USS Pennewill (DE-175)

Career (United States)
Name:	USS Pennewill
Namesake:	William Ellison Pennewill
Builder:	Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Newark, New Jersey
Laid down:	26 April 1943
Launched:	8 August 1943
Commissioned:	15 September 1943
Decommissioned:	1 August 1944
Struck:	20 July 1953
Fate:	Leased to Brazil, 1 August 1944 Sold to Brazil, 30 June 1953
Career (Brazil)
Name:	Bertioga (BE–1)
Acquired:	1 August 1944
Fate:	Scrapped, 1964
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 Pennewill (DE-175) was a Cannon-class destroyer escort built for the United States Navy during World War II. She served in the Atlantic Ocean and provided escort service against submarine and air attack for Navy vessels and convoys. Pennewill was named in honor of William Ellison Pennewill who had been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.

The ship was laid down on 26 April 1943 by the Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Newark, New Jersey; launched on 8 August 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Lucie Reilly Pennewill; and commissioned on 15 September 1943, Lt. John Edward Allen, USNR, in command.

World War II Central and South Atlantic operations

After shakedown, Pennewill steamed to Trinidad, British West Indies, for convoy escort duty. On 20 November 1943, she departed Trinidad as part of the escort for Convoy TJ–15, arriving Recife, Brazil, on 5 December.

Pennewill was engaged in operations with Task Group 42.2 from December 1943 to April 1944, escorting convoys from Trinidad to Recife, Brazil, and return. She also completed several special missions. From 25 to 27 December 1943 she escorted U.S. Army transport San Juan, Puerto Rico. From 21 to 22 January 1944, she was escort for British tanker Bahia, Brazil on 26 April. During the following months she operated with Memphis (CL-13), conducting patrol and escort duty off the coast of Brazil and engaged in training operations in the Bahia-Recife area.

Post-War Decommissioning

On 28 July, she sailed from Recife to Natal, Brazil, where she decommissioned and was leased to the Government of Brazil on 1 August 1944. She was transferred to Brazil on 30 June 1953 and was struck from the Navy List on 20 July 1953. Her Brazilian name was Bertioga (BE–1). She was scrapped in 1964.

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 Pennewill (DE-175) at NavSource Naval History