USS Clarence L. Evans

	Destroyer Escort USS Clarence L. Evans(DE-113)
History
United States
Name	USS Clarence L. Evans (DE-113)
Namesake	Clarence Lee Evans
Builder	Dravo Corporation, Wilmington, Delaware
Laid down	23 December 1943
Launched	22 March 1944
Commissioned	25 June 1944
Decommissioned	29 May 1947
Stricken	18 April 1952
Fate	Transferred to France, 29 March 1952
	French Frigate Berbère(F723)
History
France
Name	Berbère (F723)
Namesake	Berbers
Acquired	29 March 1952
Stricken	1960
Fate	Scrapped
General characteristics
Class and type	Cannon-class destroyer escort
Displacement	1,240 long tons (1,260 t) standard; 1,620 long tons (1,646 t) full;
Length	306 ft (93 m) o/a; 300 ft (91 m) w/l;
Beam	36 ft 10 in (11.23 m)
Draft	11 ft 8 in (3.56 m)
Propulsion	4 × GM Mod. 16-278A diesel engines with electric drive, 6,000 shp (4,474 kW), 2 screws
Speed	21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph)
Range	10,800 nmi (20,000 km) at 12 kn (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Complement	15 officers and 201 enlisted
Armament	3 single × Mk.22 3"/50 caliber guns; 8 × 20 mm Mk.4 AA guns; 3 × 21 inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes; 1 × Hedgehog Mk.10 anti-submarine mortar (144 rounds); 8 × Mk.6 depth charge projectors; 2 × Mk.9 depth charge tracks;

USS Clarence L. Evans (DE-113) was a Cannon-class destroyer escort built for the United States Navy during World War II. She served in the Atlantic Ocean and provided escort service against submarine and air attacks for Navy vessels and convoys.^[2] She was launched on 22 March 1944 by Dravo Corporation, Wilmington, Delaware, sponsored by Mrs. E. E. Evans; commissioned on 25 June 1944 and reported to the Atlantic Fleet.

Namesake

Clarence Lee Evans was born on 27 April 1923 in Saginaw, Missouri. He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps Reserve on 31 May 1941.

After training at San Diego, California, Evans served in the field from 20 January 1942 until 25 November 1942, when he was killed in action in the Guadalcanal Campaign. He was awarded the Navy Cross for extraordinary heroism in capturing two enemy machine gun nests two days before his death.

History

World War II North Atlantic operations

Clarence L. Evans reported at Norfolk, Virginia, on 2 September 1944 for duty in training precommissioning crews of other escort vessels. Here she conducted tests of newly developed 3-inch ammunition and acoustic torpedo defense equipment.

On 19 October she cleared Norfolk, Virginia, for the first of five convoy crossings from New York City to Glasgow, Southampton, Plymouth, and Le Havre. These trips, which averaged about 30 days for each voyage, were alternated with training duties at New London, Connecticut, or Casco Bay.

On 29 May 1945, Clarence L. Evans was put into Brooklyn for overhaul until 22 June. She then reported to Naval Air Station Quonset Point for duty as a plane guard during carrier qualification exercises. She cleared Narragansett Bay on 17 August for Miami, Florida, assumed plane guard duty until 2 October, then cleared for Brooklyn, New York, and overhaul.

Post-war decommissioning

Clarence L. Evans reported to Green Cove Springs, Florida, on 10 November, where she was placed out of commission in reserve on 29 May 1947. She was lent to France under the Military Assistance Program on 29 March 1952.^[2] The ship was given the name Berbère by the French Navy and bore the Pennant number F 723.^[3] Berbère was stricken in 1960.^[4]

References

^ "USS Clarence L. Evans (DE 113)". Navsource. Retrieved 25 April 2015.
^ ^a ^b "Clarence L. Evans (DE-113)". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command.
^ Gardiner & Chumbley 1995, p. 116
^ Blackman 1960, p. 1960

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
Blackman, Raymond V. B. (1960). Jane's Fighting Ships 1960–61. London: Sampson Low, Marson & Co., Ltd.
Gardiner, Robert; Chumbley, Stephen, eds. (1995). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947–1995. Annapolis, Maryland, USA: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-132-7.