USS Dempsey (DE-26)

History
United States
Name	USS Dempsey
Namesake	Richard John Dempsey
Builder	Mare Island Navy Yard
Laid down	1 October 1942
Launched	19 February 1943
Commissioned	24 July 1943
Decommissioned	22 November 1945
Stricken	28 November 1945
Honors and; awards	3 battle stars (World War II)
Fate	Sold for scrapping, 16 June 1947
General characteristics
Type	Evarts-class destroyer escort
Displacement	1,140 long tons (1,158 t) standard; 1,430 long tons (1,453 t) full;
Length	289 ft 5 in (88.21 m) o/a; 283 ft 6 in (86.41 m) w/l;
Beam	35 ft (11 m)
Draft	11 ft (3.4 m) (max)
Propulsion	4 × General Motors Model 16-278A diesel engines with electric drive, 6,000 shp (4,474 kW); 2 screws;
Speed	19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph)
Range	4,150 nmi (7,690 km)
Complement	15 officers and 183 enlisted
Armament	3 × single dual purpose guns; 1 × quad 1.1"/75 Mk.2 AA gun; 9 × 20 mm Mk.4 AA guns; 1 × Hedgehog Projector Mk.10 (144 rounds); 8 × Mk.6 depth charge projectors; 2 × Mk.9 depth charge tracks;

The second USS Dempsey (DE-26) was an

battle stars

.

Originally intended for transfer to the

Mare Island Navy Yard; retained for use by the United States Navy

and assigned the name Dempsey on 14 June 1943; and commissioned on 24 July 1943.

Namesake

Richard John Dempsey was born on 8 February 1919 in New York City. He was commissioned Ensign on 14 November 1940. Lieutenant (junior grade) Dempsey was killed in the Battle of Savo Island on 9 August 1942 when his ship the USS Vincennes was sunk.

World War II Pacific Theatre operations

From 23 September to 25 October 1943 Dempsey escorted convoys between

Gilberts

, then arrived at Pearl Harbor on 2 December for repairs and training.

Dempsey sailed from Pearl Harbor on 25 January 1944 escorting a convoy of transports and

Kwajalein, returning to Pearl Harbor on 24 February. The next day she got underway for Nouméa, arriving 8 March, and from 14 March to 22 September served in the Solomons

and adjacent islands on local escort and patrol.