USS Otter (DE-210)

USS "Otter" (DE-210), a "Buckley"-class destroyer escort of the United States Navy, was named in honor of Lieutenant Bethel V. Otter (1914-1942), who was killed in action on Corregidor 6 May 1942.

The second "Otter" was laid down 26 July 1943 by the Charleston Navy Yard; launched 23 October 1943; sponsored by Mrs. William M. Otter, the mother of Lieutenant Otter; commissioned 21 February 1944, Lieutenant Commander D. M. Kerr, United States Naval Reserve, in command.

Following a Bermuda shakedown, "Otter" joined the Atlantic Fleet and escorted two carriers to Casablanca, then, for the remainder of the year, she helped protect convoys shuttling from the United States to various Mediterranean ports. Throughout these operations not a single ship was lost.

In December 1944, "Otter" and three of her sister ships formed a task group to hunt and destroy German U-boats in the middle and north Atlantic. On 16 January 1945, without assistance from aircraft, the group located and sank German submarine U-248. "Otter", after playing a crucial role in the depth charge attack, proudly displayed a sub silhouette on her bridge.

In April, this task group joined a large task force of destroyer escorts and escort carriers patrolling the shipping lanes of the North Atlantic and searching for subs. During these operations, destroyer escort USS "Frederick C. Davis" was torpedoed and sunk, and while other ships of the group engaged and sank U-546, "Otter" assisted in the rescue of survivors.

Upon the end of the European war, "Otter" was one of the ships assigned to accept the surrender of German subs. She intercepted a U-boat east of Newfoundland, put a boarding party on board, and escorted the sub, the second to surrender, over a thousand miles to the East Coast of the United States.

"Otter" then began to refit for the Pacific War. The end of hostilities changed plans and "Otter" was assigned to the Naval Submarine Base New London, Connecticut, to assist in submarine training.

By directive dated January 1947, "Otter" was placed out of commission, in reserve, attached to the United States Atlantic Reserve Fleet and berthed in Florida.

"Otter" received one battle star for service in World War II.

References

External links

* [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/o4/otter-ii.htm history.navy.mil: USS "Otter"]
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/06/210.htm navsource.org: USS "Otter"]
* [http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/escorts/de210.txt hazegray.org: USS "Otter"]