USS John C. Butler (DE 339).
GENERAL INFORMATION
Length: “Long hull” 306' 0" x 300' 0"
Molded Beam: 37' 0"
Displacement: 1,350 long tons standard; 1,745 full load.
Draft: Light: 9' 4"; Deep: 13' 4"
Designed Complement: Officers, 15; Enlisted, 183.
Shaft Horsepower: 12,000
Speed: Trial: 24.3 knots; Service: 24 knots.
Screws: Two.
Rudders: Two.
Bridge: Low, enclosed.
Stack: One.
ARMAMENT
Gun battery: 2 x 5-inch/38 caliber dual purpose guns.
Initial: 2 x twin 40mm Bofors.
Later: 1 x quad and 3 x twin 40mm Bofors.
Short range: 10 x single 20mm Oerlikon.
Anti-submarine battery: 2 x depth charge tracks, 8 x depth charge projectors, 1 x Hedgehog.
The John C. Butler class—the Westinghouse Geared Turbine (WGT) type—featured a 12,000 shp Westinghouse steam turbine with double reduction gears. Gibbs and Cox prepared the detailed design and both Westinghouse and General Electric supplied machinery.
In December 1942, before the first ship was laid down, the design was altered to include the low, enclosed bridge planned for the Rudderows.
In 1949, the John C. Butler arrangement formed a point of departure for the first post-war ASW escort design, the Dealey class.
BUILDERS
WGTs were built at
Boston Navy Yard,
Consolidated, Houston, and
Federal-Port Newark.
LOSSES
- Shelton was sunk by RO-41 off Morotai, 3 October 1944.
- Samuel B. Roberts was sunk by Japanese surface ships off Samar, Philippine Islands, 25 October 1944.
- Eversole was sunk by I-45 east of Leyte, Philippine Islands, 28 October 1944.
- Oberrender was damaged by a suicide plane off Okinawa, 9 May 1945 and not repaired.
DECORATIONS
- John C. Butler, Raymond, Dennis and Samuel B. Roberts received the Presidential Unit Citation as part of Task Unit 77.4.3, Taffy 3 in the Battle off Samar, 25 October 1944.
- Tabberer received the Navy Unit Commendation for rescue of survivors of the typhoon of 18 December 1944.
- John C. Butler also received the Navy Unit Commendation for anti-aircraft action off Okinawa, 20 May, 1945.
- Johnnie Hutchins received the Navy Unit Commendation for action against Japanese midget submarines, 8 August 1945.
- Richard W. Suesens received the Navy Unit Commendation for action in the Leyte, Lingayen Gulf, Manila Bay-Bicol and Okinawa Gunto operations in 1944 and 1945.
