View non-flash version
April 2011 www.sname.org/sname/mt (founders and leaders )During the early part of World War II, the spec- trum of naval con ict shifted from combatant engagements to attacks on merchant shipping. While the war for the sea lanes of the Atlantic and later the Paci c are well chronicled, the adjust- ment of Allied maritime strategy to make sea control missions?escorting convoys transporting personnel and war materials?a major part of United States naval operations is a lesser-known story. e struggle to pro- vide ships in enough quantity to provide basic surface warfare, short-range anti-aircraft protection and anti- submarine capabilities eventually prompted the Allied development of a new class of ships, destroyer escorts (DE). e man behind this e ort was Captain Edward L. Cochrane of the United States Navy. Destroyer escorts Captain Cochrane made an initial recommenda- tion to build lighter-armed, producible ships to serve in the navy to protect merchant convoys. However, this was rejected by the navy because of the reduced ability of these small ships to participate in major com- batant operations in comparison to their destroyer counterparts, even though the smaller vessels were much less costly. However, a month later, in March 1941, enactment of the Lend-Lease Act enabled the United Kingdom to procure merchant ships, warships, and other material from the United States. Subsequently, an order was placed for the 1,150-ton destroyer escorts Cochrane had envisioned. In June 1941, Cochrane initiated further develop- ment of the design of the British destroyer escort (BDE) pursuant to the construction of six ships: BDE 1-4, BDE 12, and BDE 46). Initially this was an order of 50 ships; however, the remaining 44 ships were reclassi ed as DEs and on January 25, 1943, these orders were taken over by the navy with USS Evarts (DE-5) delivered as the rst ship of the class. Cochranes concept design of a producible, lightly-armed escort ship in large quantities dedicated to countering the submarine threat to mer- chant and naval ships proved to be well founded as the war for the Atlantic wore on. USS Buckley (DE-51), commissioned in April 1943, became the mature version of the DE concept; see the accompanying table for gross characteristics. Turbine- electric propulsion equipment overcame problems VADM Edward L. Ned? Cochrane Pioneer of small surface combatants BY JAY CARSON AND ERIC NICHOLSON Admiral Edward L. Cochrane