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Navsource Online: Destroyer Escort Photo Archive

Left ship's patch courtesy of Nick Tiberio
Remainder courtesy of Mike Smolinski

USS Howard D. Crow (DE 252)


Flag Hoist / Radio Call Sign:
N - D - V - F
Tactical Voice Radio Call: "Berry Creek"
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row: American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
Second Row: European-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal - National Defense Service Medal w/ 1 star
"Courageous, Capable, Confident"
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
Howard D. Crow (DE 252) Building and Operational Data:
  • 06 February 1943: Keel laid as DE 252 by the Brown Shipbuilding Co., Houston, Tex.
  • 23 February 1943: Named Howard D. Crow (DE 252)
  • 26 April 1943: Launched and christened, sponsored by Miss Viola Elaine Warner, the late Ens. Crow's fiancee (who had been recommended for the honor of christening the ship by his parents)
  • 27 September 1943: Commissioned at Houston, Tex., Lcdr. Donald T. Adams, USCG, in command
  • 22 May 1946: Decommissioned at Green Cove Springs, Fla. after 2 years and 8 months of service
  • 06 July 1951: Recommissioned at Mayport, Fla., Cmdr. Lewis E. Davis, Jr., in command, assigned to Newport, R.I. as a unit of Escort Squadron 14
  • 01 September 1957: Homeport assignment changed to Key West, Fla.as a unit of Destroyer Divion 601
  • September 1958: Decommissioned, placed "in service" as a unit of the Select Reserve ASW Force, Reserve Escort Squadon 4, assigned to NRT, 8th Naval District at Galveston, Tex.
  • 02 October 1961: Reactivated for the Berlin Crisis at the U. S. Naval Station, Charleston, S. C. (81 Selected Reserve crewmembers reported aboard) as a unit of Destroyer Division 601 homeported at Key West, Fla.
  • 01 August 1962: Deactivated at the U. S. Navy Pier, Pelican Island, Galveston, Tex. (Selected Reserve crewmembers were released from active duty); Lcdr. W. P. Shepard, USNR, in command
  • 04 July 1965: Decommissioned and placed "in service" at the Navy Pier, Pelican Island, Galveston, Tex. as a unit of Reserve Destroyer Squadon 34 (ResDesDiv 343); Lt. M. A. Pearson, USN, in command as Officer in Charge,
  • 23 September 1968: Taken "out of service" at the Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility, Orange, Tex., struck from the NVR with a total of 19 years and 10½ months of service; custody to CO, Texas Group, U.S. Atlantic Fleet Reserve
  • 18 September 1970: Sold for scrapping to Coastal Pools, Inc., of Beaumont, Tex.
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By And/Or Copyright
    Howard D. Crow
    0625206    		 142k 02 April 1944: off Bayonne, N.J. - Howard D. Crow (DE 252) at anchor, following her availability at Bayonne. Note effectiveness of the two-tone Measure 22 (5-N Navy Blue and 5-H Haze Gray) camouflage, her designating number (252) in 24"-high white numbers, and her armament; open-mount 3"/50s (two forward, one aft), her 40 millimeter mount, aft, and the 20 millimeter Oerlikons. Her ASW armament consists of the hedgehog forward, just aft of Mt. 31, two depth charge tracks on the fantail, and depth charge projectors ("K-guns") along the main deck, aft, four on the starboard side, four on the port. Also note the single 26-foot motor whaleboat and davits, and life rafts and floater nets.

    (National Archives Photograph 19-N-76715, Bureau of Ships (19-LCM) Collection, Box 425, Still Pictures Branch, College Park, Md.)    		 Bill Gonyo
    Downey, Cal.

    Assoc. Researcher
    Navsource
    Howard D. Crow
    0625215    		 309k 04 May 1944: Gravesend Bay N.Y. - The Coast Guard manned USS Howard D. Crow (DE 252) getting underway to head into the New York Navy Yard. Crow had anchored there the day before after escorting the 20 ship Convoy UC-20 back to New York. Darryl Baker
    PNCM, USNR (ret.)

    Vallejo Naval & Historical Museum
    Howard D. Crow
    0625207    		 142k 20 February 1945

    (No photo number; photo by "Mac Quavice" on DE 253.) (From USCG Historian's Office)    		 Bill Gonyo
    Downey, Cal.

    Assoc. Researcher
    Navsource
    Howard D. Crow
    0625202    		 70k 20 February 1945

    (Photo from the U.S. Coast Guard Historian's Office)
    Howard D. Crow
    0625208    		 106k circa late 1945: Gunnery drill aboard Howard D. Crow employing 3"/50, 40 mm and 20 mm batteries.

    (Photo courtesy of Capt. Harold D. Muth, USCG (Ret.), Photo and text from the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships)    		 Bob Hurst
    Worksop, Nottinghamshire,
    England, United Kingdom
    Howard D. Crow
    0625209    		 146k undated post-war shot of Howard D. Crow, possibly with the CO's autograph Tommy Trampp
    Benton City, Wash.
    Howard D. Crow
    0625210    		 276k Two undated post-war shots of Howard D. Crow, one underway and one at anchor. Mike Smolinski
    Clifton, N.J.

    Navsource Archive Manager
    DE / FF / LCS Archive
    Howard D. Crow
    0625211    		 235k
    Howard D. Crow
    0625212    		 159k Undated Post-War Image Nick Tiberio
    Shelton, Conn.
    Howard D. Crow
    0625204    		 62k February 1957: Howard D. Crow, painted Measure US-27 (5-H Haze Gray), underway at sea, February 1957, her hull number in white with black shadowing. Her gun armament at this time consists of 3"/50s and 40 mm, no wartime 20 mm mounts remain. Gone also are the triple torpedo tube mount and depth charge projectors along her main deck, aft. Her ASW armament consists at this time of the hedgehog forward and two depth charge tracks on the fantail. Also note difference in antennae carried on her mast from the 02 April 1944 view.

    (National Archives Photograph 80-G-1010089, Record Group 80, Box 2742, Still Pictures Branch, College Park, Md.)     		Jon Cole
    Huse
    0614509    		 671k circa late 1950's: Key West, Fla. - An undated photo of a change of command ceremony being held on the pier head at Trumbo Annex, U.S. Naval Station, Key West, Fla. On the left are Huse (DE 145) with Snowden (DE 246) behind her. On the right are Howard D. Crow (DE 252) with Greenwood (DE 679) tied up behind her.

    (Photo #MM00039629x from the Wright Langley Collection, courtesy of the Florida Keys Public Libraries)    		 Bob Hurst
    Worksop, Nottinghamshire,
    England, United Kingdom
    Howard D. Crow
    0625205    		 35k An undated postcard view of Howard D. Crow passing the Galveston piers.

    (Postcard #GN17 © H.S. Crocker Co., Oklahoma City, Ok.; shown at 150% of original size)

    Caption reads: U.S.S. Howard D. Crow - The Crow was assigned to Galveston, Tex. in 1958. Her present primary mission is training Naval Reservists. In wartime, the Crow‘s specialty is Anti-Submarine Warfare.    		 Mike Smolinski
    Clifton, N.J.

    Navsource Archive Manager
    DE / FF / LCS Archive
    Howard D. Crow
    0625213    		 372k 13 December 1961: off Key West, Fla. - USS Howard D. Crow (DE 252) at sea during the Berlin Crises callup. Her history says she was assigned to DesDiv 101, but she has the emblem of DesDiv 601 on her stack.

    (National Archives U.S. Navy photo #USN 1039389 from the Naval History and Heritage Command)
    Howard D. Crow
    0625203    		 78k March 1962: Key West, Fla. - Taken at Key West Naval Annex (Photo © Fred Weiss) Fred Weiss
    Howard D. Crow
    0625214    		 307k 1964: Galveston, Tex. - A color slide of Howard D. Crow moored at her final homeport. You can see the ResDesRon 34 emblem on her stack. ResDesRon 34 was the command authority for the 11 U.S. Naval Reserve destroyer type training vessels in the Atlantic from Baltimore, Md., south to Galveston, Tex. ResDesRon 34's counterpart was ResDesRon 30 which encompassed the 13 destroyer types assigned from Philadlphia, Pa. north to Portland, Me. including USS Parle (DE 708) in Chicago, Ill. David Wright

    Navsource Archive Manager
    Destroyer Archive
    Howard D. Crow Memorabilia
    Ship's Plaque
    Howard D. Crow
    Courtesy of
    Navsource    		 Ship's Plaque
    Howard D. Crow
    Courtesy of
    Mike Smolinski
    Howard D. Crow History
    View the USS Howard D. Crow (DE 252) DANFS history entry located on the Naval History and Heritage Command web site.
    Howard D. Crow's Commanding Officers (partial)
    Thanks to Wolfgang Hechler
    Dates of Command Commanding Officers
    1.)  27 Sep 1943 – 04 Feb. 1944Lcdr. Donald Thomas Adams, USCG (Comm. CO) (USCGA ‘32)
    2.)  04 Feb. 1944 – 01 Feb. 1945Lcdr. Richard E. Bacchus Jr., USCG
    3.)  01 Feb. 1945 – 02 Oct. 1945Lt. John M. Nixon, USCG
    4.)  02 Oct. 1945 – 27 Mar. 1946Lt. Frederick T. Carney USCG (Memphis, Tenn.)
    5.)  27 Mar. 1946 – 22 May 1946Lcdr. B. H. Kelmer, USCG (Decomm. CO)
    6.)  06 Jul. 1951 – Sep. 1953Lcdr. Lewis Edwin Davis Jr., USN (Recomm. CO) (Clearfield, Pa.)
    8.)  1955 – 15 Feb. 1957Lcdr. Samuel Lloyd Collins, USN (USNA ‘39) (Olive Branch, Miss.)
    9.)  15 Feb. 1957 – 19 Feb. 1958Lcdr. Charles Stuart Ely Jr., USN (USNA ‘44) (Fairmont, W. V.)
    10.) 19 Feb. 1958 – 31 Mar. 1960Lcdr. Harry Richter Miller, USN
    11.) 31 Mar. 1960 – 25 Oct. 1961Lcdr. William Kay Wiedman, USN
    12.) 25 Oct. 1961 – 01 Aug. 1962Lcdr. Ralph Childs Jr., USNR
    13.) 01 Aug. 1962 – 08 Sep. 1964Lcdr. Walter Purl Shepard, USNR
    14.) 08 Sep. 1964 – 03 Jul. 1965Lcdr. Charles Henry Sassone Jr., USN (Dedham, Mass.)
    15.) 03 Jul. 1965 – 21 Nov. 1967Lt. / Lcdr. Merton Arcadus Pearson, USN (OinC) (OCS ‘56) (Portland, Me.)
    16.) 21 Nov. 1967 – 23 Sep. 1968Lt. Richard Marion Gabryelski, USN (OinC)
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    Last Known Reunion Was Planned for September 2009 in Washington, D.C.
    Reunion Contact: Basil Philippy
    Address: 9201 Collinfield Drive
    City/State: Austin TX 78758
    Phone: (512) 834-3688
    E-mail: bphilippy@austin.rr.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.

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    This Page Created And Maintained By Mike Smolinski
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    by Paul R. Yarnall, All Rights Reserved.
    Page Last Updated: 02 April 2023