John C. Butler-class destroyer escort explained

The John C. Butler class were destroyer escorts that originated during World War II. The lead ship was, commissioned on 31 March 1944. The class was also known as the WGT type from their Westinghouse geared turbine drive.[1] Of the 293 ships originally planned, 206 were canceled in 1944 and a further four after being laid down; three were not completed until after the end of World War II.

History

The standard armament for the class was two 5abbr=onNaNabbr=on dual purpose guns, four 40 mm and ten 20 mm anti-aircraft guns, and three 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes. It also carried two depth charge racks, eight K-gun depth charge projectors and one hedgehog projector as secondary weapons. The ships had a maximum speed of 24lk=inNaNlk=in.

The most notable ship of this class was, which gained fame during the Battle of Leyte Gulf, where she, along with several other ships, engaged a number of cruisers and battleships of the Imperial Japanese Navy in a torpedo attack, where she was sunk after taking several hits.[2] During this action, Samuel B. Roberts achieved a speed of 28.7kn for over an hour by running her engines at 660lk=onNaNlk=on.[3] She is known in naval lore as "the destroyer escort that fought like a battleship". The other two ships of this class lost were USS Shelton and USS Eversole.

Also notable was for which Captain Henry Lee Plage earned the Legion of Merit, while the entire crew earned the Navy's Unit Commendation Ribbon for taking the initiative to rescue other ships after a disastrous storm. In December 1944, the ship lost her mast and radio antennas riding out Typhoon Cobra, which killed 790 sailors (more than were lost at the battles of Midway and Coral Sea combined). Although damaged and unable to radio for help, she was first on the scene to recover 55 of only 93 total rescued from three destroyers which capsized in the heavy seas.

A floating history museum of the destroyer escorts resides in Albany, New York.[4] (a related) is docked during temperate months on the Hudson River in Albany, New York. An,, is also on display as a museum ship in Galveston, Texas.

Ships in class

Construction data
Ship NameBuilderLaid downLaunchedFate
DE-339Consolidated Steel Corporation, Orange, Texas5 October 194312 November 194331 March 1944 18 December 1957Struck 1 June 1970, sunk as target 1971
DE-3404 October 194314 December 19438 April 1944January 1947Struck 1 December 1972, sold for scrap 27 November 1973
DE-3413 November 19438 January 194415 April 194422 September 1958Struck 1 July 1972, sunk as target off Florida on 22 January 1974
DE-3421 November 194311 January 194426 April 194415 January 1947Struck 15 March 1972, sold for scrap 13 June 1973
DE-3438 November 194314 January 19441 May 194415 June 1946Struck 1 May 1967, sunk as target 7 January 1968
DE-3448 November 194318 January 194411 May 194411 July 1945Struck 25 July 1945, sunk as a target 6 November 1945
DE-34516 November 194322 January 194418 May 194416 September 1946Struck 1 January 1968, sunk as target off California 9 January 1969
DE-34615 November 194325 January 194425 May 194425 September 1946Struck 1 December 1972, sold for scrap 12 September 1973
DE-34722 November 194329 January 194431 May 194421 June 1946Struck 1 January 1968, sunk as target off California 8 December 1968
DE-34814 December 194312 February 19445 June 19449 July 1946Struck 1 March 1972, sold for scrap 19 December 1972
DE-34913 December 194315 February 194414 June 19442 July 1946Struck 15 January 1972, sold for scrap 15 January 1973
DE-35019 December 194312 February 194420 June 19447 June 1946Struck 1 August 1967, sunk as target off California 17 August 1968
DE-35122 December 194319 February 194430 June 194430 October 1957Struck 1 May 1966, sunk as target August 1966
DE-35229 December 194329 February 19444 July 194417 June 1960Struck 1 January 1966, sunk as a target 11 July 1966
DE-35311 January 19444 March 194413 July 194415 January 1947Struck 1 December 1972, sold for scrap 12 September 1973
DE-35410 January 19447 March 194419 July 194426 February 1959Struck 1 July 1972, sunk as target off Puerto Rico 6 March 1974
DE-35525 January 194418 March 194426 July 194430 September 1946Struck 1 November 1967, sunk as target 4 October 1968
DE-35624 January 194421 March 19441 August 194410 October 1946Struck 15 January 1972, sold for scrap 13 June 1973
DE-35715 February 19448 April 194411 August 194411 November 1954Struck 1 December 1972, sold for scrap 2 January 1974
DE-35814 February 194411 April 194416 August 194411 December 1946Struck 15 March 1972, sold for scrap 13 June 1973
DE-3597 March 194429 April 194424 August 194411 August 1962Struck 1 July 1965, sold for scrap 16 August 1966
DE-3606 March 19442 May 194428 August 194425 February 1958Struck 1 July 1972, sold for scrap 5 February 1974
DE-36121 March 194420 May 19444 September 194420 September 1968Struck 23 September 1968, sunk as target 7 August 1969
DE-36220 March 194423 May 19447 September 19443 June 1946Struck 1 December 1972, sold for scrap 11 September 1973
DE-36311 April 19441 June 194418 September 194414 May 1946Struck 15 March 1972, sold for scrap 15 January 1973
DE-36410 April 19446 June 194420 September 19449 January 1958Struck 1 March 1972, sold for scrap 19 December 1972
DE-3653 May 19445 August 194425 September 194423 September 1968Struck 23 September 1968, sold for scrap 27 October 1969
DE-3661 May 19448 August 19447 October 194417 January 1959Struck 23 September 1968, sunk as target off California 19 September 1969
DE-3671 May 194417 June 19449 October 194429 May 1946Struck 15 May 1972, sold for scrap 20 September 1973
DE-36812 May 19441 July 194416 October 19442 July 1946Struck 1 July 1967, sunk as target 2 December 1967
DE-36923 May 194426 August 194425 October 19441 September 1967Struck 1 September 1967, sold for scrap 9 July 1968
DE-37022 May 194429 August 194431 October 194414 June 1946Struck 15 September 1970, sold for scrap 13 June 1973
DE-3716 June 194419 August 19447 November 194420 June 1946Struck 30 June 1968, sold for scrap 2 April 1970
DE-3725 June 194422 August 194411 November 19444 June 1946Struck 1 July 1967, sunk as target off California 29 June 1968
DE-402Brown Shipbuilding, Houston, Texas18 August 194316 November 194326 February 1944March 1946Struck 30 June 1968, sunk as target off California, 24 June 1969
DE-40318 August 194317 November 19439 March 19442 July 1946Struck 30 June 1968, sold for scrap June 1969
DE-40415 September 19433 December 194321 March 1944Sunk by Japanese Submarine off Leyte 28 October 1944
DE-40515 September 19434 December 194320 March 194431 May 1946Struck 1 December 1972, sold for scrap 12 September 1973
DE-4061 November 194317 December 19433 April 1944April 1965Struck 15 May 1972, sold for scrap 20 September 1973
DE-4071 November 194318 December 19434 April 1944Sunk by Japanese submarine Ro-41 off Morotai 3 October 1944
DE-40818 November 194330 December 19436 April 194415 January 1947Struck 1 May 1966, sunk as target August 1973
DE-40918 November 194331 December 194320 April 194411 May 1946Struck 15 January 1972, sold for scrap 15 January 1973
DE-41029 November 194310 January 194413 April 19441 June 1946Struck 30 June 1968, sold for scrap July 1969
DE-41129 November 194311 January 194419 April 194416 May 1946Struck 15 March 1972, sold for scrap 13 June 1973
DE-4126 December 194319 January 19442 May 194431 May 1946Struck 30 June 1968, sold for scrap June 1969
DE-4136 December 194320 January 194428 April 1944Sunk during the Battle off Samar 25 October 1944
DE-41420 December 194328 January 194410 May 194430 January 1959Struck 15 May 1972, sold for scrap 14 September 1973
DE-41520 December 194329 January 194413 May 194423 April 1946Struck 1 December 1972, sold for scrap 12 September 1973
DE-4163 January 19447 February 194416 May 194430 August 1960Struck 1 July 1972, sold for scrap 3 October 1973
DE-4173 January 19448 February 194414 June 194424 April 1946Struck 15 March 1972, sold for scrap 15 January 1973
DE-41812 January 194418 February 194423 May 1944May 1960Struck 1 July 1972, sold for scrap 3 October 1973
DE-41912 January 194419 February 194417 June 1944January 1965Struck 1 July 1972, sold for scrap 5 February 1974
DE-42021 January 194428 February 194419 June 19443 May 1946Struck 1 December 1972, sold for scrap 11 September 1973
DE-42121 January 194429 February 19443 July 194425 May 1960Struck 1 July 1972, sold for scrap 4 April 1974
DE-42231 January 19448 March 194411 July 194424 June 1960Struck 1 December 1965, sunk as target January 1966
DE-42331 January 19449 March 194421 July 194414 May 1946Struck 1 December 1972, Sold for scrap 12 September 1973
DE-42423 February 194420 March 19442 August 194424 January 1958Struck 1 July 1966, sold for scrap 6 September 1967
DE-438Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Newark, New Jersey4 November 194313 February 194431 March 19442 July 1946Struck 1 December 1972, sold for scrap 3 December 1973
DE-4394 November 194313 February 194421 April 194417 January 1946Struck 1 October 1970, sold for scrap 12 May 1972
DE-44018 November 194322 February 19442 May 19447 February 1957Struck 1 November 1968, sold to Portugal December 1968, scrapped 1970
DE-4412 December 19437 March 19441 June 194427 September 1957Struck 1 December 1972, sold for scrap 20 September 1973
DE-4422 December 19437 March 194418 July 194410 October 1958Struck 1 December 1965, sunk as target off San Nicholas Isle, California on 13 July 1966
DE-44316 December 194319 March 194431 July 194431 May 1946Struck 15 January 1972, sold for scrap 15 January 1973
DE-44416 December 194319 March 194426 August 194410 October 1958Struck 1 March 1972, sold for scrap 20 November 1972
DE-4453 January 19442 April 194411 September 194418 December 1957Struck 30 June 1968, sold for scrap June 1969
DE-44613 January 194423 April 19441 November 194423 September 1968Struck 23 September 1968, sold for scrap 27 October 1969
DE-44713 January 194416 April 194429 November 194421 September 1968Struck 23 September 1968, sunk as target off the Virginia Capes, 9 April 1969
DE-44819 March 19444 July 19448 January 19452 January 1958Struck 1 July 1966, sold for scrap 5 March 1968
DE-44923 March 19444 July 194427 January 194511 December 1959Struck 1 December 1972, sold for scrap 3 December 1973
DE-4506 April 19446 August 194428 February 194520 June 1946Struck 1 June 1970, sunk as target on 24 February 1972
DE-50818 November 194322 February 194412 May 194431 March 1959Struck 1 March 1972, sold for scrap 20 November 1973
DE-5093 January 19442 April 19445 October 19447 February 1957Loaned to Portugal 7 February 1957, struck 1 October 1968, scrapped 1970
DE-51027 April 19446 August 194424 March 19452 January 1958Struck 1 May 1966, sunk as target in 1969
DE-531Boston Naval Shipyard31 August 19437 October 194316 December 19439 January 1958Struck 1 July 1972, sold for scrap 5 February 1974
DE-53231 August 19437 October 194312 February 1944 30 June 1969Struck 30 June 1969, sunk as target off Florida May 1970
DE-5338 October 19438 November 194325 May 19445 July 1946Struck 15 May 1972, sold for scrap 6 September 1973
DE-5348 October 19438 November 194314 July 194430 January 1959Struck 1 December 1972, sold for scrap 3 December 1973
DE-5353 November 19437 December 19435 September 194427 May 1960Struck 1 January 1966, sunk as target in 1966
DE-5363 November 19437 December 194331 October 194415 January 1947Struck 30 June 1968, sunk as target off California on 17 July 1969
DE-5373 November 19437 December 194326 June 194528 February 1958Struck 1 August 1972, sold for scrap 5 February 1974
DE-5383 November 19437 December 194310 December 194525 February 1958Struck 1 August 1972, sold for scrap 5 February 1974
DE-5398 November 194327 December 194322 November 1955June 1960Struck 1 November 1974, sunk as target
DE-5408 November 194327 December 194311 October 195530 June 1960Struck 1 November 1974, sunk as target off Florida 7 February 1975

External links

Notes and References

  1. U.S. Destroyers, an illustrated design history by Norman Friedman. Chapter 7. .
  2. Drooker, Arthur (Writer / Producer) . Dogfights: Death of the Japanese Navy . TV series. The History Channel. United States. 2007.
  3. Book: Hornfischer, James D. . The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors . Bantam . 2004 . 0-553-80257-7 . registration .
  4. http://www.ussslater.org/ Destroyer Escort Historical Museum

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "John C. Butler-class destroyer escort".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.