The Rudderow-class destroyer escorts were destroyer escorts launched in the United States in 1943 to 1945. Of this class, 21 were completed as destroyer escorts, and 51 were completed as s and were re-classified as high speed transport APDs. One ship was converted to an APD after completion. They served in World War II as convoy escorts and anti-submarine warfare ships.
History The lead ship was which was launched on 14 October 1943. The ships had General Electric steam turbo-electric drive engines. The ships were built at various shipyards in the United States, including the Philadelphia Navy Yard and Defoe Shipbuilding Company. They were very similar to the , having the same hull and machinery. The main differences were the Rudderows had two enclosed guns and two twin-40 mm mounts, instead of the three open guns and one twin-40 mm or one quad mount of the Buckleys. Another major difference is the style of the configuration of the area of the bridge and pilothouse which is low and enclosed compared to the Buckley Class which is tall and enclosed. The Rudderow Class is similar to the John C. Butler class in this case and a distinguishing feature between these two class DEs is the size and number of the portholes in the pilothouse. The Rudderow class has seven 18-inch portholes and the John C. Butler class has ten 12-inch portholes, with both classes having three portholes facing the bow. The class was also known as the TEV type from their Turbo-Electric drive and 5-inch (V) guns.U.S. Destroyers, an illustrated design history by Norman Friedman, Chapter 7
The final 180 of the class were canceled near the end of the war. After World War II, some of the surviving units of this class were transferred to Taiwan, South Korea, Colombia, Mexico. The rest were retained by the US Navy's reserve fleet until they were decommissioned. The , sold to the Colombian Navy and renamed to the ARC Córdoba (DT 15), is the sole survivor of her class and is preserved at the Jaime Duque amusement park at Tocancipá, near Bogotá in Colombia.
Ships in class + Construction data Ship name Builder Laid down Launched Fate DE-224 Philadelphia Navy Yard Struck 1 Nov 1969; sold for scrap, Oct 1970 DE-225 Struck 30 Jun 1968; sunk as target, 1 Mar 1969 DE-228 Struck 31 Oct 1977; Colombian Córdoba, museum ship 1980 DE-230 Charleston Navy Yard Struck 17 Aug 1946; sold for scrap, 1948 DE-231 Struck 1 Dec 1972; sold for scrap, 12 Sep 1973 DE-579 Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyard Struck 25 Jan 1974; Taiwanese Tai Yuan, 1968; scrapped 1992 DE-580 Struck 15 Jan 1972; sold for scrap, 13 Jun 1973 DE-581 Struck 1 Mar 1972; sunk as target, 16 Nov 1972 DE-582 Struck 30 Jun 1968; Sold for scrap, Jun 1969 DE-583 Struck 1 Nov 1965; sold for scrap, 19 Sep 1966 DE-584 Struck 30 Jun 1968; sunk as target, 1 Nov 1969 DE-585 Struck 1 May 1965; sold for scrap, 1 Mar 1966 DE-586 Struck 1 Nov 1969; sold for scrap, Oct 1970 DE-587 Struck 1 Dec 1972; sold for scrap, 9 Jun 1973 DE-588 Struck 1 Dec 1966; sunk as target, 16 May 1967 DE-589 Struck 1 Nov 1969; sold for scrap, 14 Sep 1973 DE-684 Bethlehem Steel Corporation, Fore River Shipyard Struck 8 Aug 1969; sunk as target, 19 Feb 1970 DE-685 Struck 30 Jan 1970; sunk as target, 19 Sep 1971 DE-686 Struck 30 Jun 1968, sold for scrap Jun 1969 DE-706 Defoe Shipbuilding Company, Bay City, Michigan Struck 15 Nov 1974; Korean Chung Nam, Jun 1963; scrapped 1984 DE-707 Struck 1 Nov 1969, sold for scrap Oct 1970 DE-708 Struck 1 Jul 1970; sunk as target of Florida, 27 Oct 1970 DE-709APD-139 Jan 1944 reclassified APD-139 and converted, 16 July 1945
See also List of destroyer escorts of the United States Navy List of frigates of the United States Navy subset of above with hull numbers DE/FF 1037 and higher plus all DEG/FFGs because of the United States Navy 1975 ship reclassification List of frigates
References
External links
Destroyer History.org - Rudderow-class destroyer escort Destroyer Escort Sailors Association (DESA).