USS Doneff (DE-49)

The USS "Doneff" (DE-49) was an "Evarts"-class destroyer escort which served in the Pacific Theater of Operations. The only encounter with the Imperial Japanese Navy was the sighting of one or two zero fighters during the operational time spent in the Aleutian Islands. The Chief Yeoman was Arthur E. Brockschmidt, who died on 22 January 2003 in Springfield, Illinois.

DE-49, originally intended for transfer to Britain, was launched on 24 July 1942 by Philadelphia Navy Yard; retained by the U.S. Navy; named "Doneff" on 4 March 1943, and commissioned on 10 June 1943, with Lieutenant Commander L. C. Mabley, USNR, in command.

Doneff arrived at San Diego, California, as escort for a convoy on 9 September 1943. On 27 September she got underway for Alaskan waters and escort duty. From April 1944 she cruised between Attu and the Kurile Islands to report enemy contacts, forced landings of aircraft, and weather, and to guide planes and serve as rescue vessels in case of forced landings. She returned to Attu on 19 May for escort duty between Alaskan ports. Except for a period as guard ship again from 1 August to 21 August 1944, she continued to escort convoys until 7 January 1945 when she sailed for San Francisco, California, and overhaul.

Arriving at Pearl Harbor 9 March 1945 for exercises, "Doneff" got underway on 20 March to escort a convoy to Eniwetok, arriving there on 28 March. She served at Guam on patrol and local escort duty, then made anti-submarine patrols off Saipan until 6 August, when she sailed for Okinawa as a convoy escort, returning to Saipan on 19 August. From 25 August to 23 September, she joined the destroyer USS "Mayrant" to receive the surrender of the Japanese garrison on Marcus Island and support occupation of the island by American troops.

After brief overhaul at Guam, "Doneff" put to sea on 11 October, arriving at San Pedro on 26 October. "Doneff" was decommissioned on 22 December 1945 at San Diego, and sold for scrapping on 9 January 1947.

Awards

(Source: http://www.multied.com/navy/DE/Doneff.html)