USS England (DE 635).
The crash program to build destroyer escorts posed a problem for planners and designers. Faced with limited production capacity and competing priorities for machinery, they improvised:
- Initial designs called for steam turbines developing 12,000 shaft horsepower (shp) and transmitting power through reduction gears, but a lack of gear-making equipment thwarted these plans.
- In June 1941, an equivalent 12,000 shp powerplant was designed using diesel-electric drive. When it turned out that 1,500 hp diesel engine production had to be shared with both submarines and landing craft, however, all diesel-powered DEs (the Evarts, Cannon and Edsall classes)—about 45 per cent of total DE production—were allotted only four engines for 6,000 total shp and a 3–4 knot sacrifice.
- Beginning in January 1942, General Electric developed a steam-powered turbo-electric drive developing the originally-intended 12,000 shp. This was used in two classes (Buckley and Rudderow)—about 40 per cent of all DEs built, including all the fast transport (APD) conversions—and required a longer hull, which was used in all but the original Evarts class. Similarly, a 12,000 shp Westinghouse design (the John C. Butler class) combined steam turbines with easily-produced double reduction gears.
There were thus six destroyer escort classes. As shown in the table at right, they mounted either 3-inch or 5-inch main gun batteries; there were also two styles of bridge. All had twin rudders.
Summary production data appear below. Additional particulars appear on the page for each class.
 |
|
Tot US
|
65
|
108
|
66
|
85
|
72
|
83
|
479
|
|
WWII US
|
65
|
108
|
66
|
85
|
69
|
80
|
473
|
|
Class
|
Evarts
|
Buckley
|
Cannon
|
Edsall
|
Rudder-ow
|
John C. Butler
|
Total
|
|
Type
|
GMT
|
TE
|
DET
|
FMR
|
TEV
|
WGT
|
|
|
US DE
|
65
|
65
|
58
|
85
|
21
|
80
|
374
|
|
UK DE
|
32
|
46
|
|
|
|
|
78
|
|
FR DE
|
|
|
6
|
|
|
|
6
|
|
BR DE
|
|
|
8
|
|
|
|
8
|
|
DE-APD
|
|
37
|
|
|
1
|
|
38
|
|
APD
|
|
6
|
|
|
47
|
|
53
|
|
P/W APD
|
|
|
|
|
3
|
|
3
|
|
P/W DE
|
|
|
|
|
|
3
|
3
|
|
Subtotal
|
97
|
154
|
72
|
85
|
72
|
83
|
563
|
|
NCOMM
|
|
|
5
|
|
|
4
|
12
|
|
NLAUNCH
|
5
|
|
3
|
|
|
|
8
|
|
NLAID
|
|
|
36
|
|
180
|
206
|
422
|
|
Subtotal
|
8
|
0
|
44
|
0
|
180
|
210
|
442
|
|
Total
|
105
|
154
|
116
|
85
|
252
|
293
|
1,005
|
|
Legend:
US DE. DEs that served only as DEs in the US Navy in World War II.
UK DE. DEs commissioned in the Royal Navy in World War II.
FR DE. DEs commissioned in the French Navy in World War II.
BR DE. DEs commissioned in the US Navy then Brazil in World War II.
DE-APD. Ships commissioned as DEs but later converted as APDs.
APD. Ships launched as DEs but commissioned as APDs.
P/W APD. Ships commissioned as APDs after 2 September 1945.
P/W DE. Ships commissioned as DE or DER after 2 September 1945.
Subtotal. Total number of DEs and conversions completed.
NCOMM. Ships launched but not commissioned.
NLAUNCH. Ships laid down but not launched.
NLAID. Ships not laid down.
Subtotal. Total number of canceled ships.
Total. Total number of destroyer escorts ordered.
