USS LeHardy

	Lehardy underway off Mare Island on 7 May 1943
History
United States
Name	USS LeHardy
Builder	Mare Island Navy Yard
Laid down	15 April 1942
Launched	21 November 1942, as HMS Duff (BDE-20)
Commissioned	15 May 1943
Decommissioned	25 October 1945
Renamed	USS LeHardy, 19 February 1943
Stricken	13 November 1945
Honors and; awards	2 battle stars (World War II)
Fate	Sold for scrapping, 26 December 1946
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;

USS LeHardy (DE-20) was an

American flag

once again.

She was

Mare Island Navy Yard; launched on 21 November 1942; sponsored by Mrs. Bert A. Barr; retained for use in the U.S. Navy and renamed LeHardy on 19 February 1943; and commissioned

on 15 May 1943.

Namesake

Marcel LeHardy was born on 18 February 1905 in Savannah, Georgia. He was commissioned Ensign on 3 June 1926. He was awarded the Navy Cross for his valor in the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. A Lieutenant commander from 1 April 1943, he was killed in action while serving as communications officer on the USS San Francisco during the Solomons Islands campaign.

World War II Pacific Theatre operations

After

U.S. Marines

ashore secured the islands, from which the Marshalls operation would be launched.

Departing

Eniwetok

, before sailing for Pearl Harbor on 4 March.

Upon her arrival on 11 March, the destroyer escort was assigned to training exercises with fleet submarines. LeHardy continued these operations until she departed Pearl Harbor late in May for ASW operations in the Marshalls. Throughout the summer, she alternated between ASW duties in the western Pacific and training exercises out of Hawaii.

Surrender of the Japanese garrison at Wake Island

From 22 October 1944 until 22 January 1945, LeHardy escorted tanker convoys from Eniwetok to Ulithi, then sailed for a Seattle, Washington, overhaul. The destroyer escort returned Eniwetok on 28 May to resume her Eniwetok-Ulithi convoy runs, her task for the rest of the war. On 2 September, LeHardy departed Kwajalein to take part in the surrender ceremonies on Wake Island. Arriving there on 4 September, LeHardy stood by as the Japanese admiral surrendered the island. A detail from the ship went ashore and raised the pole which once again flew the American flag over Wake Island.

End-of-war deactivation

After touching Kwajalein and Pearl Harbor, she proceeded to

San Pedro, California, arriving on 27 September. LeHardy decommissioned there on 25 October 1945 and was sold 26 December 1946 to National Metal and Steel Corp., Terminal Island, California

.

Awards

	Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive)
	American Campaign Medal
	Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal (with three service stars)
	World War II Victory Medal

References

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

External links

Photo gallery of USS LeHardy (DE-20) at NavSource Naval History
A YourGMap page showing locations mentioned in this article