USS Lake

USS Lake (DE-301) was an Evarts-class destroyer escort of the United States Navy during World War II. She was sent off into the Pacific Ocean to protect convoys and other ships from Japanese submarines and fighter aircraft. She performed escort and antisubmarine operations in dangerous battle areas and returned home with two battle stars.

History
United States
Name: USS Lake
Laid down: 22 April 1943
Launched: 18 August 1943
Commissioned: 5 February 1944
Decommissioned: 3 December 1945
Stricken: 19 December 1945
Honors and
awards:		 2 battle stars (World War II)
Fate: Sold for scrapping, 14 December 1946
General characteristics
Type: Evarts-class destroyer escort
Displacement:
  • 1,140 long tons (1,158 t) standard
  • 1,430 long tons (1,453 t) full
Length:
  • 289 ft 5 in (88.21 m) o/a
  • 283 ft 6 in (86.41 m) w/l
Beam: 35 ft 2 in (10.72 m)
Draft: 11 ft (3.4 m) (max)
Propulsion:
Speed: 19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph)
Range: 4,150 nmi (7,690 km)
Complement: 15 officers and 183 enlisted
Armament:

She was laid down on 22 April 1943 by Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, California; launched on 18 August 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Carol M. Feldman; and commissioned on 5 February 1944, Lt. Comdr. A. D.Weeks, Jr., in command.

World War II Pacific Theater operations

Lake sailed from San Francisco, California, on 11 April 1944 escorting to a convoy to Hawaii and arriving on 20 April. She operated there until sailing on 23 June to escort a convoy to the Marshall Islands. Lake sortied on 5 July from Eniwetok with a hunter-killer group for anti-submarine patrols off the Marianas protecting vital shipping lanes during the conquest of Saipan and the liberation of Guam. After returning from the patrol, Lake cleared Eniwetok on 10 August with destroyer escorts Reynolds (DE-42) and Donaldson (DE-44) to escort light cruiser Montpelier (CL-57) to Pearl Harbor, arriving on 15 August.

Rescuing Japanese floating on a raft

Lake headed toward the Marshalls shepherding two merchantmen. En route she picked up from a small raft two Japanese from nearby Wotje Island. On arriving Kwajalein on 2 September, she turned the prisoners over to the Army and sailed escorting transports carrying troops to the Palaus for the invasion of Peleliu. Reaching the Palaus on 21 September, she served on escort duty in the area for the next few weeks.

Philippine operations

In November, Lake screened the fueling group which serviced units of the fast carrier task force during the invasion of the Philippines. She remained with the group off Leyte until she headed for the Bonins 15 February for the invasion of Iwo Jima.

Okinawa operations

After Iwo Jima had been secured, Lake screened the task group that supplied Task Force 58 during operations against Okinawa. Throughout the campaign, she made shuttle runs to Ulithi, escorting empty oilers. On 8 August, she was ordered to escort and give anti-submarine protection to 12 oilers and one merchantman heading for a rendezvous close off Japan.

End-of-War decommissioning

After the Japanese surrender, Lake returned to the west coast, arriving San Francisco on 13 October. She decommissioned at Mare Island, California, on 3 December and was sold on 14 December 1946 to Puget Sound Navigation Co., Seattle, Washington, for scrapping.

Awards

Lake received two battle stars for World War II service.

See also

References
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