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Navsource Online: Destroyer Escort Photo Archive

USS Chase (DE 158 / APD 54)

Flag Hoist / Radio Call Sign:
N - F - C - F

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row: Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive) - American Campaign Medal
Second Row: Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal w/ 1 star - European-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal w/ 1 star - WWII Victory Medal

Specifications:
Class: Buckley
Type: TE (turbine-electric drive, 3" guns)
Displacement: 1400 tons (light), 1740 tons (full)
Length: 300' (wl), 306' (oa)
Beam: 36' 9" (extreme)
Draft: 10' 6" (draft limit)
Propulsion: 2 "D" Express boilers, G.E. turbines with electric drive, 12000 shp, 2 screws
Speed: 24 kts
Range: 6,000 nm @ 12 knots
Armament: 3 x 3"/50 Mk22 (1x3), 1 twin 40mm Mk1 AA, 8 x 20mm Mk 4 AA, 3 x 21" Mk15 TT (3x1), 1 Hedgehog Projector Mk10 (144 rounds), 8 Mk6 depth charge projectors, 2 Mk9 depth charge tracks
Complement: 15 / 198

Chase (DE 158) Building and Operational Data:

16 March 1943: Keel laid at the Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, Va.

24 April 1943: Launched and christened, sponsored by Mrs. J. V. Chase, the widow of Admiral Chase

18 July 1943: Commissioned at the St. Helena Annex, Norfolk Navy Yard, Berkley, Va., Lcdr. V. B. Staadecker, USNR, in command

24 November 1944: Reclassified APD 54, converted at the Boston Navy Yard

04 February 1945: Conversion completed, departed for the Pacific theater

15 January 1946: Decommissioned at San Diego, Cal. after 2 years and 6 months of service

07 February 1946: Struck from the NVR

13 November 1946: Sold, scrapped

Size	Image Description	Contributed By And/Or Copyright
48k	Jehu Valentine Chase was born in Pattersonville, La. on 10 January 1869, and graduated from the Naval Academy 06 June 1890. As commanding officer of *Minnesota* when she was mined in September 1918, Chase was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal in recognition of his splendid seamanship and leadership in bringing his ship safely to port without loss of life. Admiral Chase was Commander in Chief, United States Fleet, from 17 September 1930 to 15 September 1931, and Chairman of the General Board from April 1932 until his retirement in February 1933. He died at Coronado, Calif. on 24 May 1937. His Distinguished Service Medal citation reads: "For exceptionally meritorious service in a duty of great responsibility as commanding officer of the USS Minnesota and also for the splendid seamanship shown in bringing the Minnesota safely into port after being mined, with a hole in here underwater body approximately thirty feet long and extending afterward ships from port side of keel to starboard armor shelf and protective deck, without loss of life." USS *Chase* (DE 158) (1943-1946) was the first ship to be named in his honor. (Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress)	Bill Gonyo Downey, Cal. Assoc. Researcher Navsource
283k	24 April 1943: Portsmouth, Va. - *Chase* (DE 158) being launched into the Elizabeth River at the Norfolk Navy Yard.	Richard F. Beto
39k	24 April 1943: Portsmouth, Va. - *Chase* slides into the river.	-
519k	Undated Wartime Image	Richard F. Beto
269k
278k
261k	*Chase's wartime officer complement (Photo courtesy of* Hulon Brown)
2.53m	20 January 1943: Boston, Mass. - *Chase*'s crew holds a party at the Greater Boston USO.
178k	Undated: Clarksburg, W.V. - Richard's Dad, Carpenter's Mate Second Class Frank Beto, at home on leave. He was promoted to PO1 shortly afterward.
148k	Undated Wartime Image	David Wright DD Archive Manager Navsource

Chase History
View the USS Chase (DE 158 / APD 54) DANFS history entry located on the Naval History and Heritage Command web site.

Chase's Commanding Officers
Thanks to Wolfgang Hechler & Ron Reeves

Dates of Command	Commanding Officers
1.) 18 Jul. 1943 - 27 Dec. 1943	Lcdr. Victor Barns Staadecker, USNR (Comm. CO)
2.) 27 Dec. 1943 - 29 Sep. 1945	Lcdr. George Orvil Knapp II, USNR
3.) 29 Sep. 1945 - 15 Jan. 1946	Lt. C.L. Keedy, Jr., USNR (Decomm. CO) (Scottdale, Pa.)

Crew Contact And Reunion Information

None

Note About Contacts

Contact information is compiled from various sources over a period of time and may, or may not, be correct. Every effort has
been made to list the newest contact. However, our entry is only as good as the latest information that's been sent to us. We list
only a contact for the ship if one has been sent to us. We do NOT have crew lists, rosters, or deck logs available. Please see the
Frequently Asked Questions section on NavSource's Main Page for that information.

Additional Resources

Navsource APD Pages, USS Chase (APD 54)
Tin Can Sailors
The U.S. Navy Memorial
Destroyer Escort Sailors Association
The Destroyer Escort Historical Museum
The Destroyer History Foundation
Tin Can Sailors Shipmate Registry - USS Chase

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