Allied Warships

USS Charles Lawrence (DE 53)

Destroyer Escort of the Buckley class

Navy	The US Navy
Type	Destroyer Escort
Class	Buckley
Pennant	DE 53
Built by	Bethlehem Shipyard Inc. (Hingham, Massachusetts, U.S.A.)
Ordered	10 Jan 1942
Laid down	1 Aug 1942
Launched	16 Feb 1943
Commissioned	31 May 1943
End service	21 Jun 1946
History	Reclassified as High Speed Transport APD-37 on 23 October 1944. Decommissioned 21 June 1946. Stricken 1 September 1964. Sold 31 January 1966 and broken up for scrap.

Commands listed for USS Charles Lawrence (DE 53)

Please note that we're still working on this section
and that we only list Commanding Officers for the duration of the Second World War.

	Commander	From	To
1	T/Cdr. Leon Samuel Kintberger, USN	31 May 1943	15 Aug 1943
2	Lt. (jg.) Francis Kernan, Jr., USNR	15 Aug 1943	3 Jan 1944
3	Lt. George R. Seidlitz, USNR	3 Jan 1944	21 Jul 1945
4	Daniel F. Larkin, Jr., USNR	21 Jul 1945	2 Jan 1946

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Notable events involving Charles Lawrence include:

29 Oct 1943
HMS Taku (Lt. A.J.W. Pitt, RN) and HMS Viking (Lt. R. Bannar-Martin, DSC, RN) conducted attack exercises off Larne on HMS Philante (Capt. A.J. Baker-Cresswell, DSO, RN) which was escorted by the destroyer escorts USS Charles Lawrence (Lt. F. Kernan, Jr., USNR, with COMTASKGR 21.6 / COMCORTDIV 6, T/Capt. H.T. Read, USN on board), USS Daniel T. Griffin (Lt. F. Denfeld, USNR), USS Donnell (Lt.Cdr. F.C. Billing, USNR), USS Sims (Lt J.A. Moffett, 2nd, USNR), USS Hopping (Lt. L.F. Loutrel, Jr., USNR) and USS Reeves (Lt.Cdr. M.S. Clark, USNR). (1)

24 Jun 1944

Convoy UC 27.

This convoy was assembled west off Oversay on 24 June 1944.

It was made up of the following transports / tankers; Ball's Bluff (American (tanker), 10195 GRT, built 1943), Bulkfuel (American (tanker), 11016 GRT, built 1944), Bulklube (American (tanker), 11016 GRT, built 1943), Esperance Bay (British, 13837 GRT, built 1922), Exceller (American, 6597 GRT, built 1941), Fair Wind (American, 8258 GRT, built 1944), Fallen Timbers (American (tanker), 10448 GRT, built 1943), Flying Eagle (American, 8258 GRT, built 1944), Fort Fetterman (American (tanker), 10172 GRT, built 1944), Frenchtown (American (tanker), 10297 GRT, built 1944), Gloucester (British, 8532 GRT, built 1941), Golden Fleece (American), 8258 GRT, built 1944), James Island (American (tanker), 10317 GRT, built 1944), Lightning (American, 8591 GRT, built 1942), Malvern Hill (American (tanker), 10296 GRT, built 1944), Musgrove Mills (American (tanker), 10297 GRT, built 1944), Robin Sherwood (American, 7101 GRT, built 1941), Sachem (American (tanker), 9910 GRT, built 1943), San Juan Hill (American (tanker), 10172 GRT, built 1944), Santa Barbara (American, 6507 GRT, built 1943), Sweepstakes (American, 8258 GRT, built 1944), Tamaroa (British, 12405 GRT, built 1922), Wacosta (American, 6065 GRT, built 1944), Wagon Box (American (tanker), 10172 GRT, built 1943) and Williamsburg (American (tanker), 10297 GRT, built 1944).

The damaged battleship HMS Nelson (Capt. A.H. Maxwell-Hyslop, AM, RN), escort carriers (in an aircraft ferry role) HMS Arbiter (Capt. R.C. Harry, RN), HMS Smiter (A/Capt. L.G. Richardson, RN) and the naval tankers USS Chiwawa (Lt.Cdr. J.P. Goza, USNR) and USS Winooski (Lt.Cdr. T.B. Christenson, USNR) were also part of this convoy.

From the assembly point onwards the convoy was escorted by the destroyer escorts USS Charles Lawrence (Lt. G.R. Seidlitz, USNR, with COMTASKGR 21.6, T/Capt. H.T. Chase, USN on board), USS Daniel T. Griffin (Lt.Cdr. J.A. Eastwood, USNR), USS Sims (Lt. F.M. Donahue, USNR), USS Hopping (Lt.Cdr. L.F. Loutrel, Jr., USNR), USS Reeves (Lt.Cdr. J.J. Durney, USNR) and USS Cates (Lt.Cdr. G.A. Prouse, USNR).

Around 0245O/28, in bad visibility, the Fort Fetterman collided with HMS Nelson but no much damage was sustained by neither ship.

On 1 July 1944, USS Chiwawa refuelled USS Sims and USS Charles Lawrence.

Around 0500P/3, HMS Arbiter, USS Chiwawa and USS Winooski parted company to proceed to Hampton Roads (Norfolk) escorted by USS Sims. They arrived at their destination in the morning of the 4th after which USS Sims set course for New York.

Around 0130Q/4, HMS Nelson and the tankers Fort Fetterman and Wagon Box were detached to proceed to Delaware Bay (Philadelphia) escorted by USS Cates. They arrived at their destination late that morning after which USS Cates set course for New York.

The remainder of the convoy arrived at New York in the morning of 4 July 1944.