DE DER FF Destroyer Escorts and Fast Frigates

15,285 · June 20, 2023

USS KRETCHMER (DE/DER-329)

Edsall class in service 1943 to 1973

15,285 · July 8, 2023

USS WALTON (DE-361)

John C. Butler class in service 1944 to 1968

24 - 26 February 1962: Saigon, Vietnam - Walton moored at Saigon after sailing up the Saigon River

Platoon Sergeant Walton, Navy Cross (posthumous), Gavutu, Solomon Islands

Merrit Cecil Walton was born at St. Paul, Minn., on 18 December 1915. He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps on 19 May 1937 at San Francisco, Calif., and initially served at San Diego, Calif., before going to the Asiatic Station that autumn. As a member of the 4th Marine Regiment, quartered in the International Settlement of Shanghai, China, Walton witnessed part of the bloody battle that raged for that key city between Chinese and Japanese forces and, as such, was an early observer of Japanese aggression in the Far East. During his tour in China, he received promotion to private, 1st class, on 10 May 1939.

Returning to the United States in the autumn of 1940, Walton served successive tours of duty at the Marine barracks at Mare Island, Vallejo, Calif.; the Naval Air Station, Lakehurst, N.J.; Quantico, Va.; and New River, N.C. He was promoted to sergeant on 01 August 1941 and platoon sergeant on 08 April 1942. Platoon Sergeant Walton was serving in a parachute battalion as part of the 1st Marine Division (Reinforced) that was selected to land in the Solomons in August 1942. Companies A and B of that battalion landed on the island of Gavutu on the morning of 07 August 1942. The enemy, already alerted by the landings on Guadalcanal and Tulagi, met the marines' frontal assault with a withering fire.

Although fully aware of the danger involved, Platoon Sergeant Walton volunteered to reconnoiter the position of a troublesome Japanese machine gun nest threatening his platoon's right flank. Once he had spotted the weapon's location, he led a daring attack during which the leathernecks silenced the gun. Mortally wounded, however, Platoon Sergeant Walton died later that same day. Posthumous awards accorded the sergeant included the Navy Cross, the Purple Heart, and a share of the Presidential Unit Citation awarded the 1st Marine Division (Reinforced).

USS Walton (DE 361) (1944 - 1968) was the first ship to be named in his honor.

15,285 · August 15, 2023

On 7/31/2017 at 1:41 PM, 10esee said:

USS ROBERTS (DE-794) 5"

USS ROBERTS (DE-749)

Cannon class destroyer escort commissioned in 1944

28 September 1944: at sea - USS Roberts (DE 749) underway entering port with her crew at quarters. She is painted in camouflage Measure 32, Design 14D (a modification of that design as prepared for the DD-445 class). From 25 to 28 September, Roberts was involved in an ASW training cruise in the "shakedown area" off San Diego, Cal. (U.S. Naval Historical Center photo #NH 107524 from the Naval History and Heritage Command)

15,285 · August 15, 2023

USS RATHBURNE (DE-1057)

Knox class in service 1970 to 1992

Hilborn-Hamburger 1970 Commissioning

Patch & Belt Buckle

USS RATHBURNE (FF-1057)

Redesignated in 1975

USS RATHBURNE (FF-1057) Philippine Made

USS RATHBURNE (FF-1057) WESTPAC 1985

USS RATHBURNE (FF-1057) US Made

15,285 · October 8, 2023

On 9/29/2017 at 9:13 PM, Salvage Sailor said:

USS HISSEM (DER-400) Edsall class In service 1944 to 1970

DER Early Warning Radar Picket

More from DER Early Warning Radar Picket

USS HISSEM (DER-400)

Edsall class In service 1944 to 1970

15,285 · October 8, 2023

The ill fated

USS HARTLEY (DE-1029)

Dealey class (aka Courtney class) in service 1957 to 1968/1972

26 June 1957: Commissioned at Philadelphia, Pa., Lcdr. C. N. Crandall, Jr. in command, assigned to CortRon 14 at Newport, R.I.

16 June 1965: Broadsided by the Norwegian freighter Blue Master while entering Chesapeake Bay in heavy weather

Hartley was nearly cut in two (30" from her keel). Full Story, photos and first hand account of the collision HERE & HERE

02 July 1968: Placed in "reduced operating status" at Newport, R.I. to provide trained personnel to other ships

08 July 1972: Decommissioned after 15 years of service, Struck from the NVR

08 July 1972: To Colombia, renamed ARC Boyaca (DE-16) (stricken in 1994, preservation as a museum ship at Guatape, Colombia on hold)

USS HARTLEY (DE-1029)

Difficult to find originals as her service years & deployments were cut short by the collision with the M/V Blue Master

15,285 · November 9, 2023

USS SAMUEL S. MILES (DE-183)

Canon class in service 1943-1946

Eight battle stars WWII

USN Veteran's Reunion patches

15,285 · November 10, 2023

On 12/7/2017 at 5:59 PM, Salvage Sailor said:

USS MCCANDLESS (DE-1084) Knox class in service 1972 to 1994

More from McCandless, DE-1084 1972 to1975, Reclassified FF-1084 1975 to 1994

Bruce McCandless, the son of Commodore Byron McCandless (1881-1967) was born in Washington, DC on 12 August 1911. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1932. He served in Indianapolis (CA 35) and Case (DD 370). He was serving as communications officer of San Francisco when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor on 07 December 1941. On 13 November 1942, during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, Japanese gunfire killed Radm. Daniel J. Callaghan and his staff, including Captain Cassin Young and all other officers on the San Francisco's bridge, except Lcdr. McCandless, who took the conn for the rest of the battle. For his conduct, he was awarded the Medal of Honor, and promoted to full Commander.

Cmdr. McCandless continued to serve in San Francisco until 1944, when he took command of the destroyer Gregory (DD 802). On 08 April 1945, during the Battle of Okinawa, Gregory was attacked and damaged by four kamikazes; her CO was awarded the Silver Star for conspicuous gallantry.

Captain McCandless retired on 01 September 1952, with a terminal promotion to the rank of Rear Admiral. He died in Washington, DC, on 24 January 1968, and was buried at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. Radm. McCandless was the father of NASA astronaut Bruce McCandless II.

USS McCandless (DE 1084) (1972-1994) was the first ship named in his honor, and that of his father, Commodore Byron McCandless. There is also a street at the U.S. Naval Academy named after Admiral McCandless, as well as the Colorado State Veterans Nursing Home in Florence, Colorado.

(U.S. Navy photo from the U.S. Naval Historical Center)

USS MCCANDLESS (DE-1084)

Knox class in service 1972 to 1994

DE 1972 to 1975

Reclassified from Destroyer Escort to Fast Frigate FF-1084 in 1975

First Cruise as FF-1084

Sixth Fleet Mediterranean Sea Cruise 1975

Italy - Spain - Tunisia

15,285 · December 10, 2023

Somehow we overlooked this one...

USS BRONSTEIN (DE-1037)

Class Leader in service 1963 to 1990

Only two ships of this class were built: USS BRONSTEIN (FF-1037) and USS McCLOY (FF-1038). Both were later sold to the Mexican Navy.

USS BRONSTEIN, the second ship to bear the name, was commissioned as a Destroyer Escort (DE) on 15 June 1963. It was the first ship of a two ship class built by the Avondale Shipyards, Inc., in Westwego; Louisiana. As originally configured, BRONSTEIN was armed with two 3 inch rapid fire (dual gun) mounts, a Drone (Remote Controlled) Anti-Submarine Helicopter (DASH), and Anti-Submarine Surface Launched torpedoes. Most importantly, BRONSTEIN was the prototype for a new generation of Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) ocean escort with a large bow-mounted sonar (AN/SQS-26 AXR) and Anti-Submarine Rocket (ASROC) launcher mounted forward of the bridge.

April 1967: off Pearl Harbor - Four of USS Hornet's task group on the way to WESTPAC in April 1967. Left to right: USS Hooper (DE 1026), USS Taylor (DD 468), USS Davidson (DE 1045) and Bronstein. Photo taken from USS Evans (DE 1023) port side. USS Bridget (DE 1024) and USS Walker (DD 517) would have been to Evans' starboard side.

Gemsco commissioning patch 1963

VIETNAM 1967-1973

Following a Panama Canal transit, FF 1037 was homeported in San Diego for the next five years. Operations were generally confined to the Eastern Pacific until January 1966 when she made her first Western Pacific (WESTPAC) deployment with ASW GROUP 3. Her second Vietnam WESTPAC deployment was completed in 1967. BRONSTEIN then went into Long Beach Naval Shipyard for overhaul in February 1968. Upon completion the ship remained homeported in Long Beach until 1972. BRONSTEIN was again off of Vietnam 1969, 1970 & 1971.

In September of 1972 BRONSTEIN returned to the rigors of WESTPAC, working with the carriers USS AMERICA (CV 66) and USS MIDWAY (CV 41) in the Western Pacific and South China Sea. In December of that year the ship was directed to proceed immediately to the Gulf of Tonkin to assume duties as Gunline Command Ship. While on the gunline, BRONSTEIN fired her guns at an enemy for the first time and also received hostile fire in return. Her Vietnam War duties concluded in March 1973 when she returned to San Diego.

October 1967: Yokosuka, Japan - Bronstein alongside USS Markab (AR 23) at Yokosuka.

VIETNAM PATROL (MARKET TIME - YANKEE STATION) 1967

Circa 1967

Gemsco 1963

A 1973 overhaul was extensive, with the removal of the aft gun mount. Installed in its place was a state of the art passive long range sonar device, the Towed Anti-Submarine Surveillance (TASS) System. It had more than 6000 ft of coaxial cable and hydrophones to be streamed from the fantail to allow for passive (listen only) sonar operation. With an enhanced sonar and anti-submarine capability, BRONSTEIN deployed again in November 1973 with the aircraft carrier USS KITTY HAWK (CV 63). Another WESTPAC in 1975 was followed by a regular overhaul in 1976. During this period, the ship was redesignated a "Fast Frigate" (FF) during a general reclassification of all the Navy's cruiser-destroyer units. The next several years were spent in local operations and deployments to WESTPAC with the last deployment completed in April 1984. During this time frame, the TASS was removed from the ship.

Subsequently, BRONSTEIN - a member of Destroyer Squadron 33 - operated extensively in the Eastern Pacific conducting ASW operations, fleet support missions, and assisting the U.S. Coast guard in Law Enforcement and drug interdiction operations.

USS BRONSTEIN's awards include the Combat Action Ribbon, the Navy Unit Commendation Ribbon, the Meritorious Unit Commendation Ribbon, the Navy E Ribbon, the National Defense Service Ribbon, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Ribbon, the Vietnam Service Medal, the Humanitarian Service Medal, the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Ribbon and the Coast Guard Special Operations Ribbon.

USS BRONSTEIN (FF-1037)

Redesignated in 1975 as a Fast Frigate

July 1975: the Pacific Ocean - The frigates USS Brewton (FF 1086) and Bronstein underway escorting USS Hancock (CV 19).
(U.S. Navy and Marine Corps Museum / Naval Aviation Museum, Photo No. 1996.488.054.113

1975 Swiss Tex

USS BRONSTEIN (FF-1037) off of the coast of California

1980's

15,285 · January 11

On 8/4/2019 at 3:51 PM, Salvage Sailor said:

USS HAVERFIELD (DE/DER-393) Edsall class in service 1943 to 1969. Atlantic fleet U Boat killer. Converted to a radar picket (DER) in 1954 to serve with CORTRON FIVE.

Market Time Vietnam - Bagged the largest trawler seized during Market Time operations

A 100-foot (30 m), steel-hulled North Vietnamese trawler C-187, attempting to infiltrate "Market Time" patrols with a large cargo of arms and ammunition for the Viet Cong, was detected by the USCGC Point League (WPB-82304) near the mouth of the Cổ Chiên River in the Mekong Delta. A chase and fire fight followed, during which the Coast Guard cutter forced the enemy trawler aground and the enemy abandoned the burning ship. After wiping out enemy shore resistance, "Market Time" units, including the Haverfield, sent volunteers on board to fight fires and salvage the captured cargo. While American and South Vietnamese teams extinguished the fires, other volunteers offloaded almost 80 tons of ammunition and arms, including mortars, recoilless rifles, machine guns, and antitank weapons. This represented the largest seizure of the "Market Time" operation and thwarted a determined attempt by the North Vietnamese to supply the Viet Cong

One battle star WWII, Six campaign stars Vietnam service

Destroyer Escort Squadron Five (CORTRON 5)