USS Evarts (DE-5)

USS "Evarts" (DE-5) was the lead ship of her class of destroyer escorts in the United States Navy. She was named for Milo Burnell Evarts.

"Evarts" was launched on 7 December 1942 at the Boston Navy Yard in Boston, Massachusetts, as BDE-5, intended for transfer to Britain. Instead, she was retained for use in the U.S. Navy, and commissioned on 15 April 1943, with Lieutenant Commander C. B. Henriques, USNR, in command.

After anti-submarine training and experiments with radar in Chesapeake Bay, "Evarts" began steady service as a convoy escort, during much of which she flew the flag of Commander, Escort Division 5. After five voyages to Casablanca, she sailed from Norfolk, Virginia, on 22 April 1944 on her first run to Bizerte. Two days before reaching that port, her convoy came under heavy attack by enemy torpedo planes, and "Evarts" joined in the protective anti-aircraft barrage which splashed many of the attackers.

During the homeward bound passage of this same voyage, on 29 May 1944, "Evarts" was detached from the convoy to aid the escort carrier "Block Island" (CVE-21) and destroyer escort "Barr" (DE-576), both of whom had been torpedoed by a German submarine. She arrived at the given position to find "Block Island" had sunk, but screened "Barr", under tow, to safety at Casablanca. A second voyage to Bizerte was uneventful, as were the one to Palermo and the three to Oran which followed.

Completing her convoy escort duties on 11 June 1945, "Evarts" acted as target in exercises with submarines at New London, Connecticut, until arriving at New York on 11 September. There she was decommissioned on 2 October 1945, and was scrapped starting on 12 July 1946.

"Evarts" received one battle star for World War II service.

Awards

See also, List of patrol vessels of the United States Navy