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USS Dufilho (DE-423)
Encyclopedia
USS Dufilho (DE-423), a , is the only ship of the United States Navy
to be named for Marion William Dufilho
. She was laid down 31 January 1944 by Brown Shipbuilding
of Houston, Texas
, launched 9 March 1944, sponsored by Mrs. M. W. Dufilho, widow of Lieutenant Dufilho, and commissioned 21 July 1944, Commander A. H. Nienau, USNR, in command.
The USS Dufilho escorted with Admiral R. E. Ingersoll, Commander-in-Chief, Atlantic Fleet embarked on a tour of inspection of the Caribbean naval bases between 18 September and 19 October 1944. After a voyage to Casablanca
, French Morocco
, as escort for from 24 October to 14 November, Dufilho sailed from Norfolk 7 December for the Pacific, passed through the Panama Canal
on 17 December, crossed the Equator on 20 December, and arrived at Manus, Admiralty Islands
, 15 January 1945.
s bound with reinforcements of men and supplies for Lingayen Gulf, Luzon. She patrolled there on 9 February and 10 February while the men and supplies were unloaded, then sailed to San Pedro Bay, Leyte, 14 February. She continued to escort supply convoys from Morotai and Leyte to Subic Bay and Lingayen Gulf until the 27th when she was assigned to the San Bernardino-Verde Islands Minesweeping unit guarding minecraft as they cleared the sea lane to Manila, as well as taking part in naval and amphibious operations along this route. Arriving at Subic Bay 6 March, Dufilho operated on antisubmarine patrol and escort duty.
Between 26 April and 5 July 1945, Dufilho joined in the Borneo operation, escorting shipping from the Philippines and Mios Woendi to Morotai in preparation for the landings at Tarakan and Brunei Bay in May and June. She convoyed reinforcements to Tarakan, and patrolled off the beaches during the assaults at Brunei Bay, escorted support troops in, and returned with empty landing craft to San Pedro Bay.
After brief overhaul, Dufilho patrolled out of Leyte on antisubmarine, air-sea rescue, weather reporting and escort duty. On 2 August 1945 she aided in the rescue of survivors from . Lieutenant Commander Nienau, the circulation man for the Seattle Star
before the war, pieced together radio messages regarding "debris in the water" and sped to the debris coordinates. Arriving after dark, the Dufilho lookouts spotted a lone survivor, Seaman Second Class Francis N. Rineay of New Orleans. While the whaleboat was picking up Seaman Rineay, the Dufilho's sonar picked up a strong sonar contact only 900 yards (823 m) away. Concerned the Japanese submarine might still be lurking in the area, the Dufilho attacked with depth charges and hedgehogs. After 20 minutes with no evidence of a destroyed submarine, the Dufilho picked up the whaleboat and survivor and commenced screening for the rescue operation until 1615 the following afternoon, when she was released to return to Leyte.
Following a voyage to Okinawa to convoy LSTs and LSMs to Leyte for repairs, Dufilho sailed from Leyte 6 September and after calling at Okinawa, arrived at Shanghai 22 September, the first ship to enter Shanghai harbor in four years. She operated on a variety of duties at port and Hong Kong
until 5 January 1946 when she sailed for the west coast. Dufilho arrived at San Diego 12 February and was decommissioned on 14 May 1946. Dufilho was stricken from the inventory on 1 December 1972 and was sold for scrapping on 1 August 1973 by the Defense Reutilizaiton and Marketing Service.
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...
to be named for Marion William Dufilho
Marion William Dufilho
Marion William Dufilho, born 22 May 1916 in Opelousas, LA, graduated from the Naval Academy 2 June 1938. On 24 August 1942, while serving as a section leader in Fighting Squadron 5 in Saratoga , Lieutenant Dufilho was killed in action in the Battle of the Eastern Solomons...
. She was laid down 31 January 1944 by Brown Shipbuilding
Brown Shipbuilding
The Brown Shipbuilding Company was founded in Houston, Texas in 1942 as a subsidiary of Brown and Root by brothers Herman and George R. Brown to build ships for the US Navy during World War II....
of Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, launched 9 March 1944, sponsored by Mrs. M. W. Dufilho, widow of Lieutenant Dufilho, and commissioned 21 July 1944, Commander A. H. Nienau, USNR, in command.
The USS Dufilho escorted with Admiral R. E. Ingersoll, Commander-in-Chief, Atlantic Fleet embarked on a tour of inspection of the Caribbean naval bases between 18 September and 19 October 1944. After a voyage to Casablanca
Casablanca
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...
, French Morocco
French Morocco
French Protectorate of Morocco was a French protectorate in Morocco, established by the Treaty of Fez. French Morocco did not include the north of the country, which was a Spanish protectorate...
, as escort for from 24 October to 14 November, Dufilho sailed from Norfolk 7 December for the Pacific, passed through the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
on 17 December, crossed the Equator on 20 December, and arrived at Manus, Admiralty Islands
Admiralty Islands
The Admiralty Islands are a group of eighteen islands in the Bismarck Archipelago, to the north of New Guinea in the south Pacific Ocean. These are also sometimes called the Manus Islands, after the largest island. These rainforest-covered islands form part of Manus Province, the smallest and...
, 15 January 1945.
History
Dufilho got underway for Leyte 23 January 1945 but was diverted to Morotai to join the escort for a convoy of 80 LSTTank landing ship
Landing Ship, Tank was the military designation for naval vessels created during World War II to support amphibious operations by carrying significant quantities of vehicles, cargo, and landing troops directly onto an unimproved shore....
s bound with reinforcements of men and supplies for Lingayen Gulf, Luzon. She patrolled there on 9 February and 10 February while the men and supplies were unloaded, then sailed to San Pedro Bay, Leyte, 14 February. She continued to escort supply convoys from Morotai and Leyte to Subic Bay and Lingayen Gulf until the 27th when she was assigned to the San Bernardino-Verde Islands Minesweeping unit guarding minecraft as they cleared the sea lane to Manila, as well as taking part in naval and amphibious operations along this route. Arriving at Subic Bay 6 March, Dufilho operated on antisubmarine patrol and escort duty.
Between 26 April and 5 July 1945, Dufilho joined in the Borneo operation, escorting shipping from the Philippines and Mios Woendi to Morotai in preparation for the landings at Tarakan and Brunei Bay in May and June. She convoyed reinforcements to Tarakan, and patrolled off the beaches during the assaults at Brunei Bay, escorted support troops in, and returned with empty landing craft to San Pedro Bay.
After brief overhaul, Dufilho patrolled out of Leyte on antisubmarine, air-sea rescue, weather reporting and escort duty. On 2 August 1945 she aided in the rescue of survivors from . Lieutenant Commander Nienau, the circulation man for the Seattle Star
Seattle Star
The Seattle Star was a daily newspaper that ran from February 25, 1899, to August 13, 1947. It was owned by E.W. Scripps and in 1920 was transferred to Scripps McRae League of Newspapers , after a falling-out within the Scripps family...
before the war, pieced together radio messages regarding "debris in the water" and sped to the debris coordinates. Arriving after dark, the Dufilho lookouts spotted a lone survivor, Seaman Second Class Francis N. Rineay of New Orleans. While the whaleboat was picking up Seaman Rineay, the Dufilho's sonar picked up a strong sonar contact only 900 yards (823 m) away. Concerned the Japanese submarine might still be lurking in the area, the Dufilho attacked with depth charges and hedgehogs. After 20 minutes with no evidence of a destroyed submarine, the Dufilho picked up the whaleboat and survivor and commenced screening for the rescue operation until 1615 the following afternoon, when she was released to return to Leyte.
Following a voyage to Okinawa to convoy LSTs and LSMs to Leyte for repairs, Dufilho sailed from Leyte 6 September and after calling at Okinawa, arrived at Shanghai 22 September, the first ship to enter Shanghai harbor in four years. She operated on a variety of duties at port and Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
until 5 January 1946 when she sailed for the west coast. Dufilho arrived at San Diego 12 February and was decommissioned on 14 May 1946. Dufilho was stricken from the inventory on 1 December 1972 and was sold for scrapping on 1 August 1973 by the Defense Reutilizaiton and Marketing Service.