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Navsource Online: Destroyer Escort Photo Archive

USS Lawrence C. Taylor (DE 415)


Flag Hoist / Radio Call Sign:
N - H - H - G
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
Second Row: Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal w/ 7 stars - World War II Victory Medal - Philippine Liberation 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
Lawrence C. Taylor (DE 415) Building and Operational Data:
  • 20 December 1943: Keel laid by the Brown Shipbuilding Co., Houston, Tex.
  • 29 January 1944: Launched and christened, sponsored by Mrs. Lawrence H. Taylor, mother of Lt. Taylor
  • 13 May 1944: Commissioned, Lcdr R. Cullinan, Jr., in command
  • 17 November 1944: Lawrence C. Taylor in company with TBM bombers of VC-82 from escort carrier USS Anzio (CVE 57) sink Japanese submarine I-26 in the Philippine Sea
  • 16 July 1945: Lawrence C. Taylor sinks Japanese submarine I-3 at 0240 using depth charges while accompanying Mitscher's Fast Carrier Force attacking Japan
  • 23 April 1946: Decommissioned at San Diego, Cal. after 1 year and 11½ months of service after steaming 116,421 miles
  • 19 December 1946: Inactivated at San Diego, Cal., assigned to Submarine Group Two, San Diego Group, Pacific Reserve Fleet
  • 01 December 1972: Struck from the NVR
  • 12 September 1973: Sold for scrapping
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    L.C. Taylor

    L.C. Taylor
    0641501
    18k Lawrence Coburn Taylor was born 12 May 1920, the son of Lawrence Henry Taylor and Lew Ella (Coburn) Taylor of Santa Ana, Cal. Growing up in California, he attended UC Berkeley where he was a fraternity member of Zeta Psi and starred on the football team. He enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve on 14 January 1941 and was commissioned 2d lieutenant on 24 March 1941. After flight training at Corpus Christi, Texas he was transferred to the Second Marine Airwing at San Diego and was further assigned to VMF-212 at Ewa Field in Hawaii.

    In August of 1942, VMF-223 was heading to Guadalcanal and was short five pilots. "Red" Taylor and four other VMF-212 pilots volunteered to fill out the pilot roster of VMF-223, arriving at Guadalcanal on 21 August. On 24 August Henderson Field was attacked by Japanese bombers accompanied by a strong escort force of Zero fighters. Five Marine fighters hurriedly took off, but the sixth, piloted by 2nd Lt. Taylor wouldn't start. After repairing the engine himself, he took off and caught up with the fight. After attacking and driving off a Japanese "Betty" bomber, Taylor turned to find another target when a Zero got on his tail. Another Marine pilot saw Taylor's Wildcat spinning out of control, on fire, until it crashed into the sea. No parachute was seen and no trace of either the plane or Taylor was ever found. He is memorialized at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the Philippines.

    Lawrence C. Taylor was awarded the Silver Star for conspicuous gallantry while serving with a Marine Fighter Squadron on 23 August 1942. "Prevented by a faulty engine from taking off with his flight to attack a hostile force of greatly superior strength, 2d Lieutenant Taylor skillfully effected hasty repairs and took off alone...his superb airmanship and dauntless courage under adverse conditions enabled him to destroy one heavy bomber...Taylor's exemplary conduct and unswerving devotion to duty were an inspiration to the members of his squadron and in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service."

    USS Lawrence C. Taylor (DE 415) (1944-1946) was the first ship to be named in his honor.

    (Photo from the Find A Grave)
    Mike Smolinski
    Clifton, N.J.

    Archive Manager
    DE / FF / LCS Archive
    Navsource
    L.C. Taylor
    0641502
    108k Undated Wartime Image G. Allen Carlson

    Lawrence C. Taylor History
    View the USS Lawrence C. Taylor (DE 415) DANFS history entry located on the Naval History and Heritage Command web site.
    View the official War History of USS Lawrence C. Taylor as submitted by the ship at war's end.

    Lawrence C. Taylor's Commanding Officers
    Thanks to Wolfgang Hechler
    Dates of Command Commanding Officers
    1.) 13 May 1944 - 31 Jan. 1945Lcdr. Ralph Francis Cullinan Jr., USN (USNA '31) (Ridgewood, N.J.)
    2.) 31 Jan. 1945 – 23 Apr. 1946Lcdr. James Robert Grey, USN (USNA ‘37) (Army Jr. / Belleville, N.J.)

    Crew Contact And Reunion Information

    Contact Name: Ralph Anderson
    Address: 7037 Greenborough Drive
    City/State: Midvale UT 84047-1606
    E-mail: Ralph Anderson

    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
    Tin Can Sailors Shipmate Registry - USS Lawrence C. Taylor
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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: 06 October 2022