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Ship's emblem from the USS Rall Web Site

USS Rall (DE 304)


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


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row: Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive) - Navy Unit Commendation Ribbon
Second Row: American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal w/ 3 stars - WWII Victory Medal
Specifications:
Class: Evarts
Type: GMT (diesel-electric tandem motor drive, short hull, 3" guns)
Displacement: 1,140 tons (light), 1,430 tons (full)
Length: 283' 6" (wl), 289' 5" (oa)
Beam: 35' 0" (extreme)
Draft: 11' 0" (draft limit)
Propulsion: 4 GM Model 16-278A diesel engines with electric drive, 6000 shp, 2 screws
Speed: 19 kts
Range: 4,150 nm @ 12 knots
Armament: 3 - 3"/50 Mk22 (1x3), 1 - 1.1"/75 cal. Mk2 quad AA (4x1), 9 x 20mm Mk 4 AA, 1 Hedgehog Projector Mk10 (144 rounds), 8 Mk6 depth charge projectors, 2 Mk9 depth charge tracks
Complement: 15 / 183
Rall (DE 304) Building and Operational Data:
  • 24 May 1943: Keel laid by the Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, Cal.
  • 23 September 1943: Launched and christened, sponsored by Mrs. R. R. Rall, widow of Lieutenant (junior grade) Rall
  • 08 April 1944: Commissioned, Lcdr. C. B. Taylor in command
  • 12 April 1945: Badly damaged (21 dead, 31 wounded) in a kamikaze attack off Ie Shima, near Okinawa. She was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation for this action.
  • 11 December 1945: Decommissioned at the Charleston Navy Yard after 1 year and 8 months of service
  • 03 January 1946: Struck from the NVR
  • 18 March 1947: Hulk sold, scrapped
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By And/Or Copyright
    Rall
    0630401    		 91k Richard Redner Rall was born in Battle Creek Mich. on 12 May 1909, He was appointed Assistant Surgeon with the rank of Lieutenant (junior grade), MC, USNR, 29 March 1935. He received a regular Navy commission on 10 March 1937; and attended postgraduate courses at Navy Medical School, Washington, D.C. Lieutenant (junior grade) Rall was assigned to the U.S. Navy Hospitals at Guam and Mare Island before reporting to USS Pennsylvania (BB 38) in May 1941. He was killed in action during the attack on Pearl Harbor 07 December 1941. Lt. (j.g.) Richard R. Rall was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart.

    USS Rall (DE 304) (1944-1945) was the first ship to be named in his honor.

    (Photo courtesy of the USS Rall Web Site)    		 Bill Gonyo
    Downey, Cal.

    Assoc. Researcher
    Navsource
    Rall
    0630402    		 208k 02 July 1943: San Francisco, Cal. - Bow view of Rall (DE304) on the building ways at Mare Island NSY. Crowley (DE 303) is to the right.

    (U.S. Navy photo #DE-304-4807-43)    		 Darryl Baker
    PNCM, USNR (ret.)

    Vallejo Naval & Historical Museum
    Rall
    0630403    		 209k 02 July 1943: San Francisco, Cal. - Stern view of Rall on the building ways at Mare Island. Crowley is to the left.

    (U.S. Navy photo #DE-304-4806-43)
    Rall
    0630404    		 103k 23 September 1943: San Francisco, Cal. - The matron of honor and ship's sponsor Mrs. Richard R. Rall, widow of Lt.(jg) Rall, pose at the ship's bow before the christening. Her son Byron holds the ceremonial champagne bottle.

    (U.S. Navy photo #DE-304-6672-43)
    Rall
    0630405    		 102k 23 September 1943: San Francisco, Cal. - Lt.(jg) Rall's son Byron looks on as his mother, Mrs. Richard R. Rall, christens the USS Rall. The Yard Commandant, Radm. W. L. Friedell is on the right.
    Rall
    0630406    		 75k 23 September 1943: San Francisco, Cal. - Rall slides down the way at Mare Island Navy Yard.
    Rall
    0630407    		 76k 23 September 1943: San Francisco, Cal. - Rall immediately after her launching at Mare Island.

    (U.S. Navy photo #DE-304-6669-43)
    Rall
    0630408    		 87k 23 April 1944: San Francisco, Cal. - Bow on view of Rall off Treasure Island in San Francisco Bay. Oakland Bay Bridge is in the background.

    (U.S. Navy photo #DE-304-2485-44)
    Rall
    0630409    		 110k 23 April 1944: San Francisco, Cal. - Broadside view of Rall off San Francisco. Treasure Island is in the background.

    (U.S. Navy photo #DE-304-2487-44)
    Rall
    0630410    		 129k 23 April 1944: San Francisco, Cal. - Stern view of Rall off San Francisco on 23 April 1944. Angel Island is in the background.

    (U.S. Navy photo #DE-304-2489-44)
    Rall
    0630412    		 275k 23 April 1944: San Francisco Bay - Starboard beam broadside view of Rall off Mare Island.

    (U.S. Navy photo #CP-DE-304 19-LCM-89973 from the National Archives and Records Administration, courtesy of  Chris Wright)    		 Ed Zajkowski
    Narvon, Pa.
    Rall
    0630411    		 149k 23 April 1944: San Francisco Bay - USS Rall (DE 304) off San Francisco, California.

    (U.S. Navy Photo #19-N-89973 from the United States National Archives)    		 Mike Green
    Port Angeles, Wash.
    Rall
    0630413    		 60k 12 April 1945: USS Rall is seen from the starboard bow, off Kerama Retto, Okinawa after being damaged by a Kamikaze attack. Note that Rall is in the process of repainting to a new camouflage and the old ocean gray has been repainted to haze gray, but the black lines between the colors remain.

    (U.S. Navy Photo #80-G-330116 from the United States National Archives, courtesy of C. Lee Johnson, Ships of the U.S. Navy in WWII “Dazzle” Camouflage)
    Rall History
    View the USS Rall (DE 304) DANFS history entry located on the Naval History and Heritage Command web site.
    View a short article on the design and development of the Evarts Class DE submitted by Bob Sables.
    View the official War History of USS Rall as submitted by the ship at war's end.
    Rall's Commanding Officers
    Thanks to Wolfgang Hechler & Ron Reeves
    Dates of Command Commanding Officers
    1.) 08 Apr. 1944 - 25 Jun. 1945Lcdr. Crittenden Battelle Taylor, USNR (Lima, Oh.)
    2.) 25 Jun. 1945 - 11 Dec. 1945Lcdr. James B. O'Donnell, USNR
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    None
    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
    USS Rall Web Site
    Tin Can Sailors
    The U.S. Navy Memorial
    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
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    by Paul R. Yarnall, All Rights Reserved.
    Page Last Updated: 19 August 2018