NAVYPEDIA

Photo

Rudderow 1944

Ships

No	Name	Yard No	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Comm	Fate
DE224	Rudderow		Philadelphia N Yd	7/1943	14.10.1943	5/1944	stricken 11.1969
DE225	Day		Philadelphia N Yd	7/1943	14.10.1943	6/1944	stricken 6.1968
DE230	Chaffee		Charleston N Yd	8/1943	27.11.1943	5/1944	stricken 8.1946
DE231	Hodges		Charleston N Yd	9/1943	9.12.1943	5/1944	stricken 12.1972
DE284	Vogelgesang		Charleston N Yd	---	---	---	cancelled 1944
DE285	Weekes		Charleston N Yd	---	---	---	cancelled 1944
DE286	Sutton		Charleston N Yd	---	---	---	cancelled 1944
DE287	William M. Wood		Charleston N Yd	---	---	---	cancelled 1944
DE288	William R. Rush		Charleston N Yd	---	---	---	cancelled 1944
DE289	---		Charleston N Yd	---	---	---	cancelled 1944
DE290	Williams		Charleston N Yd	---	---	---	cancelled 1944
DE579	Riley	3179	Bethlehem, Hingham	10/1943	29.12.1943	3/1944	to Taiwan 7.1968 (太原 [Tai Yuan])
DE580	Leslie L. B. Knox	3180	Bethlehem, Hingham	11/1943	8.1.1944	3/1944	stricken 1.1972
DE581	McNulty	3181	Bethlehem, Hingham	11/1943	8.1.1944	3/1944	stricken 3.1972
DE582	Metivier	3182	Bethlehem, Hingham	11/1943	12.1.1944	4/1944	stricken 6.1968
DE583	George A. Johnson	3183	Bethlehem, Hingham	11/1943	12.1.1944	4/1944	stricken 11.1965
DE584	Charles J. Kimmel	3184	Bethlehem, Hingham	12/1943	15.1.1944	4/1944	stricken 6.1968
DE585	Daniel A. Joy	3185	Bethlehem, Hingham	12/1943	15.1.1944	4/1944	stricken 5.1965
DE586	Lough	3186	Bethlehem, Hingham	12/1943	22.1.1944	5/1944	stricken 11.1969
DE587	Thomas F. Nickel	3187	Bethlehem, Hingham	12/1943	22.1.1944	6/1944	stricken 12.1972
DE588	Peiffer	3188	Bethlehem, Hingham	12/1943	26.1.1944	6/1944	stricken 12.1966
DE589	Tinsman	3189	Bethlehem, Hingham	12/1943	29.1.1944	6/1944	stricken 11.1969
DE684	DeLong	1561	Bethlehem, Quincy	10/1943	23.11.1943	12/1943	stricken 8.1969
DE685	Coates	1562	Bethlehem, Quincy	11/1943	9.12.1943	1/1944	stricken 1.1970
DE686	Eugene E. Elmore	1563	Bethlehem, Quincy	11/1943	23.12.1943	2/1944	stricken 6.1968
DE706	Holt	279	Defoe, Bay City	11/1943	15.2.1944	6/1944	to South Korea 6.1963 (충남 [Chungnam])
DE707	Jobb	280	Defoe, Bay City	12/1943	4.3.1944	7/1944	stricken 11.1969
DE708	Parle	281	Defoe, Bay City	1/1944	25.3.1944	7/1944	stricken 7.1970
DE709, 7.1945- APD139	Bray	282	Defoe, Bay City	1/1944	15.4.1944	9/1944	fast transport 7.1945, stricken 6.1960
DE723	Walter X. Young		Dravo, Pittsburgh	---	---	---	cancelled 6.1944

Technical data

Displacement standard, t	1430
Displacement full, t	1811
Length, m	91.4 wl 93.3 oa
Breadth, m	11.3
Draught, m	3.40 full load
No of shafts	2
Machinery	DE224, 225: 2 General Electric turbine-generators, 2 electric motors, 2 Babcock & Wilcox boilers DE230, 231, 684 - 686, 706 - 709: 2 General Electric turbine-generators, 2 electric motors, 2 Combustion Engineering boilers DE579 - 589: 2 General Electric turbine-generators, 2 electric motors, 2 Foster Wheeler boilers
Power, h. p.	12000
Max speed, kts	23
Fuel, t	oil 347 - 348
Endurance, nm(kts)	5500(15)
Armament	DE224, 225, 230, 231, 284-290, 579-589, 706-709, 723: 2 x 1 - 127/38 Mk 12, 2 x 2 - 40/56 Mk 1.2, 10 x 1 - 20/70 Mk 4, 1 x 3 - 533 TT, 1 x 24 - 178 Hedgehog Mk 10 ASWRL, 8 DCT, 2 DCR (100) DE684 - 686: 2 x 1 - 127/38 Mk 12, 2 x 2 - 40/56 Mk 1.2, 8 x 1 - 20/70 Mk 4, 1 x 3 - 533 TT, 1 x 24 - 178 Hedgehog Mk 10 ASWRL, 8 DCT, 2 DCR (100)
Electronic equipment	SC, SF or SL or SU radars, QGA sonar
Complement	156

Standard scale images

Graphics

Project history

Necessity for building, along with destroyers, of smaller and cheaper ships was advanced by a number of officers and admirals of the American Navy in 1939. Such "2nd rank" destroyers could fulfil successfully convoys escort and solve many auxiliary tasks, abstraction on which of destroyers was inexpedient. Oroginally General Board has disapproved of building of similar ships, but next year situation has cardinally changed, and as a result some projects have been prepared. Any of them was not been accepted, as the American designers have tried to go on a way of decreasing of usual destroyer to 1000-1200t displacement, having stored thus her basic armament. As a result very cramped arrangement with unsatisfactory combination of leading particulars was received.

In spite of the fact that the project has not been finished yet, in January, 1941 the decision on building of such 50 destroyers was accepted. That though somehow to boost process of designing, the General board in February changed requirements on speed (not less than 25kts.) and to armament structure (earlier it was provided to install DP 127mm guns). Soon new project was ready: 1140t displacement, 85.3m length, 24kts speed, 2 single 102/50mm or 127/38mm single-purpose guns, 1 quadruple 40mm Bofors, 2 single 20mm Oerlikons and 1 triple TT. General board approved project, however in such kind it was never realised: in May, 1941 this program was cancelled. Probably destroyer escort also would not appear at all, but unexpectedly the help has come from Britain. British commission has become interested in the project and 23.6.1941 directed inquiry about possibility of building of 100 similar ships, with replacement of SP by 3 single 76/50mm AA guns, installation of twin rudders for improvement of manoeuvrability and retuning under the British standard of bridge. Specified corrections have been brought in the project, and already 15.8.1941 plan of building of 50 ships for UK was approved by Roosevelt. Simultaneously the American Navy HQ convinced the president to begin building of similar ships for own navy, but this sentence has been rejected. Only in November, 1941 the order for first DE for USN has followed.

After the joining of the USA into war congestion of the industry by various defence orders has led to necessity of including to project of significant changes concerning machinery. Originally provided 12000hp twin-shaft geared steam turbines was replaced by diesel, diesel-electric or turbo-electric machinery and only small part of ships was equipped by geared turbines. Besides, new machinery required more spacious engine room and, consequently, lengthened hull.

In the project the displacement reserve for armament strengthening (replacement of three 76mms openly standing guns by two 127mm in enclosed mounts) was included, as has been realised in late series.

In total there were six series of destroyer escorts:

Evarts class (GMT): 6000hp diesel-electric machinery (4 1500hp diesels-generators, 2 electric motors), 76mm guns, "short" hull.

Cannon class (DET): 6000hp diesel-electric machinery (4 1500hp diesels-generators, 2 electric motors), 76mm guns, "long" hull.

Edsall class (FRM): 6000hp diesel machinery (4 1500hp diesels working through gears on 2 shafts), 76mm guns, "long" hull.

Buckley class (TE): 12000hp turbo-electric machinery, 76mm guns, "long" hull.

Rudderow class (TEV): 12000hp turbo-electric machinery, 127mm guns, "long" hull.

John С. Butler class (WGT): 12000hp geared steam turbine machinery, 127mm guns, "long" hull.

In 1944 when the number of escorts on Atlantic has been recognised by sufficient, large number of DEs of Buckley and Rudderow classes were converted to fast landing transports for service on Pacific. Thus they received the superstructure expanded to sides, all anti-submarine armament (except two DCR) part of artillery and torpedoes were removed. After conversion such transport could carry up to 162 rangers for which landing 4 LCVP were available.

In total 252 escort destroyers of "TEV" class were ordered. Building of 180 ships was cancelled in 1943 (DE647-664, 725-738, 905-1005) and in 1944 (DE284-300, 607-632, 645, 646, 723, 724).

51 destroyer escorts were converted to fast personnel landing transports. 50 (DE226-229, 232-237, 281-283, 590-606, 674, 721, 722, 687-692 and 710-720, reclassified 17.7.1944 as APD87-136 respectively) were commissioned already in this quality, one more (DE709, reclassified as APD139 16.7.1945) was converted already after service in destroyer escort role. For some reasons works on conversion of two more ships (DE684 and 685 would be APD137 and 138) were not started.

Modernizations 7.

1945, Bray: - 1 x 1 - 127/38, 2 x 1 - 20/70, 1 x 3 - 533 TT, 1 x 24 - 178 Hedgehog DCT, 8 DCT; + 1 x 2 - 40/56 Mk 1.2, military capacity of 4 LCVP, 162 troops

Naval service

Hodges 9.1.1945 was damaged by kamikaze at Philippines. Knudson 25.3.1945 was damaged by Japanese aircraft at Okinawa.