USS Earle (DD-635) with crew at quarters, 1943 |
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USS Earle (DD-635) was a Gleaves class destroyer that mainly served on escort duties, as well as taking part in the invasion of Sicily and post-war minesweeping in the Far East.
The Earle was named after Ralph Earle, who served in the US Navy from 1896 to 1927, and was Chief of the Bureau of Ordnance during the US involvement in the First World War.
The Earle was laid down at the Boston Navy Yard, launched on 10 December 1941 when she was sponsored by Rear Admiral Earle’s daughter and commissioned on 1 September 1942.
The Earle was originally classified as a Bristol class ship, which were built with four 5in guns instead of the five installed on the Livermore/ Gleaves class. However after the fifth gun was removed from those ships all of the Bristol class ships joined the Livermore/ Gleaves class.
Between 12 December 1942 and 28 April 1943 the Earle escorted three convoys from the US to Casablanca.
During the first of these voyages she made two night attacks on surfaced U-boats.
1943
On 8 June 1943 the Earle left Norfolk to move to the Mediterranean to support Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily. She arrived at Oran on 22 June.
On 10 July, D-Day for the invasion, she screened the transport area off Scoglitti. On 12 July she inspected the beach area. On 14 July she transported the commander of Task Force 85 to Malta. From then until 11 August she served on escort duty between North Africa and Sicily, protecting the convoys carrying reinforcements and supplies to the island.
On 11 August she departed for New York, arriving on 22 August.
She was then allocated to convoy escort duties, making at least four runs between September 1943 and 1 May 1944.
From 5 September to 14 September she was part of TF 67, the escort of convoy UT-2, from New York to Belfast.
From 21 September to 1 October she was part of the return convoy TU-2. This convoy ran into hurricane force winds for most of 30 September, but all of the ships survived.
On 7 November 1943 she left Belfast as part of TF 9, to escort the west-bound convoy TU-4. The convoy reached New York on 18 November.
On 5 December convoy UT-5 left New York, heading for Northern Ireland, with a powerful escort. On 7 December the Earle was one of four ships that joined the escort, bringing with them four more ships for the convoy, including three troop ships (helping to explain the powerful escort). The convoy reached Northern Ireland on 14 December.
On 20 December she left Northern Ireland to escort Convoy TU-5 back to the US. On 25 December the convoy was split up by storms, and the Glennon, Jeffers and Earle were detached to support the stragglers. The convoy reached New York on 31 December.
1944
In April 1944 she was part of the escort of convoy UT11, but was detached in mid-Atlantic to escort the cruiser USS Augusta (CL-31) to Belfast, arriving on 15 April.
On 31 May she arrived at Naples, and she spent the rest of the European War working in the Mediterranean, carrying out a mix of escort duties and training.
1945
She left the Mediterranean on 11 June 1945, and arrived back at Norfolk on 20 June. She was then converted into a destroyer minesweeper, becoming DMS-42 on 23 June 1945.
She departed for the Pacific just as the war was ending, reaching Okinawa on 15 October 1945.
Post War
The Earle served with the occupation forces in the Far East until 18 March 1946. Her first role was to clear mines off Korea. She was then used to direct a team of Japanese minesweepers working in their home waters.
She returned to San Francisco on 9 April 1946, and was placed into the reserve on 17 May 1947. On 15 July 1955 she became DD-635 once again. She was sold for scrap in October 1970.
The Earle was awarded two battle stars, for the invasion of Sicily and post-war mine sweeping.
She served in the Far East on occupation duty until 18 March 1946, sweeping minefields off Korea, later in a team directing Japanese minesweepers in their home waters. Arriving at San Francisco 9 April, Earle was placed out of commission in reserve 17 May 1947. Her classification reverted to DD-635, 15 July 1955.
Earle received two battle stars for World War II service.
Displacement (standard) |
1,630t design |
Displacement (loaded) |
2,395t |
Top Speed |
35kts design |
Engine |
2-shaft Westinghouse turbines |
Range |
6500nm at 12kt design |
Armour - belt |
|
- deck |
|
Length |
348ft 3in |
Width |
36ft 1in |
Armaments |
Five 5in/38 guns |
Crew complement |
208 |
Laid down |
14 June 1941 |
Launched |
10 December 1941 |
Commissioned |
1 September 1942 |
Struck off |
1 December 1969 |
Sold for scrap |
October 1970 |
U.S. Destroyers: An Illustrated Design History, Norman Friedmann .
The standard history of the development of American destroyers, from the earliest torpedo boat destroyers to the post-war fleet, and covering the massive classes of destroyers built for both World Wars. Gives the reader a good understanding of the debates that surrounded each class of destroyer and led to their individual features.
