USS Fiske (DE-143)

The USS "Fiske" (DE-143) was an "Edsall"-class destroyer escort built for the United States Navy during World War II. Named for Rear Admiral Bradley Allen Fiske, she was the first of two U.S. Naval vessels to bear the name.

"Fiske" (DE-143) was laid down 4 January 1943 by the Consolidated Steel Corporation of Orange, Texas; launched 14 March 1943; sponsored by Mrs. H. G. Chalkley; and commissioned 25 August 1943 with Lieutenant Commander R. P. Walker in command. "Fiske" began her service as a convoy escort with a voyage from Norfolk to Coco Solo, C.Z. to New York between 12 and 25 November 1943. On 3 December, the escort ship cleared Norfolk on the first of three convoy assignments from Norfolk and New York to Casablanca. During the third of these, on 20 April 1944 her convoy came under attack by German torpedo bombers in the western Mediterranean, but none of the enemy planes came within range of "Fiske". Completing her Casablanca runs with her return to New York 21 May 1944 "Fiske" joined the hunter-killer group formed around the USS "Wake Island" (CVE-65) at Norfolk 10 June. Five days later her group sailed to patrol across the Atlantic, putting into Casablanca to replenish 20 to 24 July. On 2 August, during a special hunt for submarines known to be transmitting weather information from stations in the central Atlantic, "Fiske" and USS "Douglas L. Howard" (DE-138) were detached from the task group to investigate a visual contact both had made. The contact (north of the Azores), surfaced U-804, quickly dived, but the two escorts picked it up on sonar, and began their attack approach. Suddenly, "Fiske" was torpedoed on her starboard side amidships, and within 10 minutes, she broke in two and had to be abandoned. Thirty-three of her men were killed and 50 badly wounded by the explosion, but all who survived it were rescued by the USS "Farquhar" (DE-139). "Fiske" received one battle star for World War II service.

References

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* cite web|title=USS "Fiske" (DE-143)|work=Destroyer Escort Photo Archive
url=http://www.navsource.org/archives/06/143.htm|accessdate=March 22|accessyear=2007

ee also

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

External links

* [http://desausa.org/de_photo_library/uss_fiske_de143_sinking.htm USS "Fiske" DE-143] at [http://www.desausa.org www.desausa.org]