched on 9 January 1943. The ships had General Electric steam... |
USS Buckley (DE-51) USS Buckley (DE-51) USS Buckley , a of the United States Navy, was named in honor of Ordnanceman John D. Buckley , who was killed in action during the Japanese attack on the Hawaiian Islands.... |
30 April 1943 | 102 |
| Cannon class Cannon class destroyer escort The Cannon class destroyer escorts were built primarily for ocean Anti-Submarine Warfare escort service during World War II. The lead ship, was commissioned on 26 September 1943 at Wilmington, Delaware. The class was also known as the DET type from their Diesel Electric Tandem drive. Of the 116... |
USS Cannon (DE-99) USS Cannon (DE-99) USS Cannon was a destroyer escort launched on 25 May 1943 by the Dravo Corporation in Wilmington, Delaware and was sponsored by Mrs. E. H. Cannon. Cannon was commissioned on 26 September 1943, with Lieutenant Commander G. Morris in command, and reported to the United States Atlantic Fleet. The... |
26 September 1943 | 72 |
| Edsall class Edsall class destroyer escort The Edsall class destroyer escorts were built primarily for ocean anti-submarine escort service during World War II. The lead ship, USS Edsall was commissioned on 10 April 1943 at Orange, Texas. The class was also known as the FMR type from their Fairbanks-Morse Reduction-geared diesel drive... |
USS Edsall (DE-129) USS Edsall (DE-129) USS Edsall was the lead ship of her class of destroyer escort in the United States Navy. She was the second Navy ship named in honor of Seaman Norman Edsall .... |
10 April 1943 | 85 |
| Rudderow class Rudderow class destroyer escort The Rudderow class destroyer escorts were destroyer escorts launched in the United States in 1943 to 1945. Of this class, 22 were completed as destroyer escorts, and 50 were completed as Crosley-class high speed transport and were re-classified as High speed transport APDs. One ship was converted... |
USS Rudderow (DE-224) USS Rudderow (DE-224) USS Rudderow was a United States Navy destroyer escort named after Thomas Wright Rudderow. Lead ship of her class, she was laid down on 15 July 1943 at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, launched on 14 October 1943 and commissioned on 15 May 1944, Lieutenant-Commander Malcolm W... |
15 May 1944 | 22 |
| John C. Butler class John C. Butler class destroyer escort The John C. Butler class destroyer escort originated during World War II. The lead ship was the , commissioned on 31 March 1944. The class was also known as the WGT type from their Westinghouse Geared Turbine drive... |
USS John C. Butler (DE-339) USS John C. Butler (DE-339) USS John C. Butler was the lead ship of her class of destroyer escorts in the service of the United States Navy, named after Ensign John C. Butler , who was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for his actions in the Battle of Midway.John C... |
31 March 1944 | 87 |
| Dealey class Dealey class destroyer escort The Dealey class destroyer escorts were the first post-World War II escort ships built for the United States Navy.Slightly faster and larger than the escort destroyers of the previous era, they were fitted with twin-mounted 3 inch guns, ASW rockets, a depth charge rack and 6 depth charge launchers... |
USS Dealey (DE-1006) USS Dealey (DE-1006) USS Dealey , the lead ship of her class of destroyer escort, was a ship of the United States Navy named for Commander Samuel D. Dealey, who was awarded the Medal of Honor as captain of the famous World War II submarine USS Harder.-History:... |
3 June 1954 | 13 |
| Claud Jones class Claud Jones class destroyer escort The Claud Jones class destroyer escorts were four ships built for the US Navy in the late 1950s. These ships were a Diesel version of the earlier Dealey class and were designed with the aim of producing a cheaper ship suitable for rapid production in wartime. These ships also had reduced armament... |
USS Claud Jones (DE-1033) USS Claud Jones (DE-1033) USS Claud Jones was launched 27 May 1958 by Avondale Marine Ways, Avondale, Louisiana, sponsored by Mrs. M. R. J. Wyllie; and commissioned 10 February 1959, Lieutenant Commander W. M. Cone in command... |
10 February 1959 | 4 |
Captain class frigates of the Royal Navy
Under the Lend-LeaseLend-Lease
Lend-Lease was the program under which the United States of America supplied the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, China, Free France, and other Allied nations with materiel between 1941 and 1945. It was signed into law on March 11, 1941, a year and a half after the outbreak of war in Europe in...
agreement, the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
received 32 destroyer escorts of the Evarts class
Evarts class destroyer escort
The Evarts class destroyer escorts were destroyer escorts launched in the United States in 1942–1944. They served in World War II as convoy escorts and anti-submarine warfare ships. They were also known as the GMT or "short hull" DE class, with GMT standing for General Motors Tandem Diesel...
and 46 of the Buckley class
Buckley class destroyer escort
The Buckley class destroyer escorts were 102 destroyer escorts launched in the United States in 1943 - 1944. They served in World War II as convoy escorts and anti-submarine warfare ships. The lead ship was USS Buckley which was launched on 9 January 1943. The ships had General Electric steam...
. The Royal Navy initially used the names of captains of the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
for the ships; hence the Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
calling these ships the Captain class frigate
Captain class frigate
The Captain class were 78 frigates of the Royal Navy, constructed in the United States, launched in 1942–1943 and delivered to the United Kingdom under the provisions of Lend-Lease. They served in World War II as convoy escorts, anti-submarine warfare vessels and coastal forces control frigates...
s.
The main design difference between the Royal Navy frigates and the US Navy destroyer escorts was that the British Buckley class had the forward torpedo tubes removed (the Evarts class was not designed to carry torpedo tubes As well, British frigates had the ice cream makers, the iced water fountains, the dishwashers, and laundries (in some ships) removed, and the replacing of the primitive American two seat "thunder trough" toilets (which did not offer even so much as a simple canvas screen to spare blushes) with an enclosed water closet.
Free French
Six Cannon classCannon class destroyer escort
The Cannon class destroyer escorts were built primarily for ocean Anti-Submarine Warfare escort service during World War II. The lead ship, was commissioned on 26 September 1943 at Wilmington, Delaware. The class was also known as the DET type from their Diesel Electric Tandem drive. Of the 116...
Destroyer Escorts were built for the Free French Navy. Although initially transferred under the Lend-lease Act these ships were permanently transferred under the Mutual Defense Assistance Program.
List of Free French Destroyer escorts
- FFL Algérien (F-1), ex-Cronin (DE-107)
- FFL Sénégalais (F-2), ex-Corbestier (DE-106)
- FFL Somali (F-3), ex-Somali (DE-111)
- FFL Hova (F-4), ex-Hova (DE-110)
- FFL Marocain (F-5), ex-Marocain (DE-109)
- FFL Tunisien (F-6), ex-Crosley (DE-108)
Mutual Defense Assistance Program - Post WWII
Under the Mutual Defense Assistance ProgramMutual Defense Assistance Act
The Mutual Defense Assistance Act was a United States Act of Congress signed by President Harry S. Truman on 6 October 1949. For US Foreign policy, it was the first U.S. military foreign aid legislation of the Cold War era, and initially to Europe...
(MDAP) the Destroyer Escorts leased to the Free French were permanently transferred to the French Navy. In addition the following navies also acquired Destroyer Escorts:
French NavyFrench NavyThe French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military. It includes a full range of fighting vessels, from patrol boats to a nuclear powered aircraft carrier and 10 nuclear-powered submarines, four of which are capable of launching...
- DE-1007, DE-1008, DE-1009, DE-1010, DE-1011, DE-1012, DE-1013, DE-1016, DE-1017, DE-1018, DE1019
Hellenic NavyHellenic NavyThe Hellenic Navy is the naval force of Greece, part of the Greek Armed Forces. The modern Greek navy has its roots in the naval forces of various Aegean Islands, which fought in the Greek War of Independence...
- DE-173USS Eldridge (DE-173)USS Eldridge , a , was a ship of the United States Navy named for Lieutenant Commander John Eldridge, Jr., a hero of the invasion of the Solomon Islands. Its keel was laid down by the Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company in Newark, New Jersey. Eldridge was launched on 25 July 1943, sponsored...
, DE-766USS Slater (DE-766)USS Slater is a Cannon-class destroyer escort that served in the United States Navy and later in the Hellenic Navy. The ship was named for Frank O. Slater of Alabama, a sailor killed on the USS San Francisco during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. He was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for...
, DE-768USS Ebert (DE-768)USS Ebert was a built for the United States Navy during World War II. She served in the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and provided escort service against submarine and air attack for Navy vessels and convoys....
, DE-193USS Garfield Thomas (DE-193)USS Garfield Thomas was a built for the United States Navy during World War II. She served in the Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean and provided escort service against submarine and air attack for Navy vessels and convoys....
Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force
- DE-168USS Amick (DE-168)USS Amick was a built for the United States Navy during World War II. She served in the Atlantic Ocean and then the Pacific Ocean and provided escort service against submarine and air attack for Navy vessels and convoys....
, DE-169USS Atherton (DE-169)USS Atherton , a , was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for Lt. John McDougal Atherton, who died when the sank near Guadalcanal during World War II....
Philippine NavyPhilippine NavyThe Philippine Navy is the naval arm of the Armed Forces of the Philippines . Its official name in Filipino is Hukbong Dagat ng Pilipinas, literally, "Sea Force of the Philippines"....
- DE-168USS Amick (DE-168)USS Amick was a built for the United States Navy during World War II. She served in the Atlantic Ocean and then the Pacific Ocean and provided escort service against submarine and air attack for Navy vessels and convoys....
, DE-169USS Atherton (DE-169)USS Atherton , a , was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for Lt. John McDougal Atherton, who died when the sank near Guadalcanal during World War II....
, DE-170USS Booth (DE-170)USS Booth was a built for the United States Navy during World War II. She served in the Atlantic Ocean and then the Pacific Ocean and provided escort service against submarine and air attack for Navy vessels and convoys....
, DE-770USS Muir (DE-770)USS Muir was a built for the United States Navy during World War II. She served in the Atlantic Ocean and provided escort service against submarine and air attack for Navy vessels and convoys....
, DE-771USS Sutton (DE-771)USS Sutton was a built for the United States Navy during World War II. She served in the Atlantic Ocean and provided escort service against submarine and air attack for Navy vessels and convoys....
, DE-251USS Camp (DE-251)USS Camp was an built for the U.S. Navy during World War II. She served in the Atlantic Ocean the Pacific Ocean and provided destroyer escort protection against submarine and air attack for Navy vessels and convoys....
, DE-637USS Bowers (DE-637)USS Bowers , a Buckley class destroyer escort of the United States Navy, was named in honor of Ensign Robert K. Bowers , who was killed in action aboard the battleship USS California during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941.Bowers was laid down on 28 May 1943 at San Francisco,...
Royal Netherlands NavyRoyal Netherlands NavyThe Koninklijke Marine is the navy of the Netherlands. In the mid-17th century the Dutch Navy was the most powerful navy in the world and it played an active role in the wars of the Dutch Republic and later those of the Batavian Republic and the Kingdom of the Netherlands...
- USS Burrows (DE-105)USS Burrows (DE-105)USS Burrows was a built for the U.S. Navy during World War II. She served in both the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, and provided escort service against submarine and air attack for Navy vessels and convoys....
, USS Rinehart (DE-196)USS Rinehart (DE-196)USS Rinehart was a built for the United States Navy during World War II. She served in the Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean and provided escort service against submarine and air attack for Navy vessels and convoys....
, USS Gustafson (DE-182)USS Gustafson (DE-182)USS Gustafson was a built for the United States Navy during World War II. She served in the Atlantic Ocean and provided escort service against submarine and air attack for Navy vessels and convoys....
, USS O'Neill (DE-188)USS O'Neill (DE-188)USS O'Neill was a in the United States Navy. She was named for Ensign William Thomas O'Neill, Jr., killed on 7 December 1941, during the attack on Pearl Harbor, while serving aboard ....
, USS Eisner (DE-192)USS Eisner (DE-192)USS Eisner was a built for the United States Navy during World War II. She served in the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and provided escort service against submarine and air attack for Navy vessels and convoys....
, USS Stern (DE-187)USS Stern (DE-187)USS Stern was a built for the United States Navy during World War II. She served in the Atlantic Ocean and provided escort service against submarine and air attack for Navy vessels and convoys. She returned home at war's end with a three battle stars.She was named in honor of Charles M...
National Navy of UruguayNational Navy of UruguayThe National Navy of Uruguay is a branch of the Armed Forces of Uruguay under the direction of the Ministry of National Defense and the commander in chief of the Navy Admiral Juan H...
- DE-166USS Baron (DE-166)USS Baron was a built for the United States Navy during World War II. She served in the Pacific Ocean and provided escort service against submarine and air attack for Navy vessels and convoys...
, DE-189USS Bronstein (DE-189)USS Bronstein was a built for the United States Navy during World War II. She served in the Atlantic Ocean and provided escort service against submarine and air attack for Navy vessels and convoys. She returned home at war's end with a three battle stars...
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See also
- The Enemy BelowThe Enemy BelowThe Enemy Below is a 1957 war film which tells the story of the battle between the captain of an American destroyer escort and the commander of a German U-boat during World War II. It stars Robert Mitchum, Curt Jürgens, David Hedison and Theodore Bikel. The movie was directed and produced by Dick...
for a movie filmed on a DE. - Modern Naval tacticsModern naval tacticsThe term modern naval tactics refers to tactical doctrines developed after World War II, following the final obsolescence of the battleship and the development of long-range missiles. Since there has been no major naval conflict since World War II, with the exception of the Falklands War, many of...
. - FrigateFrigateA frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
- DestroyerDestroyerIn naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
- Lists
- List of destroyer escorts of the United States Navy
- List of frigates of the United States Navy subset of above with hull numbers DE/FF 1037 and higher plus all DEG/FFGs because of the United States Navy 1975 ship reclassificationUnited States Navy 1975 ship reclassificationThe United States Navy reclassified many of its surface vessels in 1975, changing terminology and hull classification symbols for cruisers, frigates, and ocean escorts.- Classification prior to 1975 :...
- List of frigates of the United States Navy subset of above with hull numbers DE/FF 1037 and higher plus all DEG/FFGs because of the United States Navy 1975 ship reclassification
- List of frigates
- Captain class frigateCaptain class frigateThe Captain class were 78 frigates of the Royal Navy, constructed in the United States, launched in 1942–1943 and delivered to the United Kingdom under the provisions of Lend-Lease. They served in World War II as convoy escorts, anti-submarine warfare vessels and coastal forces control frigates...
- List of destroyer escorts of the United States Navy
External links
- http://www.desausa.org/ Destroyer Escort Sailors Association (DESA).
- http://www.ussslater.org/ USS Slater, the Destroyer Escort Historical Museum.
- Free cardstock model plan of Butler class Destroyer Escort, to print off and assemble]
- USS Slater Photos on board the Destroyer Escort USS Slater DE-766
- USS Bangust WWII Photos of life on board the Destroyer Escort USS Bangust DE-739 in WWII
- Destroyer Escort Bangust DE-739 Home Page
- http://www.captainclassfrigates.co.uk/ the Captain Class Frigates Association.
- Escort http://www.uboat.net/
- http://www.sunwestmonograms.com/wiseman/destroyer_escort.htm
- http://www.cavalla244.org/StewartDescription.htm
- Why DE boats are death to subs August 1943 Popular SciencePopular SciencePopular Science is an American monthly magazine founded in 1872 carrying articles for the general reader on science and technology subjects. Popular Science has won over 58 awards, including the ASME awards for its journalistic excellence in both 2003 and 2004...
article on destroyer escort with large illustration