USS Doyle C. Barnes DE 353 was built by Consolidated Steel Corporation, Ltd., Orange, Texas. The contract price for hull and machinery was $2,043,000.00, excluding the cost of the main propulsion machinery. This was a "cost plus fixed fee" type contract. The contract was signed on 7 August 1942.

She was of the WGT design group of destroyer escorts. DEs of this group were powered by geared turbine engines. Her turbines were manufactured by General Electric Corporation. The WGT design group was also known as the John C. Butler Class destroyer escort.

Her keel was laid 11 January 1944. A short two months later, USS Doyle C. Barnes DE 353 was launched on 4 March 1944, sponsored by Mrs. D. C. Barnes, widow of Ensign Barnes. Click here for rare photos of the Christening Ceremony.

The Contract Date of Completion of DE 353 was signed 10 May 1944. 10 July 1944 was the Date of Preliminary Acceptance by the US Navy. This acceptance meant she was approved to be commissioned.

USS Doyle C. Barnes DE 353 was commissioned 13 July 1944, Lieutenant Commander J. P. Ingle, USNR, in command. The ceremony took place on the City Docks, Orange, Texas.

DE 353 departed Orange, Texas 20 July 1944 and arrived the same day at Galveston, Texas where she remained for 10 days. She departed Galveston 30 July and arrived at Bermuda Island 5 August.

After shakedown at Bermuda, 5 August to 5 September, DE 353 sailed to Boston and remained there until 23 September. She departed Boston and arrived at Norfolk, Virginia 25 September. At Norfolk, she served as a school ship for officers destined for escort vessel service. She served in this capacity from 25 September to 21 October 1944.

On 19 October 1944, Doyle C. Barnes was designated Flagship Of Commander Escort Division 82, CDR William Croft Jennings, USNR.  Other ships of this division were the USS Kenneth M. Willett DE-354, USS Jaccard DE-355, USS Lloyd E. Acree DE-356, USS George E. Davis DE-357, and USS Mack DE-358.

Doyle C. Barnes DE 353, along with the other five ships of the Division, sailed from Norfolk on 21 October. She passed through the Panama Canal 27 October and arrived in the Galapagos Islands 31 October. She crossed the equator 1 November, arriving in Bora Bora, Society Islands 12 November and reached her final destination of Hamboldt Bay Hollandia, New Guinea 28 November, 1944.

Doyle C. Barnes DE 353 escorted convoys and patrolled from late 1944 to 25 June 1945 when she departed Leyte for Brunei Bay (Borneo).

From 28 June to 6 October, she took part in the assault and occupation of Borneo, working with the Australian General G. F. Wootten for whom DE 353 served as the US Navy liaison ship.

On 22 July, she was called upon to conduct a shore bombardment of Japanese strongholds in Borneo and was subsequently commended by COMDESPAC in a letter which read in part, "The USS Doyle C. Barnes was confronted with as difficult a gunnery problem as yet faced by ships of this class and the results obtained were excellent."

At 0900 on 10 September 1945, DE 353 weighed anchor in Victoria Harbor, adjacent to Labuan Island, Borneo. Embarked aboard DE 353 were Brigadier T. C. Eastick, Commander Royal Artillery, Ninth Australian Division, recently named to command the Kuching Relief Force, his staff and fifth Australian troops. DE 353 departed Brunei Bay arriving off Tanjong Po where she joined other ships carrying occupation troops and supplies. She anchored at 0800 near the mouth of the Sarawak River, where Brigadier Eastick, his staff, troops and others disembarked. Eastick boarded HMAS Corvette to travel up the river to conduct the Japanese surrender ceremony at Kuching, Borneo. DE 353 remained anchored awaiting the return of Eastick and the others. Following the ceremony, DE 353 returned to Brunei Bay.

Following the cessation of hostilities, DE 353 remained in the Far East, providing service at Okinawa, Manila, Tsingtao and Shanghai. She sailed from Tsingtao 15 April, arriving at San Pedro, CA 11 May 1946. She was towed by ATR-66 to San Diego and placed out of commission in reserve 15 January 1947.

USS Doyle C. Barnes DE 353 was stricken from the US Navy record on 1 December 1972. She was sold on 12 September 1973 and broken up for scrap.

View an encapsulated version of the Ship Log

The following information provides addition history of DE 353

John Ingle, Jr., RADM, USNR, Ret. wrote a "letter to the editor" that was published in DESANews Jan/Feb 1980 edition.

MAIL CALL...

Dear Jack,

I have avidly read each issue of the DESA Newsletter since joining the DE Sailors Association a couple of years ago but your Nov/Dec issue just received, with its remarkable DE action stories, was the most fascinating yet. You are to be congratulated personally for that fine job, and for building the fine team that gets every issue out rain or shine.

I was pleasantly surprised to find the first birthday of the Doyle C. Barnes (DE-353) so nicely and generously treated and I am indebted to Chief Yeoman Ledbetter, ever efficient, for saving his bulletin all these years and sending it to you. Being skipper at that time, I could have added only that nine days after that 13 July 1945 birthday celebration the ship was called upon to conduct a shore bombardment of Japanese strongholds in Borneo and was subsequently commended by COMDESPAC in a letter which read in part, "The USS Doyle C. Barnes was confronted with as difficult a gunnery problem as yet faced by ships of this class and the results obtained were excellent." Lieut. Albert Goodson, USNR, of Plano, Texas was our capable Gunnery Officer in charge of that operation.

Noting that your Editor's Column is still calling for more DE stories it occurred to me that the attached account may be of interest for some future issue. It concerns the Jap's surrender at Kuching, Borneo, written by Lt. (j.g.) Herbert H. Toder, USNR, the Doyle C. Barnes' First Lieut. and Public Relations Officer. He wrote it for general release in 1945 but if now used it should be of course credited to him. (I'll track him down for membership in DESA)

With every good wish for the continued success of DESA and the DESA Newsletter.

Sincerely,
John Ingle, Jr.
RADM, USNR, Ret.
 

A Mélange Of Our Meaningful Memories Together
By
John Ingle

Oct. 19, 1944 at NOB Norfolk you shifted your pennant as COMCORTDIV 82 from Mack to Doyle C. Barnes, thus inspiring my entire ship's company to new heights of pride and responsibility. Crossing the Pacific with daily division tactics, flag hoist drills, and (at any hour) gun readiness exercises. Air attack on convoy thwarted. Working with subs at Subic Bay and Commendation from ADM Fife. Shore bombardment of Jap stronghold at Miri and Commendation from COMDESPAC. Your role as Sr. Naval Officer present at Brunei Bay, working with Australian Army and your Commendation by Gen. Wootten. Jap surrender ceremony at Kuching and transporting prison survivors back to civilization. Seas we have known: Caribbean, Bismark, Coral, Mindanao, Sibuyan, Sulu and South China. Transits: Panama Canal, Int'l Date Line and 10 times (with ceremonies) the Equator. Remote Ports: Cristobal, C.Z.; Galapagos Island, Bora Bora, Society Islands; Espiritu Santa, New Hebrides; Hollandia, New Guinea; Mois Woendi, Padaido Island, Dutch New Guinea; Brunei Bay, British North Borneo; and in the Philippines Tacloban and Tolosa, Leyte; Mangarin Bay, Mindoro; Subic Bay and Manila, Luzon; Zamboanaga, Mindanao and Calicoan, Samar. Mix together with many miles (56,713 nautical miles the ship's first year alone), from mirror seas with flying fish to typhoons with seasickness, fears and prayers, friendships all deepen. Your Legion of Merit with Combat V and impressive citation was eminently well deserved. Your own recommendations resulted in personal decorations to several Officers in your division including Flagship C.O. who deeply appreciates it. Congratulations on Big 80! Betty and I send admiration and affection to you both!

From 28 June to 6 October 1945, DE 353 took part in the assault and occupation of Borneo, working with the Australian General G. F. Wootten for whom DE 353 served as the US Navy liaison ship.  On 10 September, she took part in the Japanese surrender.

Lt. (j.g.) Herbert H. Toder, USNR, was the First Lieutenant of DE 353 with collateral duty as the ship's Public Relations Officer.  He wrote an eyewitness account of the Japanese surrender at Kuching, Borneo. Fair Warning: This is a scanned copy of the document and is slow to load.  Please be patient.