USS Earl K. Olsen

Last updated

USS Earl K. Olsen (DE-765) underway at sea, circa the mid-1950s (NH 107520).jpg
History
US flag 48 stars.svgUnited States
NameUSS Earl K. Olsen
NamesakeEarl Kenneth Olsen
Builder Tampa Shipbuilding Company, Tampa, Florida
Laid down9 March 1943
Launched13 February 1944
Commissioned10 April 1944
Decommissioned17 June 1946
Recommissioned21 November 1950
Decommissioned25 February 1958
Stricken1 August 1972
FateSold for scrap, 15 October 1973
General characteristics
Class and type Cannon-class destroyer escort
Displacement
  • 1,240 long tons (1,260 t) standard
  • 1,620 long tons (1,646 t) full
Length
  • 306 ft (93 m) o/a
  • 300 ft (91 m) w/l
Beam36 ft 10 in (11.23 m)
Draft11 ft 8 in (3.56 m)
Propulsion4 × GM Mod. 16-278A diesel engines with electric drive, 6,000 shp (4,474 kW), 2 screws
Speed21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph)
Range10,800 nmi (20,000 km) at 12 kn (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Complement15 officers and 201 enlisted
Armament

USS Earl K. Olsen (DE-765) was a Cannon-class destroyer escort in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946 and from 1950 to 1958. She was sold for scrapping in 1973.

Contents

Namesake

Earl Kenneth Olsen was born on 2 July 1903 in Brooklyn, New York. He attended the U.S. Naval Academy Class of 1926. After varied duty afloat and ashore, he was ordered to USS Pensacola on 9 February 1939. Lieutenant Commander Olsen was serving as engineering officer during the night Battle of Tassafaronga, off Guadalcanal, 30 November-1 December 1942. When a torpedo hit flooded the engine room, he directed evacuation of survivors. Attempting to carry another officer to safety, he himself succumbed to smoke and toxic gases. He was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross.

History

She was launched on 13 February 1944 by Tampa Shipbuilding Co., Inc., Tampa, Florida; sponsored by Mrs. H. E. Olsen, mother of Lieutenant Commander Olsen; and commissioned on 10 April 1944, Lieutenant Commander W. F. DeLong, USNR, commanding; Lieutenant Robert G. Nichols, USN, executive officer.

Battle of the Atlantic

After serving as school ship for the Fleet Sound School at Key West, Florida, from 24 June to 13 August 1944, Earl K. Olsen sailed to Casco Bay, Maine, for refresher training before reporting to Boston, Massachusetts, on 24 August, for convoy duty.

Between 28 August 1944 and 24 May 1945, she made six voyages escorting convoys between Boston, New York, and United Kingdom ports. On the fifth voyage as the convoy sailed for Southampton, USAT J. W. McAndrew and the French aircraft carrier Béarn collided on 13 March in a violent storm. Earl K. Olsen rescued two men and escorted the two stricken ships into Ponta Delgada, Azores, for emergency repairs while Olsen rejoined her convoy.

Pacific War

At the close of the war in Europe, Earl K. Olsen, now under the command of Lieutenant Commander Robert G. Nichols USN, sailed from New York on 8 June 1945 to join the Pacific Fleet, training at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, during her passage to Pearl Harbor. She arrived on 19 July. Heading west again on 6 August, she escorted ships to island ports and arrived at Manila on 3 September. The same day she commenced the first of four voyages to escort LSTs to Yokohama, and then operated in the Philippines until 9 January 1946. Earl K. Olsen returned to San Pedro, California, on 24 February 1946, and sailed on 10 March for Norfolk, Virginia, arriving the 26th. On 11 April she got underway for Green Cove Springs, Florida, arriving the 13th, to decommission. Her captain at decommissioning was Lieutenant Commander Robert G. Nichols USN. She was placed out of commission in reserve on 17 June 1946.

Cold War

Assigned to Naval Reserve duty on 13 December 1946, Earl K. Olsen was towed to Tampa, Florida, and served with reduced complement. Recommissioned on 21 November 1950, she reached Charleston, South Carolina, her new home port, on 7 January 1951. With her complement increased, she continued to train Naval Reservists, but with a larger cruising range, visiting the Caribbean, France, Spain and Portugal two summers, 1951 and 1955. From 18 July 1953, she continued Reserve training duty out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, punctuated by fleet exercises.

Decommissioning and fate

Reporting for inactivation on 23 November 1957, Earl K. Olsen was placed out of commission in reserve again on 25 February 1958, at Philadelphia. She was sold on 15 October 1973 and broken up for scrap.

Related Research Articles

USS <i>Rudderow</i> (DE-224)

USS Rudderow (DE-224) was the lead ship of her class of destroyer escorts, in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1947. After spending decades in reserve, she was sold for scrap in 1970.

USS <i>MacLeish</i> (DD-220)

USS MacLeish (DD-220/AG-87) was a Clemson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was named for Lieutenant Kenneth MacLeish.

USS <i>Peterson</i> (DE-152)

USS Peterson (DE–152) was an Edsall class destroyer escort, the first United States Navy ship so named. This ship was named for Chief Water Tender Oscar V. Peterson (1899–1942), who was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously for his actions during the Battle of the Coral Sea.

USS <i>Gendreau</i> (DE-639) Buckley-class destroyer escort in the United States Navy

USS Gendreau (DE-639) was a Buckley-class destroyer escort in the United States Navy. She was commissioned on 17 March 1944 and decommissioned on 13 March 1948. She served throughout the Pacific during World War II.

USS <i>Eberle</i> (DD-430) Gleaves-class destroyer

USS Eberle (DD-430) was a Gleaves-class destroyer of the United States Navy. The ship is named for Rear Admiral Edward Walter Eberle, who commanded the Atlantic and Pacific Fleets and was Chief of Naval Operations from 1923 to 1927. The destroyer entered service in 1940 and spent the majority of her career in the Atlantic Ocean. Placed in reserve following the war, the ship was transferred to the Hellenic Navy in 1951. Renamed Niki, the destroyer remained in service until 1972 when she was scrapped.

USS <i>Finch</i> (DE-328)

USS Finch (DE-328) was an Edsall-class destroyer escort in the service of the United States Navy from 1943 to 1946 and from 1956 to 1969. From 1951 to 1954, she was loaned to the United States Coast Guard where she served as USCGC Finch (WDE-428). She was scrapped in 1974.

USS <i>Earl V. Johnson</i> (DE-702) Buckley-class destroyer escort

USS Earl V. Johnson (DE-702) was a Buckley-class destroyer escort in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946. She was scrapped in 1968.

USS <i>Hissem</i> (DE-400)

USS Hissem (DE-400/DER-400) was an Edsall class destroyer escort of the United States Navy. Hissem was constructed in 1943 as DE-400. In 1955, the vessel was equipped with modern radars, and the designation was changed to DER-400. The special purpose of DER ships was the detection of aircraft. Their chief role was to extend the DEW line out into the N. Atlantic and the N. Pacific oceans.

USS <i>Frybarger</i> Buckley-class destroyer escort

USS Frybarger (DE/DEC-705) was a Buckley-class destroyer escort in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1947 and from 1950 to 1957. She was scrapped in 1973.

USS <i>Hayter</i> (DE-212) Buckley-class destroyer escort

USS Hayter (DE-212/APD-80) was a Buckley-class destroyer escort in service with the United States Navy from 1943 to 1946. In 1967, she was transferred to South Korea where she served as ROKS Jonnam until 1986.

USS <i>Enright</i> (DE-216) Buckley-class destroyer escort

USS Enright (DE-216/APD-66) was a Buckley-class destroyer escort in serivce with the United States Navy from 1943 to 1946. In 1967, she was transferred to Ecuador where she served until she was scrapped in 1989.

USS <i>Stockdale</i> (DE-399)

USS Stockdale (DE–399) was an Edsall-class destroyer escort in service with the United States Navy from 1943 to 1947. She was sunk as a target in 1974..

USS <i>Daniel</i> (DE-335)

USS Daniel (DE-335) was an Edsall-class destroyer escort in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946. She was scrapped in 1974.

USS <i>John M. Bermingham</i> US Navy destroyer escort

USS John M. Bermingham (DE-530) was an Evarts class destroyer escort constructed for the United States Navy during World War II. She was sent off into North Atlantic Ocean waters to protect convoys and other ships from German submarines and fighter aircraft. She performed escort and antisubmarine operations in battle areas before being retired and subsequently scrapped.

USS <i>Carroll</i> Cannon-class destroyer escort

USS Carroll (DE-171) was a Cannon-class destroyer escort in service with the United States Navy from 1943 to 1946. She was sold for scrap in 1966.

USS <i>Rinehart</i> Cannon-class destroyer escort

USS Rinehart (DE-196) was a Cannon-class destroyer escort built for the United States Navy during World War II. She served in the Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean and provided escort service against submarine and air attack for Navy vessels and convoys. The ship entered the reserves after the end of the war, and in 1950 was transferred to the Royal Netherlands Navy, where she served under the name De Bitter until 1967. She was sold for scrap in 1968.

USS <i>Cates</i> Cannon-class destroyer escort

USS Cates (DE-763) was a Cannon-class destroyer escort built for the United States Navy during World War II. She served in the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and provided escort service against submarine and air attack for Navy vessels and convoys.

USS Clamour (AM-160) was an Admirable-class minesweeper built for the U.S. Navy during World War II. She was built to clear minefields in offshore waters, and served the Navy in the Pacific Ocean.

USS <i>Hollis</i> (DE-794) Buckley-class destroyer escort

USS Hollis (DE-794/APD-86) was a Buckley-class destroyer escort in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1947 and from 1951 to 1956. She was scrapped in 1975.

USS <i>Eugene E. Elmore</i> (DE-686) American Rudderow-class destroyer escort

USS Eugene E. Elmore (DE-686) was a Rudderow-class destroyer escort in the United States Navy during World War II.

References


This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.