USS Eversole (DE-404)

The USS "Eversole" (DE-404) was a "John C. Butler"-class destroyer escort built for the United States Navy during World War II. Named for Lieutenant (junior grade) John Thomas Eversole, (a naval aviator who was killed in the opening phases of the Battle of Midway), she was the first of two U.S. Naval vessels to bear the name.

"Eversole" was laid down 15 September 1943 by Brown Shipbuilding of Houston, Texas; launched 3 December; sponsored by Mrs. Sarah R. Eversole, mother of Lieutenant (junior grade) Eversole; and commissioned 21 March 1944 with Lieutenant Commander G. E. Marix in command. "Eversole" sailed from Boston 20 May 1944 for Pearl Harbor, arriving 19 June. After training with submarines in the Hawaiian Islands, she made an escort voyage to Eniwetok, then sailed to Eniwetok and Manus on escort duty. She returned to Eniwetok for antisubmarine patrols until 9 August, when she put to sea screening carriers for the attack on Morotai. She continued this duty, serving with the escort carriers in the initial assaults in Leyte Gulf on 20 October. During the Battle of Leyte Gulf, when a decisive victory was won after great hazard to the escort carriers and their screens, "Eversole" screened two of the damaged carriers, rescued downed pilots, and took wounded off one of the carriers. In the early morning of 28 October, "Eversole" made contact by sonar with a submarine, and only half a minute later suffered the first of two torpedo hits. The ship was ordered abandoned, and after the men were all in the water, the submarine surfaced and opened fire, then dived once more. Five minutes later there was a tremendous underwater explosion which killed or wounded all of "Eversole's" men. Lights from the survivors' flashlights attracted two other escorts, one of which rescued the 139 wounded survivors, as the other began a series of attacks which sank "I-45", presumably the Japanese submarine which had torpedoed "Eversole". "Eversole" received two battle stars for World War II service. Over 40 of her crew were lost with the ship.

References

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* cite web|title=USS "Eversole" (DE-404)|work=Destroyer Escort Photo Archive
url=http://www.navsource.org/archives/06/404.htm|accessdate=March 14|accessyear=2007

ee also

* See List of U.S. Navy losses in World War II for other Navy ships lost in WWII.