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USS Chatelain (DE-149)
Encyclopedia
USS Chatelain (DE-149) was an built for the U.S. Navy during World War II
. She served in the Atlantic Ocean
and the Pacific Ocean
, providing destroyer escort protection against submarine
and air attack for Navy vessels and convoys. At war’s end, she returned home proudly with five battle stars and the Presidential Unit Citation.
She was named in honor of Hubert Paul Chatelain
who was awarded a Silver Star
posthumously for his valiant actions before he was killed in action 26 October 1942 during the Battle of Santa Cruz
.
Chatelain (DE-149) was launched 21 April 1943 by Consolidated Steel Corp. of Orange, Texas
; sponsored by Mrs. L. T. Chatelain; commissioned 22 September 1943, Lieutenant Commander J. L. Foley in command; and reported to the Atlantic Fleet.
submarines, Chatelain escorted two convoys from east coast ports to Derry
and Gibraltar
between 20 November 1943 and 7 March 1944, and was then assigned to operate as part of the hunter-killer group formed around . During the last year of the European war, while operating with the Guadalcanal group, Chatelain joined in the sinking of two German submarines, and the capture of a third.
to the United States. was detected when her radio
transmissions were picked up, and planes and ships of the task group
pressed home a firm attack. Chatelain forced the enemy submarine to the surface with two depth charge
attacks, then joined in the general firing at point-blank range which followed, sending U-515 to the bottom at 34°35′N 19°18′W.
at a U-boat
. A second attack by Chatelain, this time with depth charges, holed 's outer hull and forced her to surface, her crew jumping overboard as she broke water. Now the task group seized its chance to carry out the boarding operation it had been planning for months, for the first capture by Americans of an intact German submarine. Successful in taking control of the submarine and executing the damage control that made its towing practicable, the group was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for this action.
. She was decommissioned and placed in reserve at Green Cove Springs, Florida
on 14 June 1946.
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...
. She served in the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
and the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
, providing destroyer escort protection against submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
and air attack for Navy vessels and convoys. At war’s end, she returned home proudly with five battle stars and the Presidential Unit Citation.
She was named in honor of Hubert Paul Chatelain
Hubert Paul Chatelain
Hubert Paul Chatelain, born in Mansura, Louisiana, February 11, 1917, enlisted in the United States Navy July 10, 1935.-Awarded the Silver Star:...
who was awarded a Silver Star
Silver Star
The Silver Star is the third-highest combat military decoration that can be awarded to a member of any branch of the United States armed forces for valor in the face of the enemy....
posthumously for his valiant actions before he was killed in action 26 October 1942 during the Battle of Santa Cruz
Battle of Santa Cruz
The Battle of Santa Cruz may refer to:*1656 Battle of Santa Cruz de Tenerife during the Anglo-Spanish War in the Canary Islands, Spain...
.
Chatelain (DE-149) was launched 21 April 1943 by Consolidated Steel Corp. of Orange, Texas
Orange, Texas
Orange is a city in Orange County, Texas, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 18,643. It is the county seat of Orange County, and is the easternmost city in Texas. Located on the Sabine River at the border with Louisiana, it is part of the Beaumont–Port Arthur...
; sponsored by Mrs. L. T. Chatelain; commissioned 22 September 1943, Lieutenant Commander J. L. Foley in command; and reported to the Atlantic Fleet.
World War II North Atlantic operations
Destined to play an important part in sweeping the Atlantic of GermanGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
submarines, Chatelain escorted two convoys from east coast ports to Derry
Derry
Derry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...
and Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
between 20 November 1943 and 7 March 1944, and was then assigned to operate as part of the hunter-killer group formed around . During the last year of the European war, while operating with the Guadalcanal group, Chatelain joined in the sinking of two German submarines, and the capture of a third.
Sinking of the German submarine U-515
Her first action took place 9 April 1944, as her group sailed from CasablancaCasablanca
Casablanca is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Grand Casablanca region.Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It is also the biggest city in the Maghreb. The 2004 census recorded a population of 2,949,805 in the prefecture...
to the United States. was detected when her radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
transmissions were picked up, and planes and ships of the task group
Task force
A task force is a unit or formation established to work on a single defined task or activity. Originally introduced by the United States Navy, the term has now caught on for general usage and is a standard part of NATO terminology...
pressed home a firm attack. Chatelain forced the enemy submarine to the surface with two depth charge
Depth charge
A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare weapon intended to destroy or cripple a target submarine by the shock of exploding near it. Most use explosives and a fuze set to go off at a preselected depth in the ocean. Depth charges can be dropped by either surface ships, patrol aircraft, or from...
attacks, then joined in the general firing at point-blank range which followed, sending U-515 to the bottom at 34°35′N 19°18′W.
Capturing the German submarine U-505
On 4 June 1944, Chatelain had the distinction of initiating one of the most dramatic incidents of the war, when she made a sound contact, and hurled a barrage of hedgehogsHedgehog (weapon)
The Hedgehog was an anti-submarine weapon developed by the Royal Navy during World War II, that was deployed on convoy escort warships such as destroyers to supplement the depth charge. The weapon worked by firing a number of small spigot mortar bombs from spiked fittings...
at a U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
. A second attack by Chatelain, this time with depth charges, holed 's outer hull and forced her to surface, her crew jumping overboard as she broke water. Now the task group seized its chance to carry out the boarding operation it had been planning for months, for the first capture by Americans of an intact German submarine. Successful in taking control of the submarine and executing the damage control that made its towing practicable, the group was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for this action.
Sinking of German submarine U-546
In one of the last antisubmarine actions of the Atlantic war, Chatelain took part in a 12-hour hunt for the submarine which had torpedoed on 24 April 1945. Eight other ships joined her as the group again and again attacked , sinking her finally at 43°53′N 40°07′W.End-of-War decommissioning
Chatelain had patrol and convoy escort duty, as well as serving as plane guard during aviation exercises, until 20 November 1945, when she arrived at Charleston, South CarolinaCharleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
. She was decommissioned and placed in reserve at Green Cove Springs, Florida
Green Cove Springs, Florida
Green Cove Springs is a city in Clay County, Florida, United States. The population was 5,378 at the 2000 census. As of 2010, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 6,908. It is the county seat of Clay County....
on 14 June 1946.