USS Carlson (DE-9)
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States
| |
| Launched: | 10 May 1943 |
| Commissioned: | 10 May 1943 |
| Decommissioned: | 10 December 1945 |
| Fate: | sold, 17 October 1946 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type: | Evarts class destroyer escort |
| Type: | Destroyer escort |
| Displacement: | 1,140 long tons (1,160 t) |
| Length: | 289 ft 5 in (88.21 m) |
| Beam: | 35 ft 2 in (10.72 m) |
| Speed: | 19½ kt |
| Range: | 5,000 miles at 15 knots |
| Complement: | 198 |
| Armament: |
|
USS Carlson (BDE-9/DE-9) was an Evarts-class short-hull destroyer escort in the United States Navy. It was named after Chief Daniel William Carlson who was killed during the Battle of Midway
Carlson was originally scheduled for transfer to Britain as BDE-9. BDE-9 was launched on 10 May 1943 by Boston Navy Yard, sponsored by Mrs. D. W. Carlson, and commissioned 10 May 1943, with Lieutenant H. E. Purdy, USNR in command.
Carlson sailed from Norfolk, Virginia, 23 July 1943 for Espiritu Santo, where she arrived on 31 August. For seven months she was at sea almost constantly, aiding in the Guadalcanal and northern Solomon Islands operations with convoy escort and antisubmarine patrol services. Returning to San Francisco, California for overhaul in May 1944, Carlson trained with submarines and acted as target ship and plane guard for aircraft in the Hawaiian area from June through September 1944.
The escort vessel arrived at Eniwetok on 6 October 1944 to begin escort duty between that atoll and Ulithi, guarding convoys composed mainly of tankers. She thus contributed to the success of operations in the Philippines, and later at Iwo Jima, until 21 March 1945, when she sailed from Ulithi for Leyte. Here she was assigned to the screen of the Southern Attack Force for the assault on Okinawa.
Carlson's task unit arrived off Okinawa to launch the initial assault waves on the morning of 1 April 1945. During that day, and the five that followed, she conducted anti-submarine patrols during the daylight hours and retired to seaward guarding the transports at night. From 6–17 April, she sailed to Saipan and back, escorting transports and cargo ships with reinforcements, then took up a screening station between Okinawa and Kerama Retto. On her first night, a Japanese plane launched a torpedo which passed harmlessly under Carlson's bow. Three more times during the next two weeks Japanese planes were driven off by the escort vessel's gunners. After another voyage to Saipan, Carlson screened on various stations off Okinawa, during a period of heavy kamikaze attacks.
A kamikaze fighter struck the Carlson on one occasion but the plane hit the water and lost all momentum before striking the ship, and did not explode. The dead Japanese pilot was retrieved by Carlson's crew.
Clearing Okinawa 29 June 1945, she sailed to Leyte to join the screen for the replenishment group serving TF 38. With this group she aided the Third Fleet in maintaining a constant offensive on Japan proper through the close of the war.
On 16 September, she got underway for San Pedro, California, where she was decommissioned 10 December 1945. Carlson was sold on 17 October 1946.
Carlson received two battle stars for World War II service.
Awards
 |
Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive) |
 |
American Campaign Medal |
|
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (with two service stars) |
 |
World War II Victory Medal |
References
This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
