USS Marchand

Last updated

USS Marchand (DE-249) at anchor, circa in 1945.jpg
History
US flag 48 stars.svgUnited States
NamesakeRoy Joseph Marchand
Builder Brown Shipbuilding Houston, Texas
Laid down30 December 1942
Launched20 March 1943
Commissioned8 September 1943
Decommissioned15 April 1947
Stricken2 January 1971
FateSold for scrapping 30 January 1974
General characteristics
Class and type Edsall-class destroyer escort
Displacement
  • 1,253 tons standard
  • 1,590 tons full load
Length306 feet (93.27 m)
Beam36.58 feet (11.15 m)
Draft10.42 full load feet (3.18 m)
Propulsion
Speed21  knots (39 km/h)
Range
  • 9,100  nmi. at 12 knots
  • (17,000 km at 22 km/h)
Complement8 officers, 201 enlisted
Armament

USS Marchand (DE-249) was an Edsall-class destroyer escort in service with the United States Navy from 1943 to 1947. She was scrapped in 1974.

Contents

Namesake

Roy Joseph Marchand was born on 17 September 1920, in Crandall, Mississippi. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy on 18 October 1939. After duty on the USS San Francisco, USS Boise and USS Henderson, he was transferred to USS Pecos on 2 May 1940.

On 1 March 1942, planes from the Japanese aircraft carrier Sōryū attacked and sank Pecos near Christmas Island. Assigned to an anti-aircraft gun, Marchand remained at his post until bomb fragments put the gun out of commission; then he acted as messenger for the commanding officer until fatally wounded. Fireman First Class Marchand was posthumously awarded the Silver Star.

History

She was laid down by Brown Shipbuilding Co., Houston, Texas, 30 December 1942; launched 30 March 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Charles D. Marchand, mother of Fireman First Class Marchand; and commissioned 8 September 1943.

Battle of the Atlantic

Marchand departed Houston, Texas, 14 September for shakedown training off Bermuda until 31 October when she arrived at the Charleston Navy Yard. After antisubmarine warfare exercises while based at Quonset Point, Rhode Island, in November, she arrived at Provincetown, Massachusetts, the 20th. After service as target ship for training operations of Torpedo Squadron 13, the escort ship sailed for Norfolk, Virginia, arriving 12 December.

As the flagship of Escort Division 20, Marchand departed Norfolk 14 December escorting a convoy to Europe, and arrived in the Straits of Gibraltar 2 January 1944 to turn over the convoy to British warships. She then set course for Morocco, arriving Casablanca 7 January. The ship got underway the next day for the east coast, arriving New York 24 January.

Marchand conducted exercises in Block Island Sound and Casco Bay, Maine, until departure from New York 22 February with convoy CU 15 for Ireland. About 2200 on 25 February, during a heavy gale, SS El Coston rammed SS  Murfreesboro. As Marchand came to the assistance of the badly damaged and burning merchant ships, El Coston's bow rammed Marchand on her starboard side amidships damaging the plates of her forward control room. Marchand then stood by and received 28 survivors while USS Ricketts (DE-254) took on board 33 others. The next day Marchand steamed for Bermuda as escort for El Coston. Shortly after midnight the 27th the remaining 56 crew members of El Coston had to abandon ship. After the merchant ship sank at 0142, Marchand directed her course for New York, where the survivors were debarked 1 March.

On 6 April Marchand again sailed in convoy from New York for Northern Ireland, arriving Lisahally 17 April. She returned to New York 3 May. From 21 May 1944 to 11 June 1945, she made nine more round trips escorting convoys from New York or Boston, Massachusetts, to United Kingdom ports.

Pacific War

Marchand departed New York 19 June for training in the Chesapeake Bay, then to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, before sailing for the South Pacific. She arrived Pearl Harbor 26 July. With the Japanese surrender 15 August, she cleared Pearl Harbor 12 days later for maneuvers off Eniwetok and Kwajalein Atolls, Marshalls, from 3 September to 15 October. She continued on to Guadalcanal, arriving the 18th, before returning to Pearl Harbor 10 November by way of Canton, Phoenix Islands, where she debarked her U.S. Coast Guard passengers.

Decommissioning and fate

On 17 November the escort ship steamed for home, arriving San Diego, California, 6 days later to debark more men of the Coast Guard. On the 25th Marchand headed for the east coast, via the Panama Canal, reaching New York 11 December. She then got underway 21 January 1946 for Green Cove Springs, Florida, arriving the 23d for inactivation. On 25 April 1947 she decommissioned and entered the Atlantic Reserve Fleet at Green Cove Springs. She was struck from the Navy List on 2 January 1971 and sold for scrapping 30 January 1974.

Related Research Articles

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

USS Acree (DE-167) was a Cannon-class destroyer escort in service the United States Navy from 1943 to 1946. She was scrapped in 1973.

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

USS Schmitt (DE-676) was a Buckley-class destroyer escort in the United States Navy, commissioned in 1943. In late 1944, she was converted to a high speed transport and was redesignated APD-76. She was retired in 1949 and transferred to the Republic of China Navy in 1969, where she served as ROCS Lung Shan (PF-44) until 1976, when she was scrapped.

USS Racine (PF-100), a Tacoma-class frigate, was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for Racine, Wisconsin.

USS <i>George W. Ingram</i> Buckley-class destroyer escort

USS George W. Ingram (DE-62/APD-43) was a Buckley-class destroyer escort in service with the United States Navy from 1943 to 1947. In 1967, she was transferred to Taiwan, serving as Kang Shan until being scrapped in 1979.

USS <i>Joseph E. Campbell</i> Buckley-class destroyer escort

USS Joseph E. Campbell, a Buckley-class destroyer escort of the United States Navy, was named in honor of Ensign Joseph Eugene Campbell (1919–1942), who was killed in action while engaging the enemy on 9 August 1942.

USS <i>Scott</i> (DE-214) Buckley-class destroyer escort

USS Scott (DE-214), was a Buckley-class destroyer escort in service with the United States Navy from 1943 to 1947. She was scrapped in 1967.

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

USS Laning (DE-159/APD-55) was a Buckley-class destroyer escort in service with the United States Navy from 1943 to 1946 and from 1951 to 1957. She was scrapped in 1975.

USS Orlando (PF-99) was a Tacoma-class frigate that served during World War II. She was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for Orlando, Florida.

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

USS McConnell (DE-163) was a Cannon-class destroyer escort built for the United States Navy during World War II. She served in the Pacific Ocean and provided escort service against submarine and air attack for Navy vessels and convoys. She was awarded three battle stars.

USS <i>Garfield Thomas</i> Cannon-class destroyer escort

USS Garfield Thomas (DE-193) 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.

USS <i>Jacob Jones</i> (DE-130)

USS Jacob Jones (DE-130) was an Edsall-class destroyer escort built for the U.S. Navy during World War II. She served in the Atlantic Ocean and provided destroyer escort service against submarine and air attack for Navy vessels and convoys.

USS <i>Hammann</i> (DE-131)

USS Hammann (DE-131) was an Edsall-class destroyer escort built for the U.S. Navy during World War II. She served in the Atlantic Ocean and provided destroyer escort protection against submarine and air attack for Navy vessels and convoys.

USS <i>Poole</i> (DE-151)

USS Poole (DE-151) was an Edsall-class destroyer escort in service with the United States Navy from 1943 to 1947. She was scrapped in 1974.

USS <i>Tomich</i>

USS Tomich (DE-242) was an Edsall-class destroyer escort in service with the United States Navy from 1943 to 1946. She was scrapped in 1974.

USS <i>Hurst</i> (DE-250)

USS Hurst (DE-250) was an Edsall-class destroyer escort in service with the United States Navy from 1943 to 1946. The ship served in both the Atlantic and the Pacific and was decommissioned in May 1946 and placed in reserve for the next 27 years.

USS <i>Ricketts</i>

USS Ricketts (DE-254) was an Edsall-class destroyer escort in service with the United States Navy from 1943 to 1946. She was scrapped in 1974.

USS <i>Joyce</i> WWII US naval vessel

USS Joyce (DE-317) was originally commissioned as a US Coast Guard Edsall-class destroyer escort built for the U.S. Navy during World War II. She served in the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and provided destroyer escort protection against submarine and air attack for Navy vessels and convoys. During its World War II service, on two different engagements with enemy submarines, the Joyce rescued survivors of the tanker SS Pan- Pennsylvania and its sister ship USS Leopold. Joyce received one battle star for its service during World War II.

USS <i>Newell</i> WWII US naval vessel

USS Newell was an Edsall-class destroyer escort built for the U.S. Navy during World War II. She served in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and provided destroyer escort protection against submarine and air attack for Navy vessels and convoys. Post war, she served in various capacities before being finally decommissioned.

USS <i>Price</i> (DE-332) United States Navy destroyer escort

USS Price (DE-332) was an Edsall-class destroyer escort in service with the United States Navy from 1943 to 1947 and from 1956 to 1960. She was scrapped in 1975.

USS <i>Janssen</i> WWII US naval vessel

USS Janssen (DE-396) was an Edsall-class destroyer escort in service with the United States Navy from 1943 to 1946. She was sold for scrapping in 1973.

References