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Navsource Online: Destroyer Escort Photo Archive

Ship's patches courtesy of Mike Smolinski

USS Darby (DE 218)

Flag Hoist / Radio Call Sign:
N - H - A - C
Tactical Voice Radio Call: "Falling Rock"

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row: Navy Expeditionary Medal - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal w/ 2 stars
Second Row: World War II Victory Medal - National Defense Service Medal w/ 1 star - Philippine Liberation Ribbon

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

Darby (DE 218) Building and Operational Data:

22 February 1943: Keel laid by the Philadelphia Navy Yard

29 May 1943: Launched and christened, sponsored by Mrs. M. E. Darby, mother of Ensign Darby

15 November 1943: Commissioned, Cmdr D. D. Humphreys, USNR, in command

28 April 1947: Decommissioned at Charleston, S.C. after 3 years and 5 months of service

24 October 1950: Recommissioned, assigned to CruDesLant at Norfolk, Va.

14 May 1951: Assigned to Escort Squadron 8 as flagship

20 February 1953: Made a three day weekend port visit to St. Petersburg, Fla. in company with J. Douglas Blackwood (DE 219), PC 580, and PC 1236

27 August 1953: Made a recreational port visit to New York City prior to entering the Norfolk Naval Shipyard for a biennial overhaul

07 May 1954: Made a weekend port visit to celebrate Armed Forces Day in St. Petersburg, Fla. in company with Coates (DE 685) and PC 579

17 May 1957: In company with J. Douglas Blackwood (DE 219) made a weekend port visit to Cape Canaveral, Fla. to join the Armed Forces Day program at Patrick AF Base

01 October 1957: Escort Squadron 8 disestablished, assigned to Escort Squadron 12 at Norfolk, Va.

12 June 1958: Served as Race Committee Host Ship for the bienniel Newport - Bermuda Yacht Races

23 February 1959: Decommissioned, placed "In Service, In Reserve", assigned to NRT, 5th Naval District at Baltimore, Md.

19 March 1960: Collided with SS Soya Atlantic at 1945 while entering Chesapeake Bay enroute Little Creek, 1.9 miles 048°T from Cape Henry Light (2 crewmembers killed, 1 seriously injured)

25 January 1961: U.S. Coast Guard Board of Investigation announced its' findings that the CO and OOD of Darby were the responsible parties in the collision of Darby and SS Soya Atlantic

02 October 1961: Commissioned at the USNRTC, Ft. McHenry, Baltimore, Md., Cmdr. J.C. Allen, USNR in command, assigned to the re-established Escort Squadron 8 at Newport, R. I.

01 August 1962: Decommissioned at the USNRTC, Ft. McHenry, Baltimore, Md., Cmdr. J.C. Allen, USNR (OinC) in command, assigned to 5th ND at Baltimore, Md.

April 1963: Following the reorganization of the Select Naval Reserve, assigned to Reserve Destroyer Squadron 34 (DesDiv 342) at Ft. McHenry, Baltimore, Md.

17 March 1967: Arrived at her new homeport, USNRTC, Bayboro Harbor, St. Petersburg, Fla., assigned to Reserve Destroyer Squadron 34 (DesDiv 341)

14 September 1968: Arrived at the Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility, Orange, Tex. to prepare for inactivation

23 September 1968: Placed "out of service" at the Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility, Orange, Tex. and struck from the NVR with a total of 21 years and 4 months of service

24 May 1970: Sunk as a target off Vieques Island, Puerto Rico

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Contributed By And/Or Copyright
(0621801)	50k	Marshall Eugene Darby, Jr. was born 10 November 1918 in Washington, D.C. He graduated from the Naval Academy on 06 June 1940. Ensign Darby served in the battleship USS Oklahoma (BB 37) until he was killed in action during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 07 December 1941. His remains were never identified but he is listed as one of the approximately 390 unknowns from the USS Oklahoma that have been buried in mass graves at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. USS *Darby* (DE 218) (1943-1968) was the first ship named in his honor. (Ens. Darby's Annapolis Graduation Photo courtesy of Joan Darby Norris)	Bill Gonyo Downey, Cal. Assoc. Researcher Navsource
(0619804)	409k	13 March 1944: Espiritu Santo - USS *Coolbaugh* (DE 217), USS *Lovelace, and USS Darby* (DE 218) are nested with USS *Ingersoll* (DE 652) at the fleet anchorage. Photo taken by Milt Volkens aboard USS *Langley* (CVL 27). (From the Langley/Volkens Photo Collection at Eastern Carolina Univ.)	John Chiquoine West Chester, Pa.
(0621602)	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 Downey, Cal. Assoc. Researcher Navsource
(0621815)	461k	13 November 1945: Vallejo, Cal. - A port quarter view of *Darby* stopped off the Mare Island Navy Yard. (Photo courtesy of Chris Wright)	Ed Zajkowski Narvon, Pa.
(0621802)	184k	15 November 1945: Mare Island Naval Shipyard, San Francisco, Cal. - Aft plan view of USS *Darby* (DE 218) at Mare Island. Mare Island modified the areas circled. USS *Harmon* (DE 678) is inboard and USS *J. Douglas Blackwood* (DE 219) and USS *Coolbaugh* (DE 217) are outboard of *Darby. Darby* was in overhaul at the yard from 04 September to 17 November 1945. (U.S. Navy photo #DE-218-7185-45)	Darryl Baker PNCM, USNR (ret.) Vallejo Naval & Historical Museum
(0621803)	200k	15 November 1945: Mare Island Naval Shipyard, San Francisco, Cal. - Amidships plan view of USS *Darby* (DE 218) at Mare Island. Mare Island modified the areas circled. USS *Harmon* (DE 678) is inboard and USS *J. Douglas Blackwood* (DE 219) and USS *Coolbaugh* (DE 217) are outboard of *Darby. Darby* was in overhaul at the yard from 04 September to 17 November 1945. (U.S. Navy photo #DE-218-7186-45)
(0621814)	90k	USS *Darby* (DE 218) is photographed from USS *Saginaw Bay* (CVE 82) in camouflage 31/22d even though the lightest color is light gray. The transport in the background wearing camouflage 32/8T probably is USS *Starlight* (AP 175), with the ships heading to the landings at Lingayen Gulf in late 1944. (U.S. Navy Photo #80-G-335073 from the United States National Archives)	Sandy Sanphilipo BMC, USNR (ret.) caption from Mike Green Port Angeles, Wash.
(0621804)	31k	undated wartime image	Robert L. Anderson
(0621805)	166k	undated postwar image
(0621806)	57k	undated postwar image (Better copy of photo sent in by Sandy Sanphilipo)
(0621807)	34k	undated postwar image
(0621808)	35k	undated postwar image
(0621809)	47k	1951: at Norfolk, Virginia
(0621816)	298k	undated postwar image	Nick Tiberio Shelton, Conn.
(0621812)	97k	October 1952: the North Atlantic - Operating during "Operation Mainbrace". (Photos were sent to Col. and Mrs. Marshall E. Darby, Ensign Darby's parents, by Lcdr. Jackson L. Morton, Commanding Officer of USS *Darby* at the time)	Joan Darby Norris, the niece of Marshall Eugene Darby
(0621813)	116k		Joan Darby Norris, the niece of Marshall Eugene Darby
(0621818)	438k	25 May 1954: Key West, Fla. - Lt. Cmdr. J. W. Durborow reads his orders as he assumes command of USS *Darby* (DE 218). (The Miami News, Tuesday, 25 May 1954)	Mike Smolinski Clifton, N.J. Archive Manager DE / FF / LCS Archive Navsource
(0621810)	56k	date / location unknown	Bob Hurst Worksop, Nottinghamshire, England, United Kingdom
(0621811)	33k	circa 1955 / location unknown	Bob Hurst Worksop, Nottinghamshire, England, United Kingdom
(0621817)	438k	12 May 1965: - USS *Darby* (DE 218) underway off the coast of Hampton Roads, Virginia. (U.S. Navy photo #KN-12893 (National Archives); from the Naval History and Heritage Command)	Mike Smolinski Clifton, N.J. Archive Manager DE / FF / LCS Archive Navsource
(06218b01)	45k	TS *Soya-Atlantic, which collided with Darby, 19 March 1960 Collision Photos from Walt Pollin*	Walt Pollin ET2, USS Darby (1957-1960)

Darby Memorabilia
Ship's Emblem Drawing Courtesy of Robert L. Anderson	Squadron Plaque, late '50's Courtesy of Bob Hurst

Darby History
View the USS Darby (DE 218) DANFS history entry located on the Naval History and Heritage Command web site.
A supplemental History of USS Darby (from former crewmembers)

Darby's Commanding Officers
Thanks to Wolfgang Hechler & Ron Reeves

Dates of Command	Commanding Officers
1.) 15 Nov. 1943 – 23 Jul. 1944	Cmdr. Denis D. Humphreys, USNR (Comm. CO) (also CO: DE-163)
2.) 23 Jul. 1944 – 11 Oct. 1945	Lcdr. Merritt W. Martin, USNR
3.) 11 Oct. 1945 – 02 Apr. 1946	Cmdr. Robert Claude Wing, USNR
4.) 02 Apr. 1946 – 01 Oct. 1946	Lcdr. Charles W. Turner III, USNR
5.) 01 Oct. 1946 – .. Jan. 1947	Lt. Robert Kent Rosemont (Los Angeles, Cal.) (also CO: DD-674, AG-23, DD-937)
6.) 01 Feb. 1947 – 28 Apr. 1947	Lt.(jg) William Murray Newell (Decomm. CO)
7.) 24 Oct. 1950 – .. Oct. 1952	Lcdr. Edgar Hull Forrest (Recomm. CO) (London, England) (also CO: DE-771, DD-531)
8.) .. Oct. 1952 – 25 May 1954	Lcdr. Jackson Leonard Morton
9.) 25 May 1954 – 07 Apr. 1956	Lcdr. James Wharton Durborow, USN (Martinsburg, W. V.)
10.) 07 Apr. 1956 – 22 May 1958	Lcdr. Bruce Clifford Barry, USN (Chippewa Falls, Wis.)
11.) 22 May 1958 – 23 Feb. 1959	Lcdr. Robert Chambliss Light (Scottsville, Va.)
12.) 23 Feb. 1959 – 10 Dec. 1959	Lt. / Lcdr. Samuel Jahile Rose Jr., USN (OinC) (Erwin, Tenn.)
13.) 10 Dec. 1959 – 12 Oct. 1961	Lt. Wilfred John Loggan, USN (OinC)
14.) 12 Oct. 1961 – 01 Oct. 1962	Cmdr. John Crutcher Allen, USNR
15.) 01 Oct. 1962 – 11 Jul. 1964	Lt. Thomas Gilbert Payne, USN (OinC)
16.) 11 Jul. 1964 – 07 Apr. 1965	Lt. Naylor Carey Foster Jr., USN (OinC)
17.) 07 Apr. 1965 – 04 Aug. 1967	Lt. / Lcdr. John Duffie Cooper, USN (OinC) (Little Rock, Ark.)
18.) 04 Aug. 1967 – 23 Sep. 1968	Lt. / Lcdr. Robert Ian Packman, USN (OinC) (NROTC ‘62) (New York, N. Y.)

Crew Contact And Reunion Information

Contact Name: YNC Robert L. Andersen (ret)
Address: 3610 Benson Avenue
City/State: Baltimore MD 21227
Phone: (410) 644-9251
E-mail: rande71777@msn.com

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 Darby

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This Page Created And Maintained By Mike Smolinski
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