USS George E. Badger (DD-196)

USS George E. Badger (DD-196/CG-16/AVP-16/AVD-3/APD-33) was a Clemson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II; she was named for Secretary of the Navy George E. Badger (1795–1866).

History

George E. Badger was laid down 24 September 1918 by the Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company; launched 6 March 1920; sponsored by Miss Mary B. Wilson, the namesake's granddaughter; and commissioned 28 July 1920, with Lieutenant Commander Albert Gleaves Berry, Jr., in command.

After shakedown, she was based at Charleston, South Carolina, while operating in Caribbean waters and along the eastern seaboard from Jacksonville, Florida, to Boston, Massachusetts. Returning to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 6 June 1922, she was decommissioned there 11 August 1922.

She was subsequently transferred to the Treasury Department 1 October 1930 for use by the Coast Guard. She was reacquired by the Navy 21 May 1934 and redesignated AVP-16 on 1 October 1939.

World War II

George E. Badger recommissioned at Philadelphia 8 January 1940, Lt. Comdr. Frank Akers in command. During the next year she engaged in training operations in the Caribbean. Redesignated AVD-3 on 2 August 1940, she returned to Norfolk, Virginia 12 January 1941 and subsequently tended planes while based at NS Argentia, Newfoundland, and Reykjavík, Iceland, until the spring of 1942.

Ordered to Charleston, 26 May 1942, she escorted convoys along the eastern seaboard, in the Gulf of Mexico, and to Recife and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, until returning to Norfolk 15 January 1943 to be fitted out for Atlantic convoy duty. Through the spring of 1943 she operated out of Argentia escorting convoys bound for the United Kingdom. In June she underwent overhaul at Norfolk, then sailed 13 July for North Africa. Steaming with escort carrier, Bogue (CVE-9) and destroyer Clemson (DD-186), she sank U-613 on 23 July 1943 after four depth-charge attacks broke up the deep-running submarine southwest of Sao Miguel, Azores; all 48 crew on board died. This victory came just a few hours before planes from Bogue attacked and sank U-521 not far away.

After a landfall at Casablanca, George E. Badger returned to New York 23 August. During the next 2 months she made another escort voyage from New York to Casablanca, then returned to New York 21 October. Departing Hampton Roads 14 November, she sailed for North Africa with Bogue and destroyers Osmond Ingram (DD-255), Du Pont (DD-152) and Clemson on an offensive antisubmarine patrol. On 12 December 1943, in the mid-Atlantic west of the Canary Islands this patrol engaged U-172. A protracted fight ensued, with Avenger and Wildcat aircraft from Bogue dropping depth charges and Fido homing torpedoes, and the destroyers expending roughly 200 depth charges in total. After 27 hours the submarine was sunk, with the loss of 13 crew (46 survived the action).

After escorting another convoy from Norfolk to North Africa and back George E. Badger underwent conversion to high speed transport at Charleston and was redesignated APD-33 on 19 May 1944. Sailing for duty in the Pacific, she steamed via the West Coast and Pearl Harbor to Guadalcanal where she arrived 12 August. From there she carried to the Palau Islands. Reaching Angaur Island 12 September, she screened warships bombarding the island and from 14 September to 16 September sent her frogmen ashore for reconnaissance and demolition work. Intelligence was gathered and obstacles on the beach removed before the ship got underway 12 October for Leyte, where until 18 October she supported the reconnaissance and bombardment of the east coast of that strategic island and again landed her frogmen.

Departing 21 October, she called at Kossol Passage, Manus, and Nouméa before participating in the Lingayen landings of 5 January–11 January 1945. In these she lent her effective fire support as requested, and on the first day of the landings, 5 January, shot down an attacking Japanese torpedo plane. Her frogmen landed on the beaches two days later, and, despite frequent air attacks, George E. Badger continued screening during landings from 7 January until sailing on 11 January for Leyte and Ulithi.

Until the spring of 1945 the veteran warship was overhauled at Ulithi; conducted patrols off Iwo Jima during heavy fighting on the island; and escorted ships from Guam to Guadalcanal, Nouméa, and Manus. She sailed from Ulithi 2 April 1945 for Okinawa with carriers delivering replacement aircraft, and subsequently escorted convoys from Saipan to Okinawa. George E. Badger sailed from Eniwetok 24 June for Pearl Harbor.

Fate

Ordered thence to San Francisco, California for reconversion, she reverted to DD-196 on 20 July 1945 and was later decommissioned at that port 3 October 1945. George E. Badger was scrapped 3 June 1946.

George E. Badger received eight battle stars for World War II service and a Presidential Unit Citation (US).

As of 2005, no other ship has been named George E. Badger.

References

External links

• history.navy.mil: USS George E. Badger
• navsource.org: USS George E. Badger
• hazegray.org: USS George E. Badger
• uboat.net: U-613
• uboat.net: U-172