Rudderow-class destroyer escort

The Rudderow-class destroyer escorts were destroyer escorts launched in the United States in 1943 to 1945. Of this class, 22 were completed as destroyer escorts, and 50 were completed as Crosley-class high speed transports and were re-classified as high speed transport APDs. One ship was converted to an APD after completion. They served in World War II as convoy escorts and anti-submarine warfare ships.

USS Rudderow
Class overview
NameRudderow class
Builders
Operators
Preceded byEdsall class
Succeeded byJohn C. Butler class
Built1943–1944
In commission1943–1992
Planned252
Completed22
Cancelled180
Preserved1
General characteristics
TypeDestroyer escort
Displacement1,740 tons (1,770 metric tons) (fully loaded)
Length306 ft (93.3 m) (overall)
Beam36 ft 6 in (11.1 m)
Draft11 ft (3.4 m) (fully loaded)
Propulsion
Speed24 knots (most ships could attain 26/27 knots)
Range5,500 nautical miles at 15 knots (10,200 km at 28 km/h)
Complement15 Officers, 168 Enlisted
Sensors and
processing systems
  • Radar: Type SL surface search on mast above yard arm (type SC and SA air search fitted to certain ships).
  • Sonar: Type 128D or Type 144 both in retractable dome..
  • Direction Finding: MF antenna in front of the bridge and HF/DF Type FH 4 antenna fitted on mast.
Armament

History

The lead ship was USS Rudderow which was launched on 14 October 1943. The ships had General Electric steam turbo-electric drive engines. The ships were built at various shipyards in the United States, including the Philadelphia Navy Yard and Defoe Shipbuilding Company. They were very similar to the Buckley class, having the same hull and machinery. The main differences were the Rudderows had two 5-inch (127 mm) enclosed guns and two twin-40 mm mounts, instead of the three 3-inch (76 mm) open guns and one twin-40 mm or one quad 1.1-inch (28 mm) mount of the Buckleys. Another major difference is the style of the configuration of the area of the bridge and pilothouse which is low and enclosed compared to the Buckley Class which is tall and enclosed. The Rudderow Class is similar to the John C. Butler Class in this case and a distinguishing feature between these two class DEs is the size and number of the portholes in the pilothouse. The Rudderow class has seven 16-inch portholes and the John C. Butler Class has nine 12-inch portholes, with both classes having three portholes facing the bow. The class was also known as the TEV type from their Turbo-Electric drive and 5-inch (V) guns.[1]

The final 180 of the class were canceled near the end of the war. After World War II, some of the surviving units of this class were transferred to Taiwan, South Korea, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and other countries. The rest were retained by the US Navy's reserve fleet until they were decommissioned.

  • View forward from the mast of Rudderow-class USS Chaffee (DE-230) showing 5in and 40mm guns.
    View forward from the mast of Rudderow-class USS Chaffee (DE-230) showing 5in and 40mm guns.
  • View aft from the mast of Rudderow-class USS Chaffee (DE-230) showing rear 5in and 40mm guns, depth charge racks, depth charge projectors and torpedo tubes.
    View aft from the mast of Rudderow-class USS Chaffee (DE-230) showing rear 5in and 40mm guns, depth charge racks, depth charge projectors and torpedo tubes.

Ships in Class
Construction data
Ship name Hull no. Builder Laid down Launched Comm. Decomm. Fate
Rudderow DE-224 Philadelphia Navy Yard 15 Jul 1943 14 Oct 1943 14 May 1944 15 Jan 1947 Struck 1 Nov 1969; sold for scrap, Oct 1970
Day DE-225 15 Jul 1943 14 Oct 1943 10 Jun 1944 16 May 1946 Struck 30 Jun 1968; sunk as target, 1 Mar 1969
Chaffee DE-230 Charleston Navy Yard 26 Aug 1943 27 Nov 1943 9 May 1944 15 Apr 1946 Struck 17 Aug 1946; sold for scrap, 1948
Hodges DE-231 9 Sep 1943 9 Dec 1943 27 May 1944 22 Jun 1946 Struck 1 Dec 1972; sold for scrap, 12 Sep 1973
Riley DE-579 Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyard 20 Oct 1943 29 Dec 1943 13 Mar 1944 15 Jan 1947 Struck 25 Jan 1974; Taiwanese Tai Yuan, 1968; scrapped 1992
Leslie L.B. Knox DE-580 7 Nov 1943 8 Jan 1944 22 Mar 1944 15 Jun 1946 Struck 15 Jan 1972; sold for scrap, 13 Jun 1973
McNulty DE-581 17 Nov 1943 8 Jan 1944 31 Mar 1944 2 Jul 1946 Struck 1 Mar 1972; sunk as target, 16 Nov 1972
Metivier DE-582 24 Nov 1943 12 Jan 1944 7 Apr 1944 1 Jun 1946 Struck 30 Jun 1968; Sold for scrap, Jun 1969
George A. Johnson DE-583 24 Nov 1943 12 Jan 1944 15 Apr 1944 Sep 1957 Struck 1 Nov 1965; sold for scrap, 19 Sep 1966
Charles J. Kimmel DE-584 1 Dec 1943 15 Jan 1944 20 Apr 1944 15 Jan 1947 Struck 30 Jun 1968; sunk as target, 1 Nov 1969
Daniel A. Joy DE-585 1 Dec 1943 15 Jan 1944 28 Apr 1944 1 May 1965 Struck 1 May 1965; sold for scrap, 1 Mar 1966
Lough DE-586 8 Dec 1943 22 Jan 1944 2 May 1944 24 Jun 1946 Struck 1 Nov 1969; sold for scrap, Oct 1970
Thomas F. Nickel DE-587 15 Dec 1943 22 Jan 1944 9 Jun 1944 26 Feb 1958 Struck 1 Dec 1972; sold for scrap, 9 Jun 1973
Peiffer DE-588 21 Dec 1943 26 Jan 1944 15 Jun 1944 1 Jun 1946 Struck 1 Dec 1966; sunk as target, 16 May 1967
Tinsman DE-589 21 Dec 1943 26 Jan 1944 26 Jun 1944 11 May 1946 Struck 1 Nov 1969; sold for scrap, 14 Sep 1973
DeLong DE-684 Bethlehem Steel Corporation, Fore River Shipyard 19 Oct 1943 23 Nov 1943 31 Dec 1943 8 Aug 1969 Struck 8 Aug 1969; sunk as target, 19 Feb 1970
Coates DE-685 8 Nov 1943 9 Dec 1943 24 Jan 1944 30 Jan 1970 Struck 30 Jan 1970; sunk as target, 19 Sep 1971
Eugene E. Elmore DE-686 27 Nov 1943 23 Dec 1943 4 Feb 1944 31 May 1946 Struck 30 Jun 1968, sold for scrap Jun 1969
Holt DE-706 Defoe Shipbuilding Company, Bay City, Michigan 28 Nov 1943 15 Feb 1944 9 Jun 1944 2 Jul 1946 Struck 15 Nov 1974; Korean Chung Nam, Jun 1963; scrapped 1984
Jobb DE-707 20 Dec 1943 4 Mar 1944 4 Jul 1944 13 May 1946 Struck 1 Nov 1969, sold for scrap Oct 1970
Parle DE-708 8 Jan 1944 25 Mar 1944 29 Jul 1944 1 Jul 1970 Struck 1 Jul 1970; sunk as target of Florida, 27 Oct 1970
Bray DE-709
APD-139		 Jan 1944 15 Apr 1944 4 Sep 1944 10 May 1946 reclassified APD-139 and converted, 16 July 1945

See also

References
  1. U.S. Destroyers, an illustrated design history by Norman Friedman, ISBN 1-55750-442-3 Chapter 7

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