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Navsource Online: Destroyer Escort Photo Archive



Ship's patch courtesy of Mike Smolinski
Ship's name tab courtesy of Al Grazevich

USS Naifeh (DE 352)


Flag Hoist / Radio Call Sign:
N - T - F - I
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row: Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive, Korea) - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
Second Row: World War II Victory Medal - National Defense Service Medal w/star- Korean Service Medal w/ 3 stars
Third Row: Philippine Liberation Medal - United Nations Korean Service Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal


Specifications:
Class: John C. Butler
Type: WGT (geared-turbine drive, 5" guns)
Displacement: 1350 tons (light), 1745 tons (full)
Length: 300' (wl), 306' (oa)
Beam: 36' 10" (extreme)
Draft: 11' 0" (draft limit)
Propulsion: 2 "D" Express boilers, 2 geared turbine engines, 12,000 shp, 2 screws
Speed: 24 kts
Range: 6,000 nm @ 12 knots
Armament: 2 - 5"/38 cal. DP guns (2x1), 4 - 40mm AA (2x2), 10 - 20mm AA, 3 - 21" TT, 1 Mk10 Hedgehog, 8 Mk6 Depth Charge Projectors, 2 Mk9 Depth Charge Stern Racks
Complement: 14 / 201
Naifeh (DE 352) Building and Operational Data:
  • 29 December 1943: Keel laid at the Consolidated Steel Corp., Orange, Tex.
  • 29 February 1944: Launched and christened, sponsored by Mrs. Rathia Naifeh, mother of Lt.(j.g.) Naifeh
  • 04 July 1944: Commissioned, Lt. J. S. Albert in command
  • 14 June 1946: Decommissioned at San Diego, Cal. after 1 year and 11 months of service
  • 26 December 1946: Inactivation completed at San Diego, Cal., assigned to Submarine Group Two, San Diego Group, Pacific Reserve Fleet
  • 26 January 1951: Recommissioned at San Diego, Cal. assigned to Escort Squadron 9 (CortDiv 92) at San Diego, Cal.
  • 05 December 1957: Reassigned to Reserve Escort Squadron 1 at U.S. Naval Station Treasure Island, San Francisco, Cal.
  • 17 June 1960: Decommissioned at San Francisco, Cal. after 9 years and 5 months of service
  • 01 January 1966: Struck from the NVR with a total of 11 years and 4 months of service
  • 11 July 1966: Sunk as target off San Clemente Island, Cal. by Naval gunfire and aircraft
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image
    Size Image Description Contributed
    By And/Or Copyright
    Naifeh
    0635201

    Naifeh

    46k Alfred Naifeh was born in Covington, Tenn. to a Lebanese family on 05 January 1915 and grew up in Norman, Oklahoma. He graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a law degree in 1940 and served as law clerk for Federal Judge Alfred P. Murrah in Oklahoma City. After completing his training in the Reserve Officers Training Corps program he received his commission as an Ensign on 05 July 1941. On 27 February 1942, he reported on board USS Meredith (DD 434) as the Destroyer Division Disbursing Officer. He was promoted to Lieutenant (junior grade) on 01 October 1942. After Meredith sank in the Battle of the Solomons, Lt. Naifeh worked for two days and nights keeping wounded and exhausted survivors on life rafts. As a result of his continuing valiant efforts to save his shipmates, he was completely overcome by exhaustion after fighting off shark attacks, which ultimately resulted in his death on 16 October 1942. For his devotion to duty and courage, Lt. Naifeh was posthumously awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal as well as a Purple Heart. Two years later, the U.S. Navy named a destroyer escort in his honor.

    USS Naifeh (DE 352) (1944-1960) was the first ship to be named in his honor.

    (Images courtesy of the University of Oklahoma)
    Bill Gonyo
    Downey, Cal.

    Assoc. Researcher
    Navsource
    Naifeh
    0635202
    106k undated wartime image -
    Naifeh
    0635203
    82k 26 January 1951: San Diego, Cal. - The crew of USS Naifeh (DE 352) salutes the National Ensign as Naifeh is recommissioned for Korean War service. Her Commanding Officer is Lcdr. Cornelius J. Smits. Escort Ships (DE) and Fast Transports (APD) laid up in reserve in the background are (from left to right):
    USS Cook (APD 130); USS Blessman (APD 48); USS Gosselin (APD 126); USS Gantner (APD 42); USS Dufilho (DE 423); USS Eugene E. Elmore (DE 686); USS William C. Cole (DE 641); USS Metivier (DE 582); USS McNulty (DE 581); USS Thomason (DE 203); USS Peiffer (DE 588); and two unidentified ships at far right.
    -
    Naifeh
    0635208
    114k Naifeh in the early 1950s. Note clear fantail for after 5"/38 gun, one set only of depth charge rails. Lower trunked funnel of this class is clearly visible. No 20 mm Oerlikons are fitted, newer type of radar aerial.
    (Photo from Real Photographs) (Photo and text taken from "American Destroyer Escorts of World War 2" by Peter Elliott).
    Bob Hurst
    Worksop, Nottinghamshire,
    England, United Kingdom
    Naifeh
    0635209
    340k 26 March 1957: San Diego Bay - Two views of USS Naifeh (DE 352) alongside USS Dixie (AD 14) anchored in San Diego. The following ships are alongside (L-R): the Peruvian DEs: Rodriguez (DE-3, ex USS Weaver, DE 741), Aguirre (D-2, ex-USS Waterman, DE 740), Castilla (D-1, ex-USS Bangust, DE 739). Naifeh moored alongside Dixie on 23 March and was joined by the Peruvian escorts on 25 March. The Peruvian units departed from Dixie on 29 March, followed by Naifeh on Saturday, 30 March.

    (U.S. Navy photos #80-G-1013562 and 80-G-1013561 from the National Archives and Records Administration, College Park, Md.)
    Mike Smolinski
    Clifton, N.J.

    Manager, Navsource
    DE / FF / LCS Archive
    Naifeh
    0635210
    445k
    Naifeh
    0635204
    117k September 1957: San Francisco Bay Allied Photographers, San Francisco, Cal.) Robert Cieri
    Naifeh
    0635205
    77k 1958: San Francisco Bay Allied Photographers, San Francisco, Cal.)
    Naifeh
    0635206
    120k September 1958: Treasure Island, Cal. - USS Yarnall (DD 541) and Naifah moored together at the Treasure Island Naval Station. You can see the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge in the background.
    (Photo © Roy Preston)
    Roy Preston
    USS Yarnall ('56-'58)
    Naifeh
    0635207
    195k circa early 1960's: location unknown Nick Tiberio
    Shelton, Conn.

    Naifeh History
    View the USS Naifeh (DE 352) DANFS history entry located on the Naval History and Heritage Command web site.
    View the official War History of USS Naifeh as submitted by the ship at war's end.

    Naifeh's Commanding Officers
    Thanks to Wolfgang Hechler
    Dates of Command Commanding Officers
    1.) 07 Jul. 1944 - Nov. 1945Lt. / Lcdr. John Seaman Albert III, USNR (Wallingford, Pa.)
    2.) Nov. 1945 - May 1946Lcdr. William M. Stucky, USNR
    3.) May 1946 - 27 Jun. 1946Ens. R. F. Knapik, USNR
    4.) 26 Jan. 1951 - 1952Cmdr. Cornelius Johannes Smits, USN
    5.) 1952 - 1953Cmdr. James V. Grealish, USNR (OCS '42) (San Francisco, Cal.) (ret. as Radm., USNR)
    6.) - 03 Jul. 1956 Cmdr. Ralph Strafford Wentworth Jr., USN (USNA ‘44) (Navy Jr. / Annapolis, Md.) (ret. as Radm.)
    7.) 03 Jul. 1956 - 20 Jun. 1958 Lcdr. Robert Edward Adamson Jr., USN (USNA ‘44) (Flushing, N. Y.) (ret. as Vadm.)
    8.) 20 Jun. 1958 - 24 Apr. 1959 Lcdr. Richard D. Dickson, USN
    9.) 24 Apr. 1959 - 17 Jun. 1960 Lcdr. Porter Eugene May, USN

    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    Naifeh is having annual reunions
    Contact Name: John Downes
    Address: 613 Del Mar Drive
    City/State: Champaign IL 61822-2330
    Phone: (217) 352-7529
    or
    Contact Name: Frank McKernan, Treasurer.
    E-mail: frankm31@pon.net or fnlmcmail@pon.net
    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

    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: 04 April 2023