The Nazi conquest of France at the outset of World War II (WWII) left England completely isolated and its survival depended upon aid from overseas. Convoys, protected by naval escorts, were the means of survival. Initially, trawlers, yachts and other types of crafts were converted for escort service, and they did not prove to be effective in protecting the convoys. Meanwhile, German submarine assaults continued and by late 1940, an average of twenty-six allied ships were being sunk for every German U-boat destroyed. The U.S. Navy saw the shortage of adequate ocean escorts in the Royal Navy, and recognized the same emerging need for itself.

Just prior to our entry into World War II, the U.S. Congress established the Lend-Lease Act to bring American industrial'strength to the aid of England. As part of the agreement the U.S. placed an order in early 1941 for fifty Destroyer Escorts, a specially designed ship that was a third of the cost of fleet destroyers, would take much less time to construct and yet have the same escort and anti-submarine capabilities.

With the passage of the Act of 11 March 1941, Lend-Lease was started and along with it, the lending of 50 U. S. Navy Four Stack Destroyers to the Royal Navy. In mid June 1941, the British, with desperate need for more escorts, requested that the U.S. Navy build 50 new escorts for the Royal Navy. President Roosevelt approved the production of these 50 British DE's (BDE) on 15 August 1941. The first of these new vessels was laid down at Mare Island Navy Yard in Vallejo, California on 28 February 1942. This was the USS BRENNEN DE 13 (ex BDE BENTINCK).

The design concepts were to meet British requirements. However, many changes were made in the design due to shortages in weapons and powerplants. After the entry of the United States into the war, the need for escorts for the U.S. Navy became apparent. Some of the vessels being built for the Royal Navy were kept for the U.S. Navy. Also, many more Destroyer Escorts were ordered. Of the 1005 escorts ordered during the course of the war, only 563 were built.

Five U.S. Navy Yards and twelve shipbuilding companies launched 563 DEs between 1942 and 1945, and the average construction time was eleven months. Seventy-eight of the ships were transferred to the Royal Navy, 12 went to Brazil and France and 94 were completed or converted to APDs (high speed transports) for Pacific invasions.

Due to the armament and powerplant configurations, the Destroyer Escorts of WW II were broken down into six classes. These were the "Short Hull" EVARTS class (3" gunned, GMT-GM Tandem Diesel), BUCKLEY class (3" gunned, TE-Turbo-Electric), CANNON class (3" gunned, DET-Diesel-Electric-Tandem type), EDSALL class (3" gunned, FMR-Fairbanks-Morse-Reduction gear type), RUDDERROW class (5" gunned, TEV-Turbo-Electric drive) and the JOHN C. BUTLER class (5" gunned, WGR-Westinghouse-Geared Turbine). Also, the conversion of 94 "TE" and "TEV" to APD's (High Speed Transports).

The laying of the keel for DE 383 forged the ship design in the mold of the EDSALL class Destroyer Escort within the assigned numbers of DE 129-152, 238-255, 316-338, and 382-401. These Destroyer Escorts were similar to the BUCKLEY class in external appearance with 3" guns, long hull and high bridge superstructure. A total of 85 ships of the EDSALL class were built by two shipyards, Consolidated Steel Co., of Orange, Texas and Brown Shipbuilding of Houston, Texas. The lead ship, USS EDSALL (DE 129) commissioned on 10 April 1943 at Orange, Texas.

GENERAL INFORMATION