# USS Stanton > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/USS_Stanton > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/USS_Stanton.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Stanton > Source revision: 1326888359 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) **USS *Stanton* (DE-247)** was an [*Edsall*-class destroyer escort](/source/Edsall-class_destroyer_escort) built for the [U.S. Navy](/source/U.S._Navy) during [World War II](/source/World_War_II). She served in the [Atlantic Ocean](/source/Atlantic_Ocean) the [Pacific Ocean](/source/Pacific_Ocean) and provided destroyer escort protection against [submarine](/source/Submarine) and air attack for Navy vessels and [convoys](/source/Convoy). She was named in honor of [Rear Admiral](/source/Rear_Admiral) [Oscar F. Stanton](/source/Oscar_F._Stanton) (1834–1924). As rear admiral in 1893, Stanton commanded the South Atlantic Squadron and, the next year, the North Atlantic Squadron until his retirement on 1 August 1894. She was laid down on 7 December 1942 by [Brown Shipbuilding](/source/Brown_Shipbuilding) Co., [Houston](/source/Houston), Texas; launched on 21 February 1943, sponsored by Mrs. William S. Burrell, and commissioned on 7 August 1943. ## World War II North Atlantic operations *Stanton* got underway on 29 August 1943 for [San Juan, Puerto Rico](/source/San_Juan,_Puerto_Rico), to join the destroyer escort [shakedown](/source/Sea_trial) group and, a month later, arrived at the [Charleston Navy Yard](/source/Charleston_Navy_Yard). She then moved up the coast to [New York City](/source/New_York_City) and departed there on 18 October for [Trinidad](/source/Trinidad) and [Guantánamo Bay](/source/Guant%C3%A1namo_Bay), [Cuba](/source/Cuba). The escort returned to [Norfolk, Virginia](/source/Norfolk,_Virginia), and was attached to Escort Division ([CortDiv](/source/CortDiv)) 3. *Stanton* sailed on 25 November with [Task Force](/source/Task_Force) (TF) 64 as an escort for convoy UGS-25 bound for the [Mediterranean](/source/Mediterranean). The convoy arrived at [Casablanca](/source/Casablanca) on 13 December. The escorts picked up convoy GUS-24 there and headed for the [United States](/source/United_States) on 15 December 1943 and arrived safely at New York on 3 January 1944. ## Attacked by Luftwaffe aircraft *This section needs additional citations for verification.* *Stanton* escorted other convoys to [North Africa](/source/North_Africa) and back, as a unit in task force TF 64 or TF 65. These included UGS-31, GUS-30, and UGS-37. She was the [flagship](/source/Flagship) of TF 65, escort for UGS-37 which consisted of over 60 ships, steaming from Norfolk to [Bizerte](/source/Bizerte), when it was attacked by the [Luftwaffe](/source/Luftwaffe). The convoy was off [Algeria](/source/Algeria) on the evening of 11 April when an enemy aircraft was reported in the area. Just before midnight, approximately two dozen [Dornier 217's](/source/Dornier_Do_217) and [Ju. 88's](/source/Junkers_Ju_88) attacked. *Stanton* opened fire on a plane which crossed her bow and later had a stick of bombs fall close aboard. [USS *Holder*](/source/USS_Holder_(DE-401)) was [torpedoed](/source/Torpedo) in the port side by one of the low flying planes, but no merchant ships or [LST](/source/Landing_Ship,_Tank)'s were hit. The convoy reached Bizerte the next day, and *Stanton* returned to New York with convoy GUS-37. ## Stateside repairs She was in [drydock](/source/Drydock) until early May, and then participated in maneuvers off [Cape May, New Jersey](/source/Cape_May,_New_Jersey), before sailing to [Hampton Roads, Virginia](/source/Hampton_Roads,_Virginia). She arrived on 30 May and was attached to CortDiv 13, Atlantic Fleet. *Stanton* joined convoy UGS-44, escorted it to Bizerte, and remained there from 22 to 30 June when she began the return voyage with convoy GUS 44 bound for New York. *Stanton* was attached to the 6th Atlantic Fleet and held training exercises in [Casco Bay](/source/Casco_Bay) from 30 July until she returned to New York to escort a section of convoy UGS-51 to Norfolk. The convoy sortied from there but, on the 19th, *Stanton* was ordered to proceed to the [Boston Navy Yard](/source/Boston_Navy_Yard) for alterations and improvements. These lasted until mid-October after which she held sea trials and tested her new equipment and proceeded to [Bermuda](/source/Bermuda). *Stanton* arrived at [Port Royal Bay](/source/Port_Royal_Bay) on 5 November, joined the screen of [USS *Croatan*](/source/USS_Croatan_(CVE-25)) and returned to New York on 13 November 1944. The task group then proceeded to Guantánamo Bay via Norfolk to hold joint exercises, and returned to Norfolk in late December. On 10 January 1945, *Stanton* and CortDiv 13, with *Croatan*, steamed to Bermuda to continue antisubmarine warfare exercises in conjunction with flight operations. Upon completion of the training period, the task group called at New York on 4 February; shifted to the Naval Ammunition Depot, [Earle, New Jersey](/source/Earle,_New_Jersey), to load [ammunition](/source/Ammunition), and then sailed to Casco Bay for carrier qualification exercises. During the last week in March, the submarine [hunter-killer](/source/Hunter-killer_Group) group took its assigned position in the north central Atlantic, midway between [Newfoundland](/source/Dominion_of_Newfoundland) and [England](/source/England) as part of [Operation Teardrop](/source/Operation_Teardrop). ## Sinking German submarines On 15 April 1945, *Stanton* made surface [radar](/source/Radar) contact range 3,500 yards, and headed for the target. The [U-boat](/source/U-boat) disappeared from the radar screen, but sonar contact was made. *Stanton* fired a pattern of hedgehogs and a deep rumble followed their explosions. Contact was regained, and another pattern was fired. This was followed by a heavy underwater explosion. [Sonar](/source/Sonar) contact was made again, and *Stanton* attacked. After this there was a tremendous explosion that shook the task group. [USS *Frost*](/source/USS_Frost_(DE-144)) joined in the attack with her [hedgehogs](/source/Hedgehog_(weapon)) shortly after midnight. The two [DE's](/source/DE's) kept pounding the contact until there was an explosion of such magnitude that it shook some of the group 10 miles away. Then, contact was lost, and so was . Just before 0200 on the 16th, Frost made a surface contact at 500 yards, fired [starshells](/source/Shell_(projectile)) to no avail, and finally illuminated a U-boat with her [searchlight](/source/Searchlight). Frost opened fire with her deck guns as the submarine submerged and made several hits on the [conning tower](/source/Conning_tower). Contact was lost so *Stanton* and [USS *Huse*](/source/USS_Huse_(DE-145)) joined the search. At 0406, *Stanton* fired a hedgehog pattern over a contact that produced an explosion so violent that she thought she had been torpedoed and rocked *Croatan* 15 miles away. Frost fired one more pattern which produced three deep explosions. [Diesel fuel](/source/Diesel_fuel) already covered the surface of the sea, and sonar contact slowly faded. This was the end of . The task group returned to [Argentia, Newfoundland](/source/Argentia,_Newfoundland), from 22 to 28 April, to refuel and rearm before resuming antisubmarine patrols. ## Transferred to the Pacific Fleet War with [Germany](/source/Germany) ended in May 1945, and *Stanton* put into New York for fuel. She then was routed to [Charleston, South Carolina](/source/Charleston,_South_Carolina), for yard availability. On 1 July, CortDiv 13 was assigned to the Pacific Fleet, and *Stanton*, with [USS *Swasey*](/source/USS_Swasey_(DE-248)) sailed for [Hawaii](/source/Hawaii), via [Panama](/source/Panama) and [San Diego](/source/San_Diego), California. They arrived at [Pearl Harbor](/source/Pearl_Harbor) on 9 August, a week before hostilities with [Japan](/source/Japan) ended. *Stanton* participated in antisubmarine warfare practice until 22 August when she was detached from the Pacific Fleet and ordered to return to the Atlantic seaboard. ## Post-War activity *Stanton* was in February 1946 sent to the Bikini's and participated in the United States atomic bombs test there. She was then moved to Norfolk, Virginia, on 28 September and the following month was assigned to the [Atlantic Reserve Fleet](/source/Atlantic_Reserve_Fleet) at [Green Cove Springs, Florida](/source/Green_Cove_Springs,_Florida), moored, and provided steam and electrical services to units of CortDiv 36 from 1 January 1946 to 2 June 1947. ## Post-War decommissioning On the latter date *Stanton* was placed in reserve, out of commission, and the skeleton crew of 64 was transferred. She was struck from the [Navy List](/source/Naval_Vessel_Register) on 1 December 1970. The U.S. Navy lists her as being disposed of in support of a Fleet training exercise in 1972.[1] ## Awards *Stanton* received three battle stars for World War II service. ## References 1. "Stanton (DE 247)". *Naval Vessel Register*. 2 January 2002. Retrieved 23 November 2017. ## External links - [Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships](http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/#Anchor-Editoria-14954) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20060130095752/http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/#Anchor-Editoria-14954) 30 January 2006 at the Wayback Machine - [USS *Stanton* (DE-247)](http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/ships/dafs/DE/de247.html) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [USS Stanton](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Stanton) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Stanton?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.