Allied Warships

Destroyer Escorts

US Navy


The Evarts class destroyer escort USS Mitchell (DE 43) of the US Navy.

503 destroyer escorts (DE's) (The Royal Navy had similar ships called frigates) were commissioned by the allies between Jan 1943 and May 1945. The first 3 came in Jan 1943 and they peaked at 48 being commissioned in October that year. 4 more were completed postwar, two of them in 1955.

The destroyer escort was not nearly as expensive as the fleet destroyer (DD) and much better suited for convoy escort duties. They were slower than the DD's (21 knots against 35 knots), well armed and most important of all, they could be built much faster. These vessels became the most common U-boat hunters from middle of 1943 on wards.

All Destroyer Escort classes (in service with the US Navy).

ClassCommissioned
 Buckley (102)1943 - 1944
 John C. Butler (87)1943 - 1955
 Cannon (86)1943 - 1945
 Edsall (85)1943 - 1944
 Evarts (73)1943 - 1945
 Rudderow (22)1943 - 1944

6 ship classes.


Please note that we list the classes by navies that initiated/owned the class. Often vessels of certain classes were then built for other nations (or lent), those ships are not visible here but only through the navies pages or by looking into each class.

War losses: Destroyer Escorts


 DateVesselClass

1944

US Navy9 Mar 1944USS Leopold (DE 319)Edsall 
US Navy11 Apr 1944USS Holder (DE 401)Edsall 
US Navy5 May 1944USS Fechteler (i) (DE 157)Buckley 
US Navy8 Jun 1944USS Rich (i) (DE 695)Buckley 
US Navy2 Aug 1944USS Fiske (i) (DE 143)Edsall 
US Navy3 Oct 1944USS Shelton (i) (DE 407)John C. Butler 
US Navy25 Oct 1944USS Samuel B. Roberts (i) (DE 413)John C. Butler 
US Navy28 Oct 1944USS Eversole (i) (DE 404)John C. Butler 

1945

US Navy24 Apr 1945USS Frederick C. Davis (DE 136)Edsall 
US Navy25 May 1945USS Bates (DE 68)Buckley 
US Navy24 Jul 1945USS Underhill (DE 682)Buckley 

11 Destroyer Escorts lost. See all Allied Warship losses.

See all Destroyer Escorts

See all Allied Warship types


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