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Navsource Online: Destroyer Escort Photo Archive



Ship's patches courtesy of Mike Smolinski

USS Darby (DE 218)


Flag Hoist / Radio Call Sign:
N - H - A - C
Tactical Voice Radio Call: "Falling Rock"


Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row: Navy Expeditionary Medal - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal w/ 2 stars
Second Row: World War II Victory Medal - National Defense Service Medal w/ 1 star - Philippine Liberation Ribbon


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
Darby (DE 218) Building and Operational Data:
  • 22 February 1943: Keel laid by the Philadelphia Navy Yard
  • 29 May 1943: Launched and christened, sponsored by Mrs. M. E. Darby, mother of Ensign Darby
  • 15 November 1943: Commissioned, Cmdr. Denis D. Humphreys, USNR, in command
  • 28 April 1947: Decommissioned at Charleston, S.C. after 3 years and 5 months of service
  • 24 October 1950: Recommissioned, assigned to CruDesLant at Norfolk, Va.
  • 14 May 1951: Assigned to Escort Squadron 8 as flagship
  • 20 February 1953: Made a three day weekend port visit to St. Petersburg, Fla. in company with J. Douglas Blackwood (DE 219), PC 580, and PC 1236
  • 27 August 1953: Made a recreational port visit to New York City prior to entering the Norfolk Naval Shipyard for a biennial overhaul
  • 07 May 1954: Made a weekend port visit to celebrate Armed Forces Day in St. Petersburg, Fla. in company with Coates (DE 685) and PC 579
  • 17 May 1957: In company with J. Douglas Blackwood (DE 219) made a weekend port visit to Cape Canaveral, Fla. to join the Armed Forces Day program at Patrick AF Base
  • 01 October 1957: Escort Squadron 8 disestablished, assigned to Escort Squadron 12 at Norfolk, Va.
  • 12 June 1958: Served as Race Committee Host Ship for the bienniel Newport - Bermuda Yacht Races
  • 23 February 1959: Decommissioned, placed "In Service, In Reserve", assigned to NRT, 5th Naval District at Baltimore, Md.
  • 19 March 1960: Collided with SS Soya Atlantic at 1945 while entering Chesapeake Bay enroute Little Creek, 1.9 miles 048°T from Cape Henry Light (2 crewmembers killed, 1 seriously injured)
  • 25 January 1961: U.S. Coast Guard Board of Investigation announced its' findings that the CO and OOD of Darby were the responsible parties in the collision of Darby and SS Soya Atlantic
  • 02 October 1961: Commissioned at the USNRTC, Ft. McHenry, Baltimore, Md., Cmdr. J.C. Allen, USNR in command, assigned to the re-established Escort Squadron 8 at Newport, R. I.
  • 01 August 1962: Decommissioned at the USNRTC, Ft. McHenry, Baltimore, Md., Cmdr. J.C. Allen, USNR (OinC) in command, assigned to 5th ND at Baltimore, Md.
  • April 1963: Following the reorganization of the Select Naval Reserve, assigned to Reserve Destroyer Squadron 34 (DesDiv 342) at Ft. McHenry, Baltimore, Md.
  • 17 March 1967: Arrived at her new homeport, USNRTC, Bayboro Harbor, St. Petersburg, Fla., assigned to Reserve Destroyer Squadron 34 (DesDiv 341)
  • 14 September 1968: Arrived at the Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility, Orange, Tex. to prepare for inactivation
  • 23 September 1968: Placed "out of service" at the Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility, Orange, Tex. and struck from the NVR with a total of 21 years and 4 months of service
  • 24 May 1970: Sunk as a target off Vieques Island, Puerto Rico
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image
    Size Image Description Contributed
    By And/Or Copyright
    Darby
    0621801
    50k Marshall Eugene Darby, Jr. was born 10 November 1918 in Washington, D.C. He graduated from the Naval Academy on 06 June 1940. Ensign Darby served in the battleship USS Oklahoma (BB 37) until he was killed in action during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 07 December 1941. His remains were never identified but he is listed as one of the approximately 390 unknowns from the USS Oklahoma that have been buried in mass graves at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

    USS Darby (DE 218) (1943-1968) was the first ship named in his honor.

    (Ens. Darby's Annapolis Graduation Photo courtesy of Joan Darby Norris)
    Bill Gonyo
    Downey, Cal.

    Assoc. Researcher
    Navsource
    Lovelace
    0619804
    409k 13 March 1944: Espiritu Santo - USS Coolbaugh (DE 217), USS Lovelace, and USS Darby (DE 218) are nested with USS Ingersoll (DE 652) at the fleet anchorage. Photo taken by Milt Volkens aboard USS Langley (CVL 27).

    (From the Langley/Volkens Photo Collection at Eastern Carolina Univ.)
    John Chiquoine
    West Chester, Pa.
    ***Enright / Darby***
    0621602
    82k 29 May 1943: Philadelphia Navy Yard - The christening of six destroyer escorts in a dry-dock at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. The three ships in the foreground are (from left): USS Enright (DE 216), USS Coolbaugh (DE 217) and USS Darby (DE 218). Those in the background are (from left), USS J. Douglas Blackwood (DE 219), USS Francis M. Robinson (DE 220) and USS Solar (DE 221).

    (U.S. Navy Photo #NH 75610 from the Naval History and Heritage Command, Courtesy of James Russell, 1972)
    Bill Gonyo
    Downey, Cal.

    Assoc. Researcher
    Navsource
    Darby
    0621815
    461k 13 November 1945: Vallejo, Cal. - A port quarter view of Darby stopped off the Mare Island Navy Yard.

    (Photo courtesy of  Chris Wright)
    Ed Zajkowski
    Narvon, Pa.
    Darby
    0621802
    184k 15 November 1945: Mare Island Naval Shipyard, San Francisco, Cal. - Aft plan view of USS Darby (DE 218) at Mare Island. Mare Island modified the areas circled. USS Harmon (DE 678) is inboard and USS J. Douglas Blackwood (DE 219) and USS Coolbaugh (DE 217) are outboard of Darby. Darby was in overhaul at the yard from 04 September to 17 November 1945.

    (U.S. Navy photo #DE-218-7185-45)
    Darryl Baker
    PNCM, USNR (ret.)

    Vallejo Naval & Historical Museum
    Darby
    0621803
    200k 15 November 1945: Mare Island Naval Shipyard, San Francisco, Cal. - Amidships plan view of USS Darby (DE 218) at Mare Island. Mare Island modified the areas circled. USS Harmon (DE 678) is inboard and USS J. Douglas Blackwood (DE 219) and USS Coolbaugh (DE 217) are outboard of Darby. Darby was in overhaul at the yard from 04 September to 17 November 1945.

    (U.S. Navy photo #DE-218-7186-45)
    Darby
    0621814
    90k USS Darby (DE 218) is photographed from USS Saginaw Bay (CVE 82) in camouflage 31/22d even though the lightest color is light gray. The transport in the background wearing camouflage 32/8T probably is USS Starlight (AP 175), with the ships heading to the landings at Lingayen Gulf in late 1944.

    (U.S. Navy Photo #80-G-335073 from the United States National Archives)
    Sandy Sanphilipo
    BMC, USNR (ret.)

      caption from
    Mike Green
    Port Angeles, Wash.
    Darby
    0621804
    31k undated wartime image Robert L. Anderson
    Darby
    0621805
    166k undated postwar image
    Darby
    0621806
    57k undated postwar image (Better copy of photo sent in by Sandy Sanphilipo)
    Darby
    0621807
    34k undated postwar image
    Darby
    0621808
    35k undated postwar image
    Darby
    0621809
    47k 1951: at Norfolk, Virginia
    Darby
    0621816
    298k undated postwar image Nick Tiberio
    Shelton, Conn.
    Darby
    0621819
    343k 09 May 1952: Key West, Fla. - USS Darby (DE 218) in the Key West operating area.

    (U.S. Navy photo #80-G-443644 from the National Archives and Records Administration, College Park, Md.)
    Rick E. Davis
    Springfield, Oh.
    Darby
    0621812
    97k October 1952: the North Atlantic - Operating during "Operation Mainbrace". (Photos were sent to Col. and Mrs. Marshall E. Darby, Ensign Darby's parents, by Lcdr. Jackson L. Morton, Commanding Officer of USS Darby at the time) Joan Darby Norris,
    the niece of
    Marshall Eugene Darby
    Darby
    0621813
    116k
    Darby
    0621818
    438k 25 May 1954: Key West, Fla. - Lt. Cmdr. J. W. Durborow reads his orders as he assumes command of USS Darby (DE 218).

    (The Miami News, Tuesday, 25 May 1954)
    Mike Smolinski
    Clifton, N.J.

    Archive Manager
    DE / FF / LCS Archive
    Navsource
    Darby
    0621810
    56k date / location unknown Bob Hurst
    Worksop, Nottinghamshire,
    England, United Kingdom
    Darby
    0621811
    33k circa 1955 / location unknown
    Darby
    0621817
    438k 12 May 1965: - USS Darby (DE 218) underway off the coast of Hampton Roads, Virginia.

    (U.S. Navy photo #KN-12893 (National Archives); from the Naval History and Heritage Command)
    Mike Smolinski
    Clifton, N.J.

    Archive Manager
    DE / FF / LCS Archive
    Navsource
    Darby
    06218b01
    45k TS Soya-Atlantic, which collided with Darby, 19 March 1960 Collision Photos from Walt Pollin Walt Pollin
    ET2, USS Darby
    (1957-1960)

    Darby
    Memorabilia

    Ship's Emblem
    Drawing
    Darby
    Courtesy of
    Robert L. Anderson
    Squadron
    Plaque, late '50's
    DeLong
    Courtesy of
    Bob Hurst

    Darby History
    View the USS Darby (DE 218) DANFS history entry located on the Naval History and Heritage Command web site.
    A supplemental History of USS Darby (from former crewmembers)

    Darby's Commanding Officers
    Thanks to Wolfgang Hechler & Ron Reeves
    Dates of Command Commanding Officers
    1.)  15 Nov. 1943 – 23 Jul. 1944Cmdr. Denis D. Humphreys, USNR (Comm. CO) (also CO: DE-163)
    2.)  23 Jul. 1944 – 11 Oct. 1945Lcdr. Merritt W. Martin, USNR
    3.)  11 Oct. 1945 – 02 Apr. 1946Cmdr. Robert Claude Wing, USNR
    4.)  02 Apr. 1946 – 01 Oct. 1946Lcdr. Charles W. Turner III, USNR
    5.)  01 Oct. 1946 – .. Jan. 1947Lt. Robert Kent Rosemont (Los Angeles, Cal.) (also CO: DD-674, AG-23, DD-937)
    6.)  01 Feb. 1947 – 28 Apr. 1947Lt.(jg) William Murray Newell (Decomm. CO)
    7.)  24 Oct. 1950 – .. Oct. 1952Lcdr. Edgar Hull Forrest (Recomm. CO) (London, England) (also CO: DE-771, DD-531)
    8.)  .. Oct. 1952 – 25 May 1954Lcdr. Jackson Leonard Morton
    9.)  25 May 1954 – 07 Apr. 1956Lcdr. James Wharton Durborow, USN (Martinsburg, W. V.)
    10.) 07 Apr. 1956 – 22 May 1958Lcdr. Bruce Clifford Barry, USN (Chippewa Falls, Wis.)
    11.) 22 May 1958 – 23 Feb. 1959Lcdr. Robert Chambliss Light (Scottsville, Va.)
    12.) 23 Feb. 1959 – 10 Dec. 1959Lt. / Lcdr. Samuel Jahile Rose Jr., USN (OinC) (Erwin, Tenn.)
    13.) 10 Dec. 1959 – 12 Oct. 1961Lt. Wilfred John Loggan, USN (OinC)
    14.) 12 Oct. 1961 – 01 Oct. 1962Cmdr. John Crutcher Allen, USNR
    15.) 01 Oct. 1962 – 11 Jul. 1964Lt. Thomas Gilbert Payne, USN (OinC)
    16.) 11 Jul. 1964 – 07 Apr. 1965Lt. Naylor Carey Foster Jr., USN (OinC)
    17.) 07 Apr. 1965 – 04 Aug. 1967Lt. / Lcdr. John Duffie Cooper, USN (OinC) (Little Rock, Ark.)
    18.) 04 Aug. 1967 – 23 Sep. 1968Lt. / Lcdr. Robert Ian Packman, USN (OinC) (NROTC ‘62) (New York, N. Y.)

    Crew Contact And Reunion Information

    Contact Name: YNC Robert L. Andersen (ret)
    Address: 3610 Benson Avenue
    City/State: Baltimore MD 21227
    Phone: (410) 644-9251
    E-mail: rande71777@msn.com
    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
    The Destroyer Escort Historical Museum
    The Destroyer History Foundation
    Tin Can Sailors Shipmate Registry - USS Darby
    To The DE, FF, LCS Photo Index Page
    Back To The Main Photo Index

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    This Page Created And Maintained By Mike Smolinski
    All pages copyright Navsource Naval History
    by Paul R. Yarnall, All Rights Reserved.
    Page Last Updated: 30 May 2024