USS Frederick C. Davis (DE-136)

History
USS Frederick C. Davis (DE-136) at sea
United States
Namesake:	Frederick Curtice Davis
Builder:	Consolidated Steel Corporation, Orange, Texas
Laid down:	9 November 1942
Launched:	24 January 1943
Commissioned:	14 July 1943
Fate:	Sunk by U-546, 24 April 1945
General characteristics
Class and type:	Edsall-class destroyer escort
Displacement:	1,253 tons standard 1,590 tons full load
Length:	306 feet (93.27 m)
Beam:	36.58 feet (11.15 m)
Draft:	10.42 full load feet (3.18 m)
Propulsion:	4 FM diesel engines, 4 diesel-generators, 6,000 shp (4.5 MW), 2 screws
Speed:	21 knots (39 km/h)
Range:	9,100 nmi. at 12 knots (17,000 km at 22 km/h)
Complement:	8 officers, 201 enlisted
Armament:	3 × 3 in (76 mm)/50 guns (3 × 1) 2 × 40 mm AA guns (1 × 2) 8 × 20 mm AA guns (8 × 1) 3 × 21 in (530 mm) torpedo tubes (1 × 3) 8 × depth charge projectors 1 × depth charge projector (hedgehog) 2 × depth charge tracks

The USS Frederick C. Davis (DE-136) was an Edsall-class destroyer escort built for the United States Navy during World War II. Named for Ensign Frederick Curtice Davis (a naval aviator who was killed during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor), she was the first U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.

Frederick C. Davis was laid down 9 November 1942 by the Consolidated Steel Company of Orange, Texas; launched 24 January 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Dorothy H. Robins; and commissioned 14 July 1943 with Lieutenant Commander O. W. Goepner, USNR, in command. Frederick C. Davis sailed from Norfolk 7 October 1943 to escort a convoy to Algiers. She was assigned to escort duty between north African ports and Naples, and on 6 November first came under enemy air attack. A wave of torpedo and medium bombers damaged three ships in her convoy but were driven off by the escort's antiaircraft fire before further damage could be done. Again under air attack on 26 November, Frederick C. Davis splashed at least two of the enemy aircraft.

Continuing her escort duty in the western Mediterranean, Frederick C. Davis took part in an attack on 16 December 1943 which resulted in the sinking of U-73 by two of her group. On 21 January 1944 the escort sortied from Naples for the Anzio landings, during which her superlative and courageous performance was to win her a Navy Unit Commendation. After providing protection from submarines and aircraft to ships giving fire support to the assault on the 22d, Frederick C. Davis maintained a patrol off the besieged beachhead for the next 6 months, leaving only for brief periods of replenishment at Naples. Equipped with special equipment to jam the control frequency of the enemy's rocket-propelled, radio-directed glider bombs, Frederick C. Davis fought off innumerable enemy air attacks, protecting shipping in the anchorage and the men enduring the drawnout fighting ashore. Particularly during the earlier stages of this bitter operation, Frederick C. Davis came under shellfire from shore batteries. Shrapnel caused slight damage to the ship, but only one man was wounded during this lengthy service.

...
Wikipedia