DE Classified

Send us Fan Mail USS EVERSOLE (DE-404) participated in the largest Naval battle in history, the Battle of Leyte Gulf. She was tasked with escorting Taffy 1 and moving to assist Taffy 3 after the famed Battle of Samar. Tragically just after the battle, she was torpedoed off the coast of Leyte and sunk. One of just 13 destroyer escorts lost in American service. Follow along with our transcript and c...

Send us Fan Mail USS WALTER S. BROWN (DE-258) battled German Aircraft that were equipped with bombs, torpedoes, and radio controlled glider bombs. She emerged unscathed and protected her convoy bravely. Hear the whole story this month on DE Classified. Follow along with our transcript and check out the photos on our website .  If you like what you hear and are able to help us out by leaving a dona...

Send us Fan Mail Join us as we continue our discovery into how and why destroyer escorts came to be built during World War Two. This portion of the story focuses on the famed "4 Piper" destroyers - you don't want to miss this story! Follow along with our transcript and check out the photos on our website.  If you like what you hear and are able to help us out by leaving a donation,...

Send us Fan Mail Join us as we continue our discovery into how and why destroyer escorts came to be built during World War Two. This portion of the story focuses on the famed "4 Piper" destroyers - you don't want to miss this story! Follow along with our transcript and check out the photos on our website .  If you like what you hear and are able to help us out by leaving a donation...

Send us Fan Mail USS GILLIGAN DE-508, has a long and interesting history with her involvement in WWII and also her service as a training ship after the war had ended. She was involved in some of the most famous battles in World War II, was hit by a kamikaze and a torpedo, and still managed to survive the war until the very end. Her stories of battle in some of the most famous and well known moment...

Send us Fan Mail Join us for a journey into how and why destroyer escorts came to be built during World War Two. With key characters like President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Prime Minister Winston Churchill - you don't want to miss this story! Follow along with our transcript and check out the photos on our website .  If you like what you hear and are able to help us out by leaving a dona...

Send us Fan Mail USS BANGUST (DE-739) was awarded 11 Battle Stars throughout her career with the United States. She sank Japanese Submarine Ro-111, escorted Oilers as they refueled in the Pacific, rescued survivors on multiple occasions, accepted the surrender of Submarine I-14, and finally was transferred to the Peruvian Navy in the 1950s. Join Brad as he shares the whole story with us! Follow al...

Send us Fan Mail The Battle of Leyte Gulf is considered to be the largest naval battle of WWII, with over 200,000 naval personnel involved. Though the US lost 6 ships in the entire battle, Japanese forces lost 26 vessels. Most importantly, the task group did protect the Invasion Force on Leyte, and the Japanese failed in their attempt to keep their industrial and oil supply chain functional. The b...

Send us Fan Mail USS PETTIT (DE-253) was a Coast Guard manned, Edsall-Class destroyer escort which escorted convoys in the Atlantic protecting ships and chasing U-Boats. After V-E Day PETTIT also served in the Pacific Theatre and searched for possible allied survivors on various islands.  The Destroyer Escort Historical Museum wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for Dr. Martin Davis, a PETTIT sai...

Send us Fan Mail USS PETTIT (DE-253) was a Coast Guard manned, Edsall-Class destroyer escort which escorted convoys in the Atlantic protecting ships and chasing U-Boats. After V-E Day PETTIT also served in the Pacific Theatre and searched for possible allied survivors on various islands.  The Destroyer Escort Historical Museum wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for Dr. Martin Davis, a PETTIT sai...

Send us Fan Mail USS FREDERICK C. DAVIS (DE-136) was an Edsall-Class destroyer escort which escorted convoys in the Atlantic protecting ships and chasing U-Boats. She was torpedoed while attacking U-546 and this is her story.   Follow along with our transcript and check out the photos on our website .  Learn more information on the Fighting Freddie at Marc Tepe’s website.  If you like what you hea...

Send us Fan Mail Earning 12 battle stars for her World War II service and surviving a Kamikaze attack, USS RIDDLE and her crew served with distinction during the war. She also went on to serve in the Cold War as KABYLE in the French Navy.  Learn all about her history this month on DE Classified.   Follow along with our transcript and check out the photos on our website .  If you like what you hear...

Send us Fan Mail USS GANDY (DE-764) and her crew displayed courage in the face of fear and acted diligently just as the ship’s namesake, Andrew Jackson Gandy, Jr. had aboard USS SAN FRANCISCO. The ship was a significant part of the overall effort that would help the Allies win the Battle of the Atlantic and played a crucial role in the occupation forces in the Far East. GANDY’s crew experienced di...

Send us Fan Mail The story of USS MENGES (DE-320) demonstrates how meaningful these trim but deadly warships were. MENGES managed to save a multitude of sailors and fight against U-boats and Luftwaffe planes. Unfortunately she suffered at the hands of U-371, but thanks to her crew and inventive shipyard workers, she was able to set sail once again. Follow along with our transcript and check out th...

Send us Fan Mail USS BEGOR (APD-127) was built as a Destroyer Escort (DE-711) and quickly transferred into the High Speed Transport while under construction. APDs are a vital part of Destroyer Escort history as they kept the ship relevant and flexible to perform many tasks that were needed during WWII and beyond. Capital region locals will be satisfied to know that USS BEGOR’s namesake was a Union...

Send us Fan Mail USS BRONSTEIN (DE-189) was a cannon class destroyer escort. She was laid down on 26 August 1943 at the Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., in Port Newark, New Jersey. She was launched and christened 14 November 1943, sponsored by Mrs. Dinah Bronstein-Kurz, mother of Dr. Bronstein. The vessel was commissioned on 13 December 1943, Lt. Sheldon Hoard Kinney (1918-2004) in command. ...

Send us Fan Mail USS Brough’s career was not desultory by any means. In 25 months of active duty in World War II, 373 days were spent on patrol, with her guns manned and full watches always on high alert. She was brought back for further service to take part in several Deep Freeze operations and provide assistance to U.S. garrisons in the Antarctic being resupplied. In the many years spent in Key...

Send us Fan Mail In June 1944 five Destroyer Escorts had a giant success in capturing German U-Boat 505. The capture was a huge development in the war, as the United States now had access to an Enigma Machine, acoustic torpedo, and submarine to study. DEs USS PILLSBURY (DE-133), USS POPE (DE-134), USS FLAHERTY (DE-135), USS CHATELAIN (DE-149), and USS JENKS (DE-665) made up Escort Division 4 and w...

Send us Fan Mail USS MOSLEY DE-321 is an example of courage, determination, and tactical excellence that is evident in the fact that she earned two battle stars for her World War II service. She was one of the first DEs in a hunter killer group manned by Coast Guardsmen. She played a considerable part in the crumbling of the Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine . She battled enemies from the sea and skies,...

Send us Fan Mail USS Tomich (DE-242) like her namesake served with great distinction. She guarded convoys across the Atlantic, fended off Axis air attacks and searched for U-boats along the East Coast. While this destroyer escort has a fascinating service history, there is more to the namesake’s story and his medal looking for his kin. Follow along with our transcript and check out the photos on o...

Send us Fan Mail USS JANSSEN (DE-396) encountered three different submarines during WWII, rescued sailors from one of them, including a spy! Hear the whole story on this episode of DE Classified.  Follow along with our transcript and check out the photos on our website .  If you like what you hear and are able to help us out by leaving a donation , we appreciate every dollar we are given! Donation...

Send us Fan Mail USS GEORGE A. JOHNSON was a WWII Destroyer Escort that survived kamikaze attacks, a training ship in the 12th Naval District throughout most of the 1950’s, the object of a short-lived property dispute that made national news, as well as an engineering first for the crew that scrapped her on a beach. Tune in this month to DE Classified to hear the story of the DE who made her last...

Send us Fan Mail As one of the few DEs to serve through World War II into the Vietnam War, USS VANCE (DE-387) has a story like no other. She braced the Atlantic to defend convoys against U-boats, spent months in chilly Antarctic waters as part of Operation Deep Freeze, and endured 99 days of command under one the most cantankerous commanding officers the US Navy had ever seen. Follow along and lis...

Send us Fan Mail Frank Slater, our namesake, served aboard heavy cruiser USS SAN FRANCISCO (CA-38). He lost his life when a plane, already ignited, bore into the 20 mm battery he was manning. Frank and the rest of the gun crew were still firing when the plane smashed directly into their positions. The fuselage warped the splinter plating and the wings splashed flaming gasoline over the ship. The b...

Send us Fan Mail USS CECIL J DOYLE (DE-368) is a ship that was instrumental in rescuing the sailors from the worst naval disaster in US History, the USS INDIANAPOLIS. Not only did DOYLE's crew rescue 93 survivors, she also remained in the area to give final rites and sea burials to 21 sailors. The bravery exhibited by the USS Cecil J. Doyle and the other ships involved in the rescue efforts i...