Edsall-class destroyer escort
The Edsall-class destroyer escorts were destroyer escorts built primarily for ocean antisubmarine escort service during World War II. The lead ship,, 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, with a type of engine used in the submarines of the time. The FMR's substitution for a diesel-electric power plant was the essential difference from the predecessor class. This was the only World War II destroyer escort class in which all the ships originally ordered were completed as United States Navy destroyer escorts.
Destroyer escorts were regular companions escorting the vulnerable cargo ships. Late in the war, plans were made to replace the guns with guns, but only was refitted. In total, all 85 were completed by two shipbuilding companies: Consolidated Steel Corporation, Orange, Texas, and Brown Shipbuilding, Houston, Texas. Most were en route to the Pacific Theater when Japan surrendered. One of the ships participated in Operation Dragoon and two were attacked by List of German [guided weapons of World War II|German guided missiles].
Hull numbers
A total of 85 Edsall-class destroyer escorts were built.- DE-129 through DE-152 Consolidated Steel Corporation, Orange, Texas
- DE-238 through DE-255 Brown Shipbuilding, Houston, Texas
- DE-316 through DE-338 Consolidated Steel Corporation, Orange, Texas
- DE-382 through DE-401 Brown Shipbuilding, Houston, Texas
Destroyed or damaged in combat
- – sunk 24 April 1945 by in the North Atlantic
- – sunk 2 August 1944 by north of the Azores
- – torpedoed 9 March 1944 by south of Iceland
- – torpedoed 20 April 1944 by German [submarine U-371|U-371] off Algiers, damaged
- – damaged 11 April 1944 off Algiers by German aircraft
Transferred to US Coast Guard from 1951 to 1954
- – redesignated WDE-422
- – redesignated WDE-424
- – redesignated WDE-425
- – redesignated WDE-428
- – redesignated WDE-431
- – redesignated WDE-434
- – redesignated WDE-482
- – redesignated WDE-485
- – redesignated WDE-487
- – redesignated WDE-488
- – redesignated WDE-489
- – redesignated WDE-491
Transferred to other countries
- – transferred to the Mexican Navy as Comodoro Manuel Azueta, last of class in active service
- – transferred to South Vietnam as Tran Hung Dao. Later, to Philippines as
- – transferred to Tunisia
- – transferred to South Vietnam as Tran Khanh Du. Later, captured by North Vietnam and used as training vessel
Notable ships of class
- sister ship of USS Pope. Was in TG 22.3 with Pope and participated in the capture of U-boat.
- Participated in the sinking of U-boat.
- Also participated in the sinking of U-boat.
- was in Task Force 22.3 that was centered on escort carrier, which captured German U-boat U-505.
- was in TG 22.3 with Pope, Pillsbury and Chatelain and participated in the capture of U-505.
- and each received a Navy Unit Commendation for action during the Anzio campaign.
- sank 5 German U-boats and awarded Presidential [Unit Citation (United States)|Presidential Unit Citation], 7 battle stars.
- was in TG 22.3 with Pope and Pillsbury and participated in the capture of U-505.
- – the sole surviving example of the Edsall-class; a museum ship in Galveston, Texas.
- received a Navy Unit Commendation for action three days after the war ended.
- won two battle stars in a single engagement sinking two U-boats with the USS Frost.