Allied Warships

USS Lee Fox (DE 65)

Destroyer Escort of the Buckley class

NavyThe US Navy
TypeDestroyer Escort
ClassBuckley 
PennantDE 65 
Built byBethlehem Shipyard Inc. (Hingham, Massachusetts, U.S.A.) 
Ordered10 Jan 1942 
Laid down1 Mar 1943 
Launched29 May 1943 
Commissioned30 Aug 1943 
End service13 May 1946 
History

Converted to High Speed Transport and reclassified APD-45 on 23 February 1945.
Decommissioned 13 May 1946.
Stricken 1 September 1964.
Sold 31 January 1966 and broken up for scrap.

 

Commands listed for USS Lee Fox (DE 65)

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.

CommanderFromTo
1Lt.Cdr. William Croft Jennings, USNR30 Aug 194321 Dec 1943
2Lt. William Graham Claytor, Jr., USNR21 Dec 194311 Oct 1944
3John Howard Uhl, USNR11 Oct 194420 Oct 1945

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Notable events involving Lee Fox include:


5 Nov 1943

Convoy UT 4A.

The New York section of this convoy departed on 5 November 1943.

It was made up of the following (troop) transports; Brazil (American, 20614 GRT, built 1929), Examiner (American, 6737 GRT, built 1942), Frederick Lykes (American, 7773 GRT, built 1940) and Ocean Mail (American, 7842 GRT, built 1941).

The escort carrier (in an aircraft ferry role) HMS Khedive (A/Capt. H.J. Haynes, DSO, DSC, RN) and the tanker USS Salamonie (T/Capt. L.J. Johns, USN) were also part of the New York Section of the convoy.

The New York Section of the convoy was escorted by the destroyers USS Frankford (T/Cdr. T.J. Thornhill, Jr., USN, with COMDESRON 18, T/Capt. W.K. Mendenhall, Jr, USN, on board), USS Carmick (T/Cdr. R.O. Beer, USN), USS Doyle (T/Cdr. C.E. Boyd, USN), USS Endicott (T/Cdr. W.S. Heald, USN), USS McCook (T/Cdr. S.C. Anderson, USN) and the destroyer escort USS Ira Jeffery (Lt.Cdr. R.A. Fitch, USNR).

The Boston section of this convoy also departed on 5 November 1943.

It was made up of the following (troop) transports; Explorer (American, 6736 GRT, built 1939) and General George W. Goethals (American, 12093 GRT, built 1942).

The Boston Section of the convoy was escorted by the destroyers USS Decatur (T/Cdr. J.B. Williams, USN, with COMDESDIV 53, T/Capt. B.S. Copping, USN), USS Clemson (Lt. W.F. Moran, USNR) and USS Greer (Lt. M.D. Cooper, USNR). These three destroyers did not join the convoy.

The two sections merged on 7 November 1943. Also joining on 7 November 1943 was the escort destroyer USS Lee Fox (Lt.Cdr. W.C. Jennings, USNR) which had been delayed due to engine trouble and could not sail with the New York Section on the 5th.

On 11 November 1943, USS Carmick and USS Lee Fox were detached to the Azores to fue. Refueling at sea had been impossible in the weather conditions that had been encountered.

On 12 November 1943, fuelling at sea was possible, so USS Doyle, USS Endicott, USS McCook and USS Frankford fuelled from USS Salamonie.

On 13 November 1943, USS Ira Jeffery fuelled from USS Salamonie.

The convoy arrived in U.K. waters on 16 November 1943. USS Carmick and USS Lee Fox had been unable to rejoin the convoy before it's arrival.

Media links


Destroyers of World War Two

Whitley, M. J.


The Buckley-Class Destroyer Escorts

Bruce Hampton Franklin


Return to the Allied Warships section



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