USS Scroggins (DE-799)

USS "Scroggins" (DE-799) was a "Buckley"-class destroyer escort of the United States Navy, named in honor of Aviation Radioman Second Class Ted H. Scroggins (1918–1942).

"Scroggins" was laid down on 4 September 1943 by the Consolidated Steel Corp., Orange, Texas; launched on 6 November 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Dartha Hardin, sister of Aviation Radioman Scroggins; and commissioned on 30 March 1944, Lieutenant Commander Herbert Kriloff in command.

After shakedown, "Scroggins" sailed on 1 June 1944 for the first of three convoy voyages from the east coast to Bizerte, Tunisia. On 12 November, after returning from her third voyage to the Mediterranean, "Scroggins" underwent refresher training at Casco Bay, Maine; and then arrived in Argentia, Newfoundland, on 18 December for antisubmarine duty. Except for short periods in port and six days of training off New London, Conn. between 12 and 17 March, she carried out antisubmarine patrols and sweeps in the approaches to Halifax, N.S., as part of a hunter-killer force until 18 April 1945. Between 30 April and 5 May, "Scroggins" carried out similar patrols off Long Island before proceeding to Norfolk. On V-E day, she was placed on four-hours notice in case she was needed to escort surrendered German submarines to United States ports, but did not have to get underway.

"Scroggins" departed Norfolk on 15 May to screen "Guadalcanal" (CVE-60) off Jacksonville while the escort carrier qualified pilots for carrier operations. Detached from this duty on 5 June, she then served as a seagoing training ship for the Naval Training Center at Miami, Fla., from 6 June to 17 July. After overhaul at New York and refresher training at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, she served as a training ship with submarines at New London from 5 September to 9 December 1945. Between 9 January and 14 February 1946, the escort served as plane guard for "Salerno Bay" (CVE-110) off Norfolk, and then returned to New London for more submarine training between 26 February and 1 April. The ship arrived at Green Cove Springs, Fla., on 2 May for inactivation; was decommissioned on 15 June 1946; and was placed in reserve there. "Scroggins" was struck from the Navy list on 1 July 1965 and sold on 5 April 1967 to the Peck Iron and Metals Co., Portsmouth, Virginia, for scrapping.

References

External links

* [http://history.navy.mil/danfs/s7/scroggins.htm history.navy.mil: USS "Scroggins"]
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/06/799.htm navsource.org: USS "Scroggins"]