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Navsource Online: Destroyer Escort Photo Archive

USS Barber (DE-161 / APD-57)


Flag Hoist / Radio Call Sign:
N - Q - B - Q
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row: Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive) - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal w/ 2 stars
Second Row: European-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal w/ 1 star - World War II Victory Medal - Philippine Liberation Ribbon


Class: Buckley      Type: TE (turbine-electric drive, 3" guns)
Displacement: 1,400 tons (std) 1,740 tons (full)   Dimensions: 306' (oa), 300' (wl) x 36' 9" x 13' 6" (max)
Armament: 3-3"/50 Mk22 (1x3), 1-1.1"/75 Mk2 quad AA (4x1), 8 x 20mm Mk 4 AA, 3 x 21" Mk15 TT (3x1),
1 Hedgehog Projector Mk10 (144 rounds), 8 Mk6 depth charge projectors, 2 Mk9 depth charge tracks
Machinery: 2 "D" Express boilers, G.E. turbines with electric drive, 12000 shp, 2 screws
Speed: 24 knots   Range: 4,940 nm @ 12 knots   Crew: 15 / 198

Operational and Building Data
Laid down by Norfolk NSY on 27 April 1943
Launched 30 May 1943, Commissioned 10 October 1943
Reclassified as APD-57, 23 October 1944, converted at the Philadelphia NSY
Decommissioned 22 March 1946, Stricken 27 November 1968

Fate: Transferred to Mexico 17 February 1969, renamed ARM Coahuila (B-7)
Sold to Mexico 22 December 1969, still in service

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By And/Or Copyright
Barber 31k The three Barber brothers; Malcolm John, LeRoy Kenneth, and Randolph Harold, enlisted in the Navy in 1940 at Chicago, Ill.; and, following training at Great Lakes, Ill., all were assigned to USS Oklahoma (BB-37). Each was advanced in rate; LeRoy and Malcolm became firemen, first class, and Randolph, fireman, second class. The brothers were on board Oklahoma at Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941 when the Japanese attacked, and all three perished when she capsized at her berth along Ford Island.

"Soon stories of tragic losses began to fill the newspapers and dampen the holiday spirit. Perhaps none were more tragic than the story of Gertrude and Peter Barber of New London, Wis., whose three sons, LeRoy, Malcom and Randolph, were all stationed at Pearl Harbor, when Japan attacked. It was not uncommon in those days for members of the same family to be stationed on the same ship or military post. The Barber brothers were all crewmen on the USS Oklahoma. In December 1941, the Barber family received a photograph of the three young sailors. The boys had their picture taken and mailed it to their parents as a Christmas gift. When it arrived at the Barber home the envelope was postmarked, Dec. 5, 1941. On Dec. 21, a solemn-faced police officer delivered a telegram from the War Department informing the Barbers that all three of their sons were missing and presumed dead". (From a 2 December 2007 article in the Sheboygan Press by Bill Wangemann)

USS Barber (DE-161) was the first ship named in their honor.      (Photo from The Official Web Site of the USS Oklahoma BB-37 thanks to Kevin King)
Bill Gonyo
Barber 225k 20 May 1943: Norfolk VA - USS Barber under construction at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard. (US Navy photo #NHS-112-C) Nick Tiberio

View the USS Barber (DE-161 / APD-57), DANFS history entry
located on the US Naval Historical Center web site.

Crew Contact And Reunion Information

None
Note About Contacts

Contact information is compiled from various sources over a period of time and may, or may not, be correct. Every effort has been
made to list the newest contact. However, our entry is only as good as the latest information that's been sent to us. We list only
a contact for the ship if one has been sent to us. We do NOT have crew lists or rosters available. Please see the Frequently Asked
Questions section on NavSource's Main Page for that information.


Additional Resources

Navsource APD Pages, USS Barber
Destroyer Escort Sailors Association

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Page Last Updated 14 March 2008