USS Mason (DE-529)
1140 ts
88.2 m
10.7 m
27.4 m (mast )
2.5 m
156
4 GM Model 16- 278A diesel engines, 6,000 hp, two propellers
21 kn
6000 nautical miles at 12 knots
- 3 3 " / 50 guns
- 1 1.1 " Flak
- 9 20 - mm anti-aircraft guns
- 1 hedgehog launcher
- 2 Wabo - sequence frames
- 8 Wabo - thrower
The USS Mason (DE -529 ) was a destroyer escort of the United States Navy and was part of the Evarts class. The ship, which was in service in 1944 and 1945, was the first U.S. Navy ship whose crew consisted mostly of African Americans.
History
The destroyer escort USS Mason has been designated as the second ship of that name on 14 October 1943 at the Boston Navy Yard on Kiel. After only about a month of construction on the slipway the vessel, christened by the mother of Ensign Newton Henry Mason namesake ran on November 17, 1943 by stack. After completion of the fitting out of the destroyer escort was posted on March 20, 1944 under the command of Lt. Comdr. William M. Blackford, USNR, put into service. The construction costs were approximately 5 million U.S. dollars.
Unlike other ships, which were operated by African-Americans only as a scrubber, auxiliary cooks or stewards, were the entire lower ranks in all departments of African-American origin aboard the USS Mason. Only NCOs and officers were "white." These ranks were African Americans only available in early 1944.
After the " shakedown cruise", the first test drive off Bermuda, the Mason left on June 14, Charleston, South Carolina, to accompany a convoy to Europe. About the Azores, the association ran to Belfast, from where the Mason returned to the U.S. east coast and sailed into Boston on August 2. The August 1944 the destroyer escort spent with the escort of ships off the U.S. coast.
On September 2, the Mason sailed into New York City, where she accompanied the convoy NY 119 across the Atlantic. Despite heavy seas and stormy weather, the ship came with some units of the convoy on October 18 in Falmouth. From Plymouth from the Mason walked back via the Azores to New York, where she arrived on 22 November. On 17 December the ship in Norfolk was the Task Force 64 assigned with the Mason two days later with a running into the Mediterranean convoy left the port. On 4 January 1945, the destroyer left before the Gibraltar Association and ran a day later at Oran in Algeria.
Together with the Task Group 60.11 Mason left the Oran on January 7 for the United States. Four days after leaving the port a surface target was identified on the radar, which rammed the destroyer escort and fought with water bombs. However, the alleged submarine turned out to be driftwood collection. On January 19, the ship St. George's ran a Bermuda where minor damage has been repaired. Five days later, Mason reached the New York Navy Yard.
From Norfolk from followed on 12 February another Eskorteinsatz into the Mediterranean. On 28 February, the convoy arrived at Gibraltar, from where the Mason again went to Oran. Together with a convoy ran into the Chesapeake Bay on the Bermudas, the Mason left on March 8, Algeria, on March 24, she ran again in New York. Following sonar exercises followed before New London, Connecticut and Jägerleitübungen with naval aviators before Quonset Point, Rhode Iceland. On 10 April, the destroyer escort left Norfolk with another convoy, the escort he finished on April 28 at Gibraltar. Two days after the Algeria Mason had left the German surrender was announced on May 9.
After returning to New York on May 23, the ship was used on the east coast, between 28 July and 18 August, the Mason was assigned to the Naval Training Center in Miami, Florida, as a training ship. On August 20, the ship in New London, Connecticut was one where there has been fitted for testing underwater transmission in the waters around Bermuda. The tests lasted until September 1945 on September 8, Mason left the Bermuda and ran two days later in Charleston, South Carolina, a.
The USS Mason was filed on October 12, 1945 out of service, her name was removed from the ship registers of the Navy on November 1. On March 18, 1947, the body of Mr. Thomas Harris was sold for scrapping.