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Navsource Online: Destroyer Escort Photo Archive

USS Garfield Thomas (DE 193)

Flag Hoist / Radio Call Sign:
N - G - F - W

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row: American Campaign Medal
Second Row: Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal - European-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal - WWII Victory Medal

Specifications:
Class: Cannon
Type: DET (diesel-electric tandem motor drive, long hull, 3" guns)
Displacement: 1240 tons (light), 1620 tons (full)
Length: 300' (wl), 306' (oa)
Beam: 36' 10" (extreme)
Draft: 10' 6" (draft limit)
Propulsion: 4 GM Mod. 16-278A diesel engines with electric drive, 6000 shp, 2 screws
Speed: 21 kts
Range: 10,800 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 / 201

Garfield Thomas (DE 193) Building and Operational Data:

23 September 1943: Keel laid by the Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Corp., Port Newark, N.J.

12 December 1943,: Launched and christened, sponsored by Lt. Betty K. Thomas, Nurse Corps, United States Army, sister of Lt. (j.g.) W. G. Thomas

24 January 1944: Commissioned, Lcdr. Richard G. Werner in command

27 March 1947: Decommissioned at Green Cove Springs, Fla. after 3 years and 2 months of service

26 March 1951: Struck from the NVR

15 January 1951: Transferred (MDAP) to Greece, renamed HS Panthir (D-67) (stricken in 1992, reported to be laid up in Souda Bay Crete as of 1/98)

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Contributed By And/Or Copyright
0619301	7k	William Garfield Thomas, Jr. was born in Watsontown, Pa. on 13 September 1916. He enlisted in the U.S. Naval Reserve at Philadelphia on 14 June 1940. He was appointed midshipman 10 August, commissioned ensign 14 November 1940, and promoted to lieutenant (j.g.) 15 June 1942. He was serving in light cruiser *Boise* (CL 47) during the Battle of Cape Esperance on 11-12 October 1942. When his "turret was hit by enemy fire and danger of ... explosions grew increasingly imminent, Lt. (j.g.) Thomas with utter disregard of his own personal safety remained behind to ensure abandonment of the perilous area . . . Despite the fact that eight of his men succeeded in getting out and that he too might easily have escaped . . . Thomas when last seen was telephoning the handling room to order the crew out." He was awarded the Navy Cross for giving up his life in the defense of his country. USS *Garfield Thomas* (DE 193) (1943-1947) was the first ship to be named in his honor. (Photo from the Ebensburg-Cambria High School, Ebensburg, PA. (1934 Yearbook)	Bill Gonyo Downey, Cal. Assoc. Researcher Navsource
0619302	150k	undated wartime photo	Tony Vrailas
0619309	128k	undated wartime photo	Mike Smolinski Clifton, N.J. Manager, Navsource DE / FF / LCS Archive
0619303	93k	15 January 1951: Boston, Mass. - USS *Eldridge* (DE 173) and USS *Garfield Thomas* (DE 193). Ceremony at the Boston Naval Shipyard, Massachusetts, transferring the ships to the Royal Hellenic Navy under the provisions of the U.S. Mutual Defense Assistance Program. The ships served in the Greek Navy as, respectively, *Leon* and *Panthir. (U.S. Information Agency Photograph, National Archives photo #306-PSG-51-686 Box 45 from the* Naval History and Heritage Command)
0619304	97k	HNS *Panthir* (D-67), late 1960's	Tony Vrailas
0619305	131k	HNS *Panthir* (D-67), late 1960's	Tony Vrailas
0619306	97k	18 August 1979: Barcelona, Spain - Greek DEs *Ierax* (D-31) (ex-*Ebert* DE 768) and *Panthir* (D-67) (ex-*Garfield Thomas* DE 193).	Fabio Peña Barcelona, Spain Navsource Archive Manager Aircraft Carrier Archive
0619307	61k	laid up at Souda Bay Crete 1995	Tony Vrailas
0619308	157k	laid up at Souda Bay Crete 1995	Tony Vrailas

Garfield Thomas History
View the USS Garfield Thomas (DE 193) DANFS history entry located on the Naval History and Heritage Command web site.

Garfield Thomas's Commanding Officers
Thanks to Wolfgang Hechler & Ron Reeves

Dates of Command	Commanding Officers
1.) 24 Jan. 1944 - 01 Apr. 1945	Lcdr. Richard G. Werner, USNR (Comm. CO)
2.) 01 Apr. 1945 - 24 Jul. 1945	Lt. Edwin D. Duryea Jr., USNR (Mt. Vernon, N. Y.)
3.) 24 Jul. 1945 - 23 Nov. 1945	Lcdr. Joseph Ross Filling Jr., USNR
4.) 23 Nov. 1945 - 02 Apr. 1946	Lt. Walter Daugherty McCord Jr., USN (USNA ‘43) (New Rochelle, N. Y.)
5.) 01 May 1946 - 17 Jun. 1946	Lt.(jg) Raymond Robert Scheffler (Hancock, Ia.)
6.) 17 Jun. 1946 - 01 Aug. 1946	Lcdr. Thomas Clay
7.) 30 Sep. 1946 - 01 Nov. 1946	Lt. Raymond Robert Scheffler
8.) 01 Feb. 1947 - 17 Mar. 1947	Lt.(jg) Charles Cole Smith (Decomm. CO)

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

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 Garfield Thomas

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