USS GEORGE E. DAVIS DE-357 was laid down 15 February 1944 by the Consolidated Steel Corp., Orange, Tex.; launched 8 April 1944; sponsored by Mrs. George E.
Davis, Jr., widow; and commissioned 11 August 1944, Lt. Comdr. Frederick L. Lincoln in command.
After shakedown off Bermuda, GEORGE E. DAVIS
departed Norfolk for the Pacific 21 October and arrived Hollandia, New Guinea, 28
November. As a convoy escort, she sailed 7 December for the Philippines where she arrived
San Pedro Bay, Leyte, 12 December. Assigned to the Philippine Sea Frontier, during the
remaining months of fighting in the Pacific, she served in the Southwest Pacific on convoy
escort and antisubmarine patrols.
Until March 1945, GEORGE E. DAVIS operated out of
San Pedro Bay, Leyte, escorting troop and supply convoys to and from New Guinea, the
Admiralties, and the Palaus. On 23 March, she departed Leyte for the western Philippines,
and, steaming via Mindoro, she arrived Subic Bay, Luzon, the 30th. During the next 2
months, she patrolled the convoy lanes west of Mindoro and Luzon, sweeping the South China
Sea in search of Japanese submarines. Between 3 and 7 June, she steamed from Subic Bay to
Ulithi, Western Carolines, returning to Subic Bay the 12th as escort for a convoy.
Departing 16 June, she returned to Ulithi the 20th; and between 27 and 30 June, she
escorted a supply convoy to Leyte Gulf.
During July, GEORGE E. DAVIS escorted convoys
between the Philippines and Okinawa. After the Japanese capitulation 15 August, she
continued escort and patrol duties in the Philippines and in the East China Sea. In
September, she guarded convoys carrying occupation troops from the Philippines to Japan.
Early in December, she sailed from the Philippines to the coast of China where she
supported American and Chinese Nationalist troops during reoccupation operations along the
coast of northern China. During January and February 1946, she operated along the coast of
Japan before returning to Tsingtao, China, 20 February. She patrolled the East China and
Yellow Seas off mainland China until 16 April when she departed for the United States. She
arrived San Pedro, Calif. 11 May, decommissioned at San Diego 26 August, and entered the
Pacific Reserve Fleet.
GEORGE E. DAVIS recommissioned at San Diego 11 July
1951, and departed San Diego 11 October. She steamed via the Panama Canal to the East
Coast, where she arrived Newport, R.I., 27 October. Assigned to the Atlantic Fleet, during
the next 3 years she operated out of Newport providing valuable service as a training ship
for Naval Reserves. This unheralded but important duty carried her along the eastern
seaboard and in the Caribbean and she continued this service until June 1954. She
decommissioned 11 November 1954 at Green Cove Springs, Fla., and entered the Atlantic
Reserve Fleet. At present she is berthed with the Atlantic Reserve Fleet at Orange, Tex.*
*Update: Stricken from the Navy Register 1 December 1972, GEORGE E. DAVIS was sold
29 January 1974 to Southern Scrape Material Co., New Orleans for $129,617.00.
Source:
K. Jack Bauer and Stephen S. Roberts, "Register of Ships of the U. S. Navy, 1775-1990," p.236.
DANFS, Vol 2, 1969.
US Navy Ship Dispositions: Post-World War Two, 1996, Naval
Sea Systems Command, Washington. |