USS Cooner (DE-172)

Career
Name:	USS Cooner
Namesake:	Bunyan Randolph Cooner
Builder:	Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Newark, New Jersey
Laid down:	22 February 1943
Launched:	23 July 1943
Commissioned:	21 August 1943
Decommissioned:	25 June 1946
Struck:	1 July 1972
Fate:	Sold for scrap, 1 November 1973
General characteristics
Class and type:	Cannon-class destroyer escort
Displacement:	1,240 long tons (1,260 t) standard 1,620 long tons (1,646 t) full
Length:	306 ft (93 m) o/a 300 ft (91 m) w/l
Beam:	36 ft 10 in (11.23 m)
Draft:	11 ft 8 in (3.56 m)
Propulsion:	4 × GM Mod. 16-278A diesel engines with electric drive, 6,000 shp (4,474 kW), 2 screws
Speed:	21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph)
Range:	10,800 nmi (20,000 km) at 12 kn (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Complement:	15 officers and 201 enlisted
Armament:	• 3 × single Mk.22 3"/50 caliber guns • 1 × twin 40 mm Mk.1 AA gun • 8 × 20 mm Mk.4 AA guns • 3 × 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes • 1 × Hedgehog Mk.10 anti-submarine mortar (144 rounds) • 8 × Mk.6 depth charge projectors • 2 × Mk.9 depth charge tracks

USS Cooner (DE-172) was a Cannon-class destroyer escort built for the United States Navy during World War II. She served in the Atlantic Ocean and then the Pacific Ocean and provided escort service against submarine and air attack for Navy vessels and convoys.

Cooner was named after Bunyan Randolph Cooner who earned a Navy Cross before losing his life in 1942. She was launched 23 July 1943 by Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., Kearny, New Jersey; sponsored by Mrs. I. Cooner; and commissioned 21 August 1943, Lieutenant Commander J. M. Stuart in command.

World War II North Atlantic operations

Between 1 November 1943 and 9 May 1945, Cooner made nine voyages escorting convoys between New York and North African ports.

World War II Pacific Theatre operations

With the winning of victory of Europe, the veteran of the Atlantic Ocean was ordered to the Pacific Ocean, and on 28 June 1945 arrived at Pearl Harbor. She sailed on to Ulithi, where between 8 August and 20 August she had patrol and radar picket duty. After escorting a transport to Guam and putting in to Okinawa, she returned to Ulithi to load troops, whom she carried to Guam for further transportation to the United States. She herself sailed to Saipan, where from 23 September to 1 November, she stood ready to perform air-sea rescues during the heavy traffic carrying men home from the western Pacific. Homeward bound, she called at Pearl Harbor and San Diego, California, en route to Charleston, South Carolina, where she arrived 4 December.

Post-War decommissioning

There she was decommissioned and placed in reserve 25 June 1946. She was struck on 1 July 1972 and sold on 1 November 1973 and scrapped.

References

This article includes text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.

External links

• Photo gallery of USS Cooner at NavSource Naval History