USS Edwin A. Howard

USS Edwin A. Howard (DE-346) was a John C. Butler-class destroyer escort acquired by the U.S. Navy during World War II. The primary purpose of the destroyer escort was to escort and protect ships in convoy, in addition to other tasks as assigned, such as patrol or radar picket. Post-war, she returned home proudly with one battle star to her credit.

History
United States
Name: Edwin A. Howard
Namesake: Edwin Alfred Howard
Builder: Consolidated Steel Corporation, Orange, Texas
Laid down: 15 November 1943
Launched: 25 January 1944
Commissioned: 25 May 1944
Decommissioned: 25 September 1946
Stricken: 1 December 1972
Identification: DE-346
Honours and
awards:
1 battle star for World War II
Fate: sold for scrapping 12 September 1973
General characteristics
Class and type: John C. Butler-class destroyer escort
Displacement: 1,350 tons
Length: 306 ft (93 m)
Beam: 36 ft 8 in (11.18 m)
Draft: 9 ft 5 in (2.87 m)
Propulsion: 2 boilers, 2 geared turbine engines, 12,000 shp (8,900 kW); 2 propellers
Speed: 24 knots (44 km/h; 28 mph)
Range: 6,000 nmi (11,000 km; 6,900 mi) at 12 kn (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Complement: 14 officers, 201 enlisted
Armament:

Edwin A. Howard (DE-346) was launched 25 January 1944 by Consolidated Steel Corp., Ltd., Orange, Texas; sponsored by Mrs. Julia W. Howard, mother of Corporal Howard; and commissioned 25 May 1944, Lieutenant Commander F. Denfield, USNR, in command.

Operational history

Pacific Theatre operations

After one convoy escort voyage to the Mediterranean in September and October 1944, Edwin A. Howard sailed from New York 10 November for the South Pacific. From Hollandia she shepherded a convoy to San Pedro Bay, Leyte, arriving 6 January 1945. Edward A. Howard reinforced Destroyer Squadron 49 on antisubmarine patrol in Leyte Gulf. She took a convoy through from the Palaus to San Pedro Bay, and continued escort service between New Guinea and Leyte.

Supporting Leyte landings

Edwin A. Howard arrived in Polloc Harbor 30 April 1945, and for the next month escorted convoys to supply troops ashore around Davao Gulf, on the second such voyage bombarding targets on Samal Island in the gulf, and other points on the shore. On 10 June she sailed from San Pedro Bay with a convoy of landing craft bound for Morotai, from which the destroyer escort returned to Tawi Tawi escorting an ammunition ship. She left Tawi Tawi 26 June to escort a squadron of motor torpedo boats and their tender to Balikpapan, arriving 27 June, four days before the invasion. Edwin A. Howard screened minesweepers operating off the coast, and covered the landings, then escorted reinforcements from Morotai to the beachheads before returning to Leyte on 26 July.

The escort vessel remained in the Far East on occupation duty, escorting convoys from Leyte to Ulithi, Okinawa, and Japan.

Post-war decommissioning

She sailed from Samar 28 November 1945 for the United States and was placed out of commission in reserve 25 September 1946.

Awards

Edwin A. Howard received one battle star for World War II service.

See also

References

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.

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