USS John C. Butler

History
United States
Name	USS John C. Butler
Namesake	John Clarence Butler
Builder	Consolidated Steel Corporation
Laid down	5 October 1943
Launched	12 November 1943
Commissioned	31 March 1944
Decommissioned	26 June 1946
Recommissioned	27 December 1950
Decommissioned	18 December 1957
Stricken	1 June 1970
Fate	Sunk as target, 1971
General characteristics
Class and type	John C. Butler-class destroyer escort
Displacement	1,350 long tons (1,372 t)
Length	306 ft (93 m)
Beam	36 ft 8 in (11.18 m)
Draft	9 ft 5 in (2.87 m)
Installed power	12,000 shp (8,900 kW)
Propulsion	2 × geared steam turbines 2 × boilers 2 × shafts
Speed	24 kn (28 mph; 44 km/h)
Range	6,000 nmi (6,900 mi; 11,000 km) at 12 kn (14 mph; 22 km/h)
Complement	186
Sensors and processing systems	SF multi-use radar[1]
Armament	2 × single 5 in (127 mm) guns 2 × twin AA guns 10 × single 20 mm (0.79 in) AA guns 1 × triple 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes 8 × depth charge throwers 1 × Hedgehog ASW mortar 2 × depth charge racks

USS John C. Butler (DE-339) was the lead ship of her class of destroyer escorts in the service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946. She was recommissioned between 1950 and 1957 and finally sunk as a target in 1971.

John Clarence Butler was born on 2 February 1921 in

On 18 April 1942, during the Doolittle Raid Butler piloted aircraft an SBD-3 Dauntless flying off USS Enterprise, searching for any forward deployed Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) ships that could radio back to Japan to give warning of the raiders. During the scouting mission, he engaged a 125 feet (38 m) long Japanese patrol boat towing a smaller boat "painted white". Attacking in two separate dives, Butler dropped two 100-pound bombs, both of which were duds. Striking the craft with a 500-pound bomb on the port side, his plane received three hits from enemy fire. Disengaging he noticed the smaller craft belching oil and smoke, estimating it later sank. The larger boat remained undamaged.

VB-3 received a transfer from Saratoga to

John C. Butler was laid down by Consolidated Steel Corporation, Ltd., in Orange, Texas, on 5 October 1943; launched on 12 November 1943, sponsored by Mrs. Walter C. Butler, mother of Ensign Butler; and commissioned on 31 March 1944.

The new destroyer escort conducted shakedown training off

The escort vessel sailed with

The two-hour Battle off Samar which followed has taken a rightful place among the most memorable actions in naval history. The slow escort carriers launched all planes to attack the Japanese cruisers and battleships, and John C. Butler and her sisters laid heavy smoke to confuse enemy batteries. A rain squall provided cover for a turn to the south, and just after 07:30 the destroyers began their gallant torpedo attacks against great odds. Destroyers Johnston, Hoel, and Heermann, and DE Samuel B. Roberts made close-in attacks on cruisers and battleships, forcing them to zig-zag, while aircraft made continuous attacks. Soon after this first attack, John C. Butler turned from the carriers to launch her remaining torpedoes, then exchanged gunfire with a heavy cruiser. The DE continued to fire and dodge heavy-caliber fire until dangerously low on ammunition, then returned to the carrier formation to provide smoke coverage.

Rear Admiral Clifton A. F. Sprague, commander of Taffy 3, later described the next surprising development: "At 0925 my mind was occupied with dodging torpedoes when near the bridge I heard one of the signalmen yell, '... dammit, boys, they're getting away!' I could not believe my eyes, but it looked as if the whole Japanese fleet was indeed retiring.... At best, I had expected to be swimming by this time." The Japanese – damaged and fearing heavier air attack – had indeed reversed course. Though the escort carriers lost one of their number and three escorts, their valiant fight had stopped the Japanese from attacking the transports in Leyte Gulf. However, shortly after the Center Force retreated from the engagement, the first attack of the war from a kamikaze unit fell upon the remaining ships of Taffy 3, sinking a second escort carrier and damaging all but one of the rest.

After rescuing survivors from St. Lo, John C. Butler escorted the surviving carriers of Taffy 3 via Manus to Pearl Harbor, then returned to Manus on 17 December. Departing with escort carriers on 31 December, she protected amphibious transports steaming to the invasion of Luzon. During the voyage through the South China Sea, the ships encountered and drove off determined kamikaze attacks. On the evening of 8 January 1945, John C. Butler and other escorts shot several kamikazes down. She operated off Lingayen Gulf from 9–17 January and screened carriers during massive strikes in support of ground operations. Departing the Luzon coast, she arrived at Ulithi on 23 January to prepare for the next important amphibious landing — Iwo Jima.

The veteran DE took part in rehearsals in the

John C. Butler received five battle stars for World War II service, and was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for her part in the Battle off Samar.

	Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive)
	Presidential Unit Citation
	Navy Unit Commendation
	American Campaign Medal
	Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (with five battle stars )
	World War II Victory Medal
	National Defense Service Medal
	Philippine Liberation Ribbon

 This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to USS John C. Butler (DE-339).

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