USS Hammann (DE-131)

Career

Ordered As:	Lanoley
Laid down:	10 July 1942
Launched:	13 December 1942
Commissioned:	17 May 1943
Battle Stars:	Unknown
Decommissioned:	24 October 1945
Struck:	1 October 1972
Fate:	Sold 18 January 1974, scrapped
General Characteristics
Class:	Edsall-class destroyer escort
Type:	FMR (geared diesel, Fairbanks-Morse reverse gear drive, 3" guns)
Displacement:	1,200 tons (std) 1,590 tons (full)
Length:	306' (oa), 300' (wl) x 36' 10" x 12' 3" (max)
Speed:	21 knots
Range:	9,100 nm @ 12 knots
Complement:	8 officers, 201 enlisted
Armament:	3 x 3"/50 Mk22 (1x3), 1 twin 40mm Mk1 AA, 8 x 20mm Mk 4 AA, 3 x 21" Mk15 TT (3x1), 1 Hedgehog Projector Mk10 (144 rounds), 8 Mk6 depth charge projectors, 2 Mk9 depth charge tracks
Propulsion:	4 Fairbanks-Morse Mod. 38d81/8 geared diesel engines, 4 diesel-generators, 6000 shp, 2 screws

USS Hammann (DE-131) was an Edsall-class destroyer escort built for the U.S. Navy during World War II. She served in the Atlantic Ocean and provided destroyer escort protection against submarine and air attack for Navy vessels and convoys.

She was named after Charles Hazeltine Hammann who was awarded the Medal of Honor, when, as a pilot of a seaplane 21 August 1918, off the coast of Italy, he dived down and landed next to a downed fellow pilot, brought him aboard, and although his plane was not designed for the double load, brought him to safety amid constant danger of attack by Austrian planes.

The Hammann (DE-131), formerly Lanoley, was launched by Consolidated Steel Corp., Orange, Texas, 13 December 1942; sponsored by Mrs. Lilliam Rohde; and commissioned 17 May 1943, Lt. Comdr. B. D. deKay in command.

World War II North Atlantic Operations

Hammann departed 5 June for Bermuda and shakedown operations, returning to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 6 July. From there the ship sailed to Norfolk, Virginia, and on 13 July began the first of her many transatlantic convoy voyages. Her first four passages to Casablanca, Morocco, covered the period 13 July 1943 to 10 March 1944. During this period she screened convoys in company with escort carriers. She made several attacks on submarine contacts, but recorded no kills.

Rescuing Survivors in the Water

Between 28 March 1944 and 29 November 1944 the busy ship made no less than six more voyages successfully con-voying to and from Europe, stopping at ports in Northern Ireland. Starting 4 January the ship changed her convoy destination to Liverpool and made four more voyages protecting the vital flow of supplies for the end of the European war. During one passage, 2 March 1945, Hammann was called upon to aid one of the ships in the convoy, SS Lone Jack, after a torpedo attack. The destroyer escort picked up 70 survivors and sent salvage parties aboard the stricken ship to keep her afloat.

End-of-War Activity

Her duties in the Atlantic completed, Hammann departed New York 7 July 1945 for training operations in the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, area, departing 24 July for California. She arrived San Diego, California, via the Panama Canal 4 August, and from there proceeded to Pearl Harbor. As the Pacific war was then over, the destroyer escort took on passengers at Pearl Harbor for California, and after discharging them sailed through the Canal again to Charleston, South Carolina, arriving 25 September.

Post-War Decommissioning

She decommissioned at Green Cove Springs, Florida, 24 October 1945, and was placed in reserve. She was later moved to the Texas Group at Orange, Texas, where she remained out of commission in reserve until she was stricken 1 October 1972, sold 18 January 1974, and scrapped.

References

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.

External Links