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USS Dempsey
and HMS Cooke |
BDE-26 to
DE-26 |
DE-267 to
K-471 |
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Funds allocated |
1941 |
1942 |
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Keel Laid |
October 1, 1942 |
March 11, 1943 |
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Days on "Ways" |
141 |
42 |
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Launched |
February 19, 1943 |
April 22, 1943 |
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Days "Fitting Out" |
155 |
116 |
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Total Construction days |
296 |
158 |
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Retained by US Navy and Renamed USS Dempsey |
June 14, 1943 |
N/A |
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Delivered to US Navy |
July 24, 1943 |
August 16, 1943 |
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Transferred to Great Britain |
N/A |
August 23, 1943 |
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Commissioned |
July 24, 1943 |
August 30, 1943 |
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Post war disposition |
Scrapped 1947 |
Scrapped 1947 |
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Notes:
1. BDE = British Destroyer Escort
2. K-471 = Royal Navy Hull Designation |
Information courtesy Maritime Business Strategies and Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships |
Information also courtesy of The Captain Class Frigates by Donald Collingwood |
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HMS Cooke, K-471 historical facts:
(ex USS Dempsey, DE-267)
* HMS Cooke is assigned to the 3rd EG (Escort Group).
* Following the commissioning ceremony, HMS Cooke traveled to
Bermuda and spent two months completing her trials and working up
period.
* December 1943, After Pollack Dock refit, the Checkered Signal Flag
motif (Numeral 3) was painted on her funnel denoting membership in
the 3rd EG (Escort Group).
* Patrolled the English Channel from Portland to Cherbourg during the
D-Day Invasion time period.
* June 28, 1944, HMS Cooke receives partial credit for sinking the
U-988, 70 miles Northwest of Guernsey. Others involved in this kill
were; HMS Duckworth, HMS Domett, HMS Essington and
RAF Squadron 224.
* July 26, 1944, HMS Cooke received full credit for sinking the U-214,
20 miles south of Start Point.
* June 1945, HMS Cooke is paid off to the reserve fleet at Hull.
* March 1946, HMS Cooke is returned to the United States.
* June 3, 1947, HMS Cooke is sold and scrapped.
Information courtesy of:
The Captain Class Frigates in the Second World War
Author: Donald Collingwood
Copyright 1999
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Two USS Dempsey's and two USS Wintle's
The USS Dempsey (DE-267) and USS Wintle (DE-266) were christened on the same day, 22 April 1943, and are both named for Naval officers killed in the Battle of Savo Island, 9 August 1942.
The mother of Richard John Dempsey, Mrs. J. A. Dempsey, and the widow of Jack William Wintle christened each respectively. The picture shows Mrs. J. A. Dempsey (L) and Mrs. Mary Clyde Wintle (R), at the Boston Navy Yard, on the day of the christening.
Picture courtesy of Mark Wintle's USS Wintle Web page
Dempsey (DE-267) was launched 22 April 1943 by Boston Navy Yard; sponsored by Mrs. J. A. Dempsey, mother of the late Lieutenant (junior grade) Dempsey, USNR; transferred to Great Britain under Lend-Lease 23 August 1943 and renamed Cooke; returned to the United States and sold 3 June 1947.
Transcribed by Yves HUBERT, "Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships"
19 February 1943: Mrs. G. E. Quillan, wife of Lt Quillan, Ship Superintendent New Construction, and sponsor of the USS Dempsey (DE-26) is seen at the bow of the ship prior to her launching at Mare Island.
Picture courtesy of NavSource Online
USS Dempsey, DE-26, was originally intended for Great Britain and was launched as BDE-26 on 19 February 1943 by Mare Island Navy Yard. Dempsey was retained for use by the United States Navy and assigned the name Dempsey on 14 June 1943; and commissioned 24 July 1943, Lieutenant Commander H. A. Barnard, Jr., in command.
From: "Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships"
Wintle (DE-266) an EVARTS class destroyer escort, was named WINTLE on 23 February 1943; laid down on 11 March 1943; and, sponsored by Mrs. Mary Clyde Wintle, Lt. Comdr. Wintle's widow, was launched on 22 April 1943. However, on 14 June 1943, the ship was allocated to the United Kingdom, and she was turned over to the Royal Navy on 16 August 1943. Renamed CAPEL (K.470) to honor Admiral Sir Thomas Bladen Capel who commanded frigate PHOEBE at Trafalgar, the ship served the British primarily in the North Atlantic. She was a part of the naval force which supported the Allied invasion of Normandy in June 1944 and was active in the Atlantic after General Eisenhower's troops had secured a foot-hold in western Europe. HMS CAPEL was torpedoed by U-486 on 26 December 1944 and sunk in the English Channel. Transcribed by Michael Hansen mhansen2@cox.net, "Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships"
USS Wintle (DE-25) was laid down on 1 October 1942 at the Mare Island Navy Yard as BDE-25, one of the destroyer escorts allocated to the Royal Navy under the lend-lease program; launched on 18 February 1943; sponsor unknown (Lt. Comdr. Wintle's widow sponsored DE-266 which ship carried the name Wintle at the time BDE-25 was launched); reallocated to the United States Navy on 4 June 1943; named Wintle on 14 June 1943 when DE-266 was allocated to the Royal Navy as her replacement; and commissioned on 10 July 1943, Lt. Comdr. Leonard W. Bailey, USNR, in command. From: "Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships"
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"Fender-Bender" with the USS Wintle |
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NOTE: This incident was not made a part of the original USS Dempsey Ship's History; however, it is a part of the history of this valiant ship and it needed to be added. Both serious and humorous...
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In the following excerpt from the USS Wintles' Ship History, we find out how dangerous this job is. The USS Wintle (DE-25) is a sister ship to the USS Dempsey (DE-26). Check out Mark Wintle's USS Wintle web site. He has combined the talents of former shipmates, relatives and friends and has come up with an Award Winning web site to honor this valiant ship and crew.
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In the second section, find an amusing end to the Dempsey/Wintle story, as in "...and now for the rest of the story..." as Murray Lambert remembers the event in a more humorous version. Murray's special Sea Detail Station was up on the focsle to raise or lower the Union Jack when the USS Dempsey anchored, tied up or left port. You could say, Murray had a "Front Row" seat for this epic event.
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Excerpt from USS Wintle's Ship History:
On 3 January 1944, WINTLE (DE-25) and DEMPSEY (DE-26) came alongside one another to practice fueling at sea. After transferring about 1,000 gallons of fuel to WINTLE, DEMPSEY prepared to leave. Suddenly, she rammed WINTLE on her starboard side. Her anchor ripped open WINTLE's starboard side from the lower platform deck to the main deck at frame 40. DEMPSEY's anchor also broke WINTLE's degaussing coil and severed her return steam line. In her haste to change course, DEMPSEY swerved sharply, colliding with WINTLE again, this time stern to stern, crushing WINTLE's propeller guard against her hull. The damaged destroyer escort's repair party quickly stuffed mattresses into the breach in her hull and shored them up as best they could to prevent serious flooding. WINTLE was able to make 10 knots without shipping too much water and reached Pearl Harbor the following morning to begin repairs. She completed repairs rapidly and returned to sea to resume exercises on 11 January.
From: "Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships"
(1981) Vol. 8, pp 429-430.
Transcribed by Michael Hansen, mhansen2@cox.net
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Murray writes:
I was scanning through some pages of your web site and came across the story of the Dempsey ramming the Wintle. The story ended when the Wintle went limping back to Pearl. The BEST of the story follows. When we collided, the port anchor chain was not run around the capstan and the stops that held the anchor were parted and we lost 105 fathoms of chain and the anchor. Luckily, the chain did not tear out of the chain locker. We were out there, dead in the water, until midnight while the deck crew pulled the anchor in. When this happened, the Division Commander radioed on the "ship-to-ship" TBS, "Well done Michigan" (Michigan being the Dempsey's voice call sign). Sarcasm, maybe???
"...and that is "the rest of the story...."
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SS Cape San Juan is torpedoed,
several ships, including the USS Dempsey,
rush to save the survivors |
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Article provided by Tom Bowerman, "US Naval Armed Guard" web site at URL:
http://www.armed-guard.com/index.html
Please visit this web site as it is a Tribute to the sacrifices made by the Armed Guard, Merchant Marine and the U.S. Coast Guard during WWII. |
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 While in Nandi Bay, the Dempsey received word of the torpedoing of the S.S. Cape San Juan, a U.S. merchant ship carrying troops to Australia, several hundred miles southeast of FiJi, with orders to proceed to its assistance. Though she arrived 28 hours after the attack, the Dempsey was able to rescue a number of men from the water. Most of the survivors had been picked up by a YMS (USS YMS#241) and a Destroyer (USS McCalla, DD-488) the former transferring a large group to the Dempsey for medical care. The survivors were taken to Suva. The Dempsey received a letter of deep appreciation from the Commanding General of that area with a commendation endorsement by Admiral Halsey, then Commander South Pacific Force.
Excerpt from USS Dempsey, DE-26, "Ship History" page
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