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Navsource Online: Destroyer Escort Photo Archive

Top Left Ship's Patch Courtesy of Robert P. Pallat, TMC(SW), USN (ret.)
Remainder from Mike Smolinski

USS J. Douglas Blackwood (DE 219)

N - W - M - U
Tactical Voice Radio Call: "Waterbury"

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row: Navy Expeditionary Medal - American Campaign Medal
Second Row: Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal w/ 3 stars - World War II Victory Medal - National Defense Service Medal w/ 1 star

"Dedicated - Dauntless"

Specifications:
Class: Buckley
Type: TE (turbine-electric drive, 3" guns)
Displacement: 1400 tons (light), 1740 tons (full)
Length: 300' (wl), 306' (oa)
Beam: 36' 9" (extreme)
Draft: 10' 6" (draft limit)
Propulsion: 2 "D" Express boilers, G.E. turbines with electric drive, 12000 shp, 2 screws
Speed: 24 kts
Range: 6,000 nm @ 12 knots
Armament: 3 x 3"/50 Mk22 (1x3), 1 twin 40mm Mk1 AA, 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
Complement: 15 / 198

J. Douglas Blackwood (DE 219) Building and Operational Data:

22 February 1943: Keel laid by the Philadelphia Navy Yard, Philadelphia, Pa.

29 May 1943: Launched and christened, sponsored by Mrs. J. Douglas Blackwood, widow of Cmdr. Blackwood

15 December 1943: Commissioned, Cmdr. R. V. Randolph in command

20 April 1946: Decommissioned at New London, Conn.

5 February 1951: Recommissioned, Lcdr. J. R. McKee in command, assigned to CruDesLant at Norfolk, Va.

15 November 1957: Assigned to NRT, 4th Naval District at Philadelphia, Pa.

1 August 1958: Decommissioned, placed "in service" as a unit of the Selected Reserve Force

2 October 1961: Recommissioned for the Berlin Crisis

1 August 1962: Decommissioned and placed back "in service" at Philadelphia, Pa.

January 1969: Assigned to NRT, 3rd Naval District at Whitestone, N.Y.

30 January 1970: Placed "Out Of Service" and stricken stricken from the NVR

20 July 1970: Sunk as a target

Size	Image Description	Contributed By And/Or Copyright
82k	29 May 1943: Philadelphia Navy Yard - The christening of six destroyer escorts in a dry-dock at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. The three ships in the foreground are (from left): USS *Enright* (DE 216), USS *Coolbaugh* (DE 217) and USS *Darby* (DE 218). Those in the background are (from left), USS *J. Douglas Blackwood* (DE 219), USS *Francis M. Robinson* (DE 220) and USS *Solar* (DE 221). (U.S. Navy Photo #NH 75610 from the Naval History and Heritage Command, Courtesy of James Russell, 1972)	Bill Gonyo
62k	undated wartime image	Robert Hurst
173k	2 November 1945: Mare Island Navy Yard, San Francisco, Cal. - Aft plan view of USS *J. Douglas Blackwood* (DE 219) at Mare Island. USS *Darby* (DE 218) is inboard and USS *Mansfield* (DD 728), USS *Stanly* (DD 478) and USS *Evans* (DD 552) are forward of *Blackwood. Blackwood* was in overhaul at the yard from 4 September to 17 November 1945. (U.S. Navy photo #DE-219-6946-45)	Darryl Baker
150k	2 November 1945: Mare Island Navy Yard, San Francisco, Cal. - Forward plan view of *J. Douglas Blackwood* at Mare Island. USS *Darby* (DE 218) is inboard and USS *Harmon* (DE 678) is outboard of USS *Coolbaugh* (DE 217) in the background. (U.S. Navy photo #DE-219-6947-45)	Darryl Baker
520k	13 November 1945: Vallejo, Cal. - A port quarter view of *J. Douglas Blackwood* stopped off the Mare Island Navy Yard. (Photo courtesy of Chris Wright)	Ed Zajkowski
157k	15 November 1945: Mare Island Navy Yard, San Francisco, Cal. - After plan view of *J. Douglas Blackwood* at Mare Island. USS *Darby* (DE 218) is inboard and USS *Harmon* (DE 678) is outboard of USS *Coolbaugh* (DE 217) in the background. (U.S. Navy photo #DE-219-7188-45)	Darryl Baker
157k	15 November 1945: Mare Island Navy Yard, San Francisco, Cal. - Forward plan view of *J. Douglas Blackwood* at Mare Island. USS *Darby* (DE 218) is inboard and USS *Harmon* (DE 678) is outboard of USS *Coolbaugh* (DE 217) in the background. (U.S. Navy photo #DE-219-7190-45)	Darryl Baker
75k	undated postwar image	DESA archives
34k	(early 50's): undated images	David Titus ('52-'55)
35k	(early 50's): undated images	David Titus ('52-'55)
61k	early 50's	Robert Hurst
283k	May 1964: USS *J. Douglas Blackwood* (DE 219) at Philadelphia. (Photo courtesy of Dr. Ian S. Pearsall; from "Jane's Fighting Ships, 1964 - 65")	Robert Hurst

J. Douglas Blackwood Memorabilia
Ship's Matchbook Courtesy of Mike Smolinski	Ship's Plaque Courtesy of Mike Smolinski	Ship's Lighter (early) Courtesy of Mike Smolinski	Ship's Lighter (later) Courtesy of Mike Smolinski

View the USS J. Douglas Blackwood (DE 219) DANFS history entry
located on the Naval History and Heritage Command 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

Destroyer Escort Sailors Association
Tin Can Sailors Shipmate Registry - USS J. Douglas Blackwood
The Destroyer History Foundation

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Page Last Updated 13 February 2012