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Navsource Online: Destroyer Escort Photo Archive


Ship's patches courtesy of Mike Smolinski

USS Camp (DE 251)


Flag Hoist / Radio Call Sign:
N - D - R - S
Tactical Voice Radio Call: "Rocky Mount"


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: European-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal - National Defense Service Medal
Third Row: Vietnam Service Medal w/ 7 stars - Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation w/ 4 stars - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal


Specifications:
Class: Edsall
Type: FMR (geared diesel, Fairbanks-Morse reverse gear drive, 3" guns)
Displacement: 1200 tons (light), 1590 tons (full)
Length: 300' (wl), 306' (oa)
Beam: 36' 10" (extreme)
Draft: 20' 6" (draft limit)
Propulsion: 4 Fairbanks-Morse Mod. 38d81/8 geared diesel engines, 4 diesel-generators, 6000 shp, 2 screws
Speed: 21 kts
Range: 9,100 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: 8 / 201
Camp (DE 251) Building and Operational Data:
  • 27 January 1943: Keel laid by the Brown Shipbuilding Co., Houston, Tex.
  • 16 April 1943: Launched and christened, sponsored by Mrs. O. H. Camp, mother of Ensign Camp
  • 16 September 1943: Commissioned, Lcdr. P. B. Mavor, USCG, in command
  • 01 May 1946: Decommissioned at the New York Navy Yard after 2 years and 7½ months of service
  • 21 October 1955: Reclassified DER 251
  • 31 July 1956: Recommissioned at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, Lcdr. F. C. Dunham Jr. in command, assigned as a unit of Escort Squadron 16 at Newport, R.I.
  • August 1965: Assigned to new homeport at Pearl Harbor, Hi.
  • 13 February 1971: Decommissioned after 14 years and 6½ months of service, transferred to South Vietnam, renamed Tran Hung Dao (HQ-1), escaped with South Vietnamese forces to the Philippines in 1975.
  • 30 December 1975: Struck from the NVR with a total of 17 years of service
  • 05 April 1976: To Philippines, renamed BRP Rajah Lakandula (PS-4), stricken 1988, still in use as stationary barracks ship in Subic Bay as of 1999
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image
    Size Image Description Contributed
    By And/Or Copyright
    Camp
    0625101

    Camp

    Camp

    28k Jack Hill Camp was born to Robert Burr and Olive (Hill) Camp in Jennings, La. on 27 August 1916. The family later moved to Port Arthur, Texas where Jack grew up. Jack Camp graduated from Port Arthur High School in 1934. He then attended the University of Texas where he graduated with a law degree. Jack enlisted in the U.S. Naval Reserve Flight Training V-5 program as a Seaman 2/c (NSN:407-48-15) on 20 January 1941 in Dallas, Tex. He reported to the U.S. Naval Reserve Aviation Base (NRAB), Atlanta, Ga. on 20 March 1941 for his elimination phase training. He successfully completed this training and was discharged to home to await further orders.

    He received a letter from the Secretary of the Navy in May 1941 offering entry into the Flight Training Program with corresponding orders to active duty for flight training if he accepted. He accepted the orders and was transferred to the Naval Air Station (NAS) Jacksonville, Fla. on 21 May 1941. He was discharged from enlisted status on 11 Jun 1941 to accept appointment as an Aviation Cadet on 12 June 1941. That appointment, according to Navy records, was effective on 02 June 1941. He was awarded his naval aviator wings about November 1941, and he was commissioned an Ensign, USNR, on 29 December 1941. After some additional operational training, Ensign Camp was assigned to Patrol Squadron (PATRON) Forty-Four (VP-44).

    Patrol Squadron Forty-Four (VP-44) departed from the Naval Air Station, Alameda, Cal. for Pearl Harbor, T.H., in two divisions of six planes each. The first of these left the United States on 26 March 1942. The second, because of unfavorable weather, delayed its departure until 12 April. Ordered to Midway for extended operations, PATRON 44 arrived at Eastern Island on the 22nd of May and began long range reconnaissance flights on 27 May in anticipation of a Japanese attempt to capture Midway Island. During the first few days of June 1942, the VP-23 and VP-44 PBYs based at Midway flew long patrols over the trackless ocean, searching for signs of enemy shipping. Then on 03 June came the first surface contact reports from the VP-23 PBY searchers. The following day, 04 June 1942, pilot Lt. (j.g.) Robert S. Whitman and his PBY-5A Catalina from VP-44 were airborne again when he reported contact at 0925 with enemy ships (probably the Japanese Occupation Force), antiaircraft fire, and that his aircraft was being "opposed by two enemy observation planes." Japanese Mitsubishi F1M2 Type 0 float planes from the seaplane carrier Chitose had attacked Lt.(jg) Whitman's Catalina about 340 miles west of Midway.   (CONTINUED....)

    USS Camp (DE 251) (1943-1971) was the first ship to be named in his honor.

    (Photo posted by Patti Johnson to the Find-A-Grave)
    Gerry Lawton
    Commander, USN (ret.)
    Saluda, N.C.
    Camp
    0625120
    361k 02 April 1944: New York, N.Y. - USS Camp (DE 251) off the New York Navy Yard on Sunday, 02 April.

    (U.S. Naval Historical Center photo #NH 91557 and NH 91558, Courtesy of A.D. Baker III, from the Naval History and Heritage Command)
    Mike Smolinski
    Clifton, N.J.

    Navsource DE/FF/LCS
    Archive Manager
    Camp
    0625121
    232k
    Camp
    0625124
    226k 06 April 1945: Boston, Mass. - USS Everett F. Larson (DD 830) being commissioned at the Boston Navy Yard. USS Camp (DE 251) is in the adjacent slip, having her bow replaced and her main battery upgraded to 5"/38. Odd case, still camo in April 1945 and unique to come through Boston since her home yard was New York. At 0520 on 18 November 1944 Camp collided with the American freighter SS Santa Cecelia and had her bow sheared off at frame 23. A British minesweeper towed her to Wales Dock, Swansea, Wales. On 28 November 1944, she was moved to Hill's Drydock, Cardiff, Wales where constuction on a temporary bow commenced. She remained there until 02 February 1945, when she joined Convoy UC55A returning to the United States. Encountering several severe storms Camp had to drop out of the convoy and was escorted to Boston by USS Wingfield (DE 194), arriving on 14 February 1945.

    (U.S. Navy photo #NA 80-G-267664 from the National Archives and Records Administration, College Park, Md.)
    John Chiquoine
    West Chester, Pa.
        and
    Rick E. Davis
    Springfield, Oh.
    Camp
    0625122
    336k 25 April 1945: Boston, Mass. - USS Camp (DE 251) off the Boston Navy Yard on Wednesday, 25 April 1945, following rearming with 5"/38 guns. She was the only FMR class DE to get these guns.

    (U.S. Naval Historical Center photo #NH 91560 and NH 91559, Courtesy of A.D. Baker III, from the Naval History and Heritage Command)
    Mike Smolinski
    Clifton, N.J.

    Navsource DE/FF/LCS
    Archive Manager
    Camp
    0625123
    388k
    Camp
    0625102
    109k 25 April 1945: Boston, Mass. - USS Camp (DE 251) off the Boston Navy Yard, following rearming with 5"/38 guns. She was the only FMR class DE to get these guns.

    (U.S. Navy photo #NH 91559 from the collection of A.D. Baker III, Naval History and Heritage Command)
    Bob Hurst
    Worksop, Nottinghamshire,
    England, United Kingdom
    Camp
    0625103
    147k 31 July 1956, Recommissioning ceremony Gary Bee EN3
    Camp
    0625104
    85k As DER 251, undated
    Camp
    0625105
    145k
    Camp
    0625106
    103k floating dry-dock, undated
    Camp
    0625107
    197k July 1964: Boston Harbor

    (These five photos © Richard Leonhardt)
    Richard Leonhardt
    Bethlehem, Pa.
    Camp
    0625108
    87k
    Camp
    0625109
    71k
    Camp
    0625110
    67k
    Camp
    0625111
    48k
    Camp
    0625117
    50k 28 July 1965: Pearl Harbor, Hawaii - USS Kretchmer (DER 329), Camp, and USS Hissem (DER 400) mooring at Pearl Harbor Naval Station. All three ships left Newport, R.I. on Wednesday 07 July 1965 headed for Operation Market Time in South Vietnam.

    (U.S. Navy Photo by Robert L. Ziesler PH3)
    Allan M. Wilson
    USS Kretchmer (DER329)
    1964 - 1968
    Camp
    0625119
    249k 1968: location unknown - USS Camp (DER 251) underway.

    (Official U.S. Navy photo by Lt T. S. Storek)
    Bob Hurst
    Worksop, Nottinghamshire,
    England, United Kingdom
    Camp
    0625112
    42k Off the coast of Oahu about 1970 Dennis Clark
    Camp
    0625113
    38k In the South Vietnamese Navy as Tran Hung Dao (HQ-1), undated William Toohey
    Camp
    0625114
    15k ex-USS Camp as HQVN Tran Hung Dao (HQ-1), undated Bang Le
    Camp
    0625116
    113k Republic of Vietnam Navy HQ-1 Tran Hung Dao, undated Thanh Duong
    Camp
    0625115
    15k In the Philippine Navy as the BRP Rajah Lakandula (PS-4), undated Joe Radigan
    Mine Warfare,
    Patrol Vessel
    Archives Manager, Navsource
    Camp
    0625118
    70k 20 April 1990: The ex-BRP Rajah Lakandula (PS-4) awaiting her scrapping. Edison Sy

    Camp Memorabilia
    Ship's Reunion Patch
    Camp

    Courtesy of
    John Gannon

    Camp History
    View the USS Camp (DE 251) DANFS history entry located on the Naval History and Heritage Command web site.
    View the official War History of USS Camp as submitted by the ship at war's end.

    Camp's Commanding Officers
    Thanks to Wolfgang Hechler
    Dates of Command Commanding Officers
    1.) 16 Sep 1943 – 17 Jun. 1944Cmdr. Preston Baker Mavor, USCG (Comm. CO) (Walsenburg, Colo.)
    2.) 17 Jun. 1944 – 17 Aug. 1945Lcdr. Russell Randolph Waesche Jr., USCG (USCGA ‘36) (Thurmont, Md.) (ret. as Radm.)
    3.) 17 Aug. 1945 – 01 May 1946Lcdr. Julian J. Shingler, USCG
    4.) 31 Jul. 1956 – 26 Jul. 1957Lcdr. Frank Clyde Dunham Jr., USN (Navy Jr./Portsmouth, N. H.)
    5.) 26 Jul. 1957 – 10 Nov. 1958Lcdr. Joseph Boriotti, USN (North Hempstead, N. Y.)
    6.) 10 Nov. 1958 – 23 Mar. 1960Cmdr. Norbert Anthony Reike, USN
    7.) 23 Mar. 1960 – 14 Jul. 1961Lcdr. John Robert Ewing, USN
    8.) 14 Jul. 1961 – 11 Jul. 1962Lcdr. Robert Parker Hilton, USN (DeKalb County, Ga.) (ret. as Radm.)
    9.) 11 Jul. 1962 – 29 Apr. 1964Lcdr. Thomas Taylor Seelye, USN (USNA ‘49) (Hudson, Oh.)
    10.) 29 Apr. 1964 – 22 Jun. 1964Lt. Edgar Leslie Kilborn, USN
    11.) 22 Jun. 1964 – 16 Dec. 1966Lcdr. Frank Nebeker Hannegan, USN (USNA '52) (Washington, D.C.)
    12.) 16 Dec. 1966 – 21 Jun. 1968Lcdr. Paul Donald Butcher, USN (prior enl.) (Barboursville, W. V.) (ret. as Vadm.)
    13.) 21 Jun. 1968 – 12 Sep. 1969Lcdr. James Clarington Gilbert, USN (prior enl.) (Covington, Va.)
    14.) 12 Sep. 1969 – 13 Feb. 1971Lcdr. / Cmdr. Berton Aldrich Robbins III (Decomm. CO) (USNA ‘58) (Alexandria, Va.)

    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    Last Known Reunion:
    21 May 2017 at Charleston, S.C.
    Contact Name: Gail Sweeden
    Address: 110 Mockingbird Lane
    City/State: Oak Ridge TN 37830
    Phone: (865) 482-7981
    E-mail: Gail Sweeden
    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, rosters, or deck logs available. Please see the
    Frequently Asked Questions section on NavSource's Main Page for that information.


    Additional Resources

    USS Camp Facebook Page
    Tin Can Sailors
    The U.S. Navy Memorial
    Destroyer Escort Sailors Association
    The Destroyer Escort Historical Museum
    The Destroyer History Foundation
    To The DE, FF, LCS Photo Index Page
    Back To The Main Photo Index

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    This Page Created And Maintained By Mike Smolinski
    All pages copyright Navsource Naval History
    by Paul R. Yarnall, All Rights Reserved.
    Page Last Updated: 28 April 2023