- USS Cates (DE-763)
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Career (United States) Name: USS Cates (DE-763) Namesake: William Finnic Cates Builder: Tampa Shipbuilding Company, Tampa, Florida Laid down: 1 March 1943 Launched: 19 October 1943 Commissioned: 15 December 1943 Decommissioned: 28 March 1947 Struck: 20 December 1950 Fate: Transferred to France, 11 November 1950 Career (France) Name: Soudanais (F722) Acquired: 11 November 1950 Struck: 1959 Fate: Scrapped, 1959 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) fullLength: 306 ft (93 m) o/a
300 ft (91 m) w/lBeam: 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 tracksUSS Cates (DE-763) was a Cannon-class destroyer escort built for the United States Navy during World War II. She served in the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and provided escort service against submarine and air attack for Navy vessels and convoys.
She was named after William Finnic Cates who was killed in action 12 November 1942 when a Japanese torpedo plane, which he kept under fire while refusing to leave his station, crashed aboard the ship. For this heroism, he received the Navy Cross posthumously.
Cates was launched 10 October 1943 by Tampa Shipbuilding Co., Inc., Tampa, Florida; sponsored by Mrs. P. Dyer; commissioned 15 December 1943, Lieutenant G. A. Prouse, USNR, in command; and reported to the Atlantic Fleet.
Contents
World War II North Atlantic operations
Between 27 February and 1 May 1944, Cates guarded two convoys carrying American troops to ports in Ireland and Wales in the lengthy preparations for the invasion of Normandy. Overcoming the threat of submarine attack and the ever-present hazards of vicious North Atlantic weather, she aided in the completely safe passage of critically needed men.
After a brief period training with submarines from New London, Connecticut, Cates completed 1944 with five convoy voyages from New York to ports in Ireland, Great Britain, and France escorting tankers, carrying critical petroleum products to support the push of the Allies across Europe. Cates opened 1945 with a brief training period in Casco Bay, Maine, then a return to tanker convoy duty from Boston, Massachusetts, to Scotland, returning to New York 18 February. Two weeks later she sailed in the escort of another convoy, but had to break off and return to Earle, New Jersey, for repairs, followed by refresher training in Casco Bay. This training became most realistic when Cates took part in a 2-week anti-submarine sweep along the northeast coast. She returned to New York 20 April, and sailed 4 days later escorting tankers to Liverpool.
Transfer to Pacific Theatre operations
Returning to New York with empty tankers 23 May 1945, Cates sailed on to training in Cuban waters, passed through the Panama Canal, and arrived at Pearl Harbor 31 July for training and overhaul. Arriving at Eniwetok 30 August, she began six months of convoy escort supporting the redeployment of troops in the Far East, calling at ports in the Philippines, Japan, and Okinawa until 18 February 1946.
Post-War decommissioning
She then cleared for San Pedro, California, Norfolk, Virginia, and Green Cove Springs, Florida. She arrived at the latter port 22 April for duty training reservists until 28 March 1947, when she was decommissioned there. Cates was transferred to France under the Military Assistance Program on 11 November 1950. She served in the French Navy as Soudanais (F.722) until stricken and scrapped in 1959.
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 Cates (DE-763) at NavSource Naval History
United States Navy CompletedCannon · Christopher · Alger · Thomas · Bostwick · Breeman · Burrows · Brazilian Navy
Free French Naval Forces Other operators Republic of China Navy Hellenic Navy†
Wild Beast classMarina Militare Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Royal Netherlands Navy Bitter · Dubois · Van Amstel · Van Ewijck · Van Zijill · Zeeuw
Peruvian Navy Philippine Navy
Datu Kalantiaw classDatu Kalantiaw (ex-Booth) · Datu Sikatuna (ex-Amick) · Rajah Humabon (ex-Atherton)
Royal Thai Navy Uruguayan Navy † - Classed as destroyers by the Hellenic Navy
Preceded by: Buckley class · Followed by: Edsall class
List of destroyer escorts of the United States NavyCategories:- Cannon class destroyer escorts of the United States Navy
- Ships built in Florida
- 1943 ships
- World War II frigates and destroyer escorts of the United States
- Cannon class destroyer escorts of the French Navy
- Cold War frigates of France
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