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Navsource Online: Destroyer Escort Photo Archive

USS Atherton (DE 169)


Flag Hoist / Radio Call Sign:
N - P - G - W
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
Second Row: European-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal w/ 1 star - WWII Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Medal (Asia Clasp)


Specifications:
Class: Cannon
Type: DET (diesel-electric tandem motor drive, long hull, 3" guns)
Displacement: 1240 tons (light), 1620 tons (full)
Length: 300' (wl), 306' (oa)
Beam: 36' 10" (extreme)
Draft: 10' 6" (draft limit)
Propulsion: 4 GM Mod. 16-278A diesel engines with electric drive, 6000 shp, 2 screws
Speed: 21 kts
Range: 10,800 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 / 201
Atherton (DE 169) Building and Operational Data:
  • 14 January 1943: Keel laid at the Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Corp., Port Newark, N.J.
  • 27 May 1943: Launched and christened, sponsored by Mrs. Cornelia A. Atherton, the mother of Lt.(jg) John McDougal Atherton; towed to the Norfolk Navy Yard
  • 29 August 1943: Commissioned at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Lcdr. Paul L. Mansell, Jr., USNR, in command
  • 19 June 1946: Decommissioned at Jacksonville Fla. after 2 years and 9⅔ months of service, moved to Green Cove Springs, Fla. for storage
  • 14 June 1955: To Japan, renamed IJNS Hatsuhi (DE-263), To Philippines 13 September 1976, renamed BRS Rajah Humabon, still active in Philippine Navy.
  • 15 June 1975: Struck from the NVR
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image
    Size Image Description Contributed
    By And/Or Copyright
    Atherton
    0616902
    141k 08 May 1945: off Point Judith RI - Taken from an ASW blimp during the attack on U-853. Peter Lydon
    Atherton
    0616905
    32k circa 1956:

    (Official Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force Photo from "Jane's Fighting Ships 1956-57").
    Bob Hurst
    Worksop, Nottinghamshire,
    England, United Kingdom
    Atherton
    0616903
    41k circa 1967, as the Japanese Navy IJNS Hatsuhi
    Atherton
    0616904
    68k date / location unknown, as the Philippine Navy BRP Rajah Humabon.
    Atherton
    0616907
    236k 19 April 2009: Subic Bay, the Phillipine Islands - View of the superstructure of the BRP Rajah Humabon (PF 11) taken at the Rivera Point piers of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) on Sunday, April 19, 2009. One day prior to getting underway for Exercise Balikatan 2009.

    v(Photo by Lcdr Gallardo)
    Orlando Gallardo, Jr.
    Atherton
    0616908
    79k 09 April 2009: Subic Bay, the Phillipine Islands - View of the quarterdeck podium painting of Rajah Humabon's emblem.

    (Photo by Orlando Gallardo, Jr.)
    Atherton
    0616906
    614k 21 April 2009: South China Sea - The Armed Forces of the Philippines Navy destroyer escort BRP Rajah Humabon (PF 11) steams ahead during an exercise with the forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2) and the amphibious dock landing ship USS Tortuga (LSD 46), as part of Exercise Balikatan 2009 (BK09). Essex and Tortuga are participating in Balikatan 2009, an annual combined, joint-bilateral exercise involving U.S. and Armed Forces of the Philippines personnel, as well as subject matter experts from Philippine civil defense agencies.

    (U.S. Navy photo #090421-N-9950J-062 by MC2 Greg Johnson from the Navy Newstand)
    Andrew Payne
    Chesapeake, Va.
    Atherton
    0616909
    114k 22 April 2009: South China Sea - BRP Rajah Humabon steams away after conclusion of the photo exercise held as part of Exercise Balikatan 2009.

    (Photo by Orlando Gallardo, Jr.)
    Orlando Gallardo, Jr.
    Atherton
    0616910
    710k 14 March 2010: South China Sea - Republic of the Philippines Navy ship BRP Humabon (PF-11, ex-USS Atherton), steams in formation for a photography exercise, as a part of exercise Balikatan 2010 (BK 10).

    (U.S. Navy photo #100314-N-0120A-295 by MC2 Mark R. Alvarez from the Navy Newstand)
    Bob Hurst
    Worksop, Nottinghamshire,
    England, United Kingdom
    Atherton
    0616911
    116k 15 March 2018: The crew of BRP Rajah Humabon (PF-11) (Ex-USS Atherton (DE 169) 1943-1945, and JDS Hatsuhi (DE-263) (1955-1975) posing by their ship after she was finally decommissioned after a combined 60 years in service with 3 different navies.

    (Source: Philippine Navy)
    Mike Green
    Port Angeles, Wash.

    Atherton Memorabilia
    Launch Button
    Atherton
    Courtesy of
    Tom Kermen

    Atherton History
    View the USS Atherton (DE 169) DANFS history entry located on the Naval History and Heritage Command web site.
    View the official War History of USS Atherton as submitted by the ship at war's end.

    Atherton's Commanding Officers
    Thanks to Wolfgang Hechler & Ron Reeves
    Dates of Command Commanding Officers
    1.) 29 Aug. 1943 - 08 Oct. 1943Lcdr. Paul Louis Mansell Jr., USNR (Comm. CO) (New York, N.Y.)
    2.) 08 Oct. 1943 - 20 Jun. 1944Lt. Monroe Kelly Jr. (USNA '38) (Navy Jr, / Williamsburg, Va.)
    3.) 20 Jun. 1944 - 31 Oct. 1945Lcdr. Lewis Iselin, USNR (New Rochelle, N.Y.)
    4.) 31 Oct. 1945 - 01 Jan. 1946Lt. Oscar W. Adams, USNR 
    5.) 01 Jan. 1946 - 19 June 1946Lt. Harry Carrolli (Decomm. CO)

    Crew Contact And Reunion Information

    Last Known Reunion:
    June 2008 at Albany NY

    Contact Name: Preston Davis
    Address: 75 Driftwood Lane
    City/State: Stafford VA 22554
    Phone: (540) 659-4822
    E-mail: P. Davis
    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 Atherton
    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: 06 September 2020