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Navsource Online: Destroyer Escort Photo Archive

Courtesy of Mike Smolinski

USS Alvin C. Cockrell (DE 366)


Flag Hoist / Radio Call Sign:
N - T - O - Q
Tactical Voice Radio Call: "White Russia"
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row: American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal
Second Row: Navy Occupation Service Medal - National Defense Service Medal w/ 1 star - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Specifications:
Class: John C. Butler
Type: WGT (geared-turbine drive, 5" guns)
Displacement: 1350 tons (light), 1745 tons (full)
Length: 300' (wl), 306' (oa)
Beam: 36' 10" (extreme)
Draft: 11' 0" (draft limit)
Propulsion: 2 "D" Express boilers, 2 geared turbine engines, 12,000 shp, 2 screws
Speed: 24 kts
Range: 6,000 nm @ 12 knots
Armament: 2 - 5"/38 cal. DP guns (2x1), 4 - 40mm AA (2x2), 10 - 20mm AA, 3 - 21" TT, 1 Mk10 Hedgehog, 8 Mk6 Depth Charge Projectors, 2 Mk9 Depth Charge Stern Racks
Complement: 14 / 201
Alvin C. Cockrell (DE 366) Building and Operational Data:
  • 01 May 1944: Keel laid by the Consolidated Steel Corp., Orange, Tex.
  • 27 June 1944: Launched and christened, sponsored by Mrs. James A. Perkins, sister of the late 1st Lt. Cockrell
  • 07 August 1944: Commissioned, Lcdr. Merrill M. Sanford, USNR, in command
  • 02 July 1946: Decommissioned at San Diego, Cal. after 1 year and 11 months of service having steamed 75,586 miles
  • unknown: Inactivation completed at San Diego, Cal., assigned to Submarine Group Two, San Diego Group, Pacific Reserve Fleet
  • 27 June 1951: Recommissioned at San Diego, Cal., Lcdr. Thomas R. Pearson in command, assigned to Escort Squadron (CortRon) 3
  • 01 July 1958: Assigned to NRT, 12th Naval District at San Francisco, Cal.
  • 17 January 1959: Decommissioned, placed "in service" as a unit of the Select Reserve ASW Force
  • May 1959: NRT homeport assignment changed to the Naval and Marine Corps Reserve Training Center at Alameda, Cal.
  • 01 October 1961: Recommissioned for the Berlin Crisis, Cmdr. R. A. Bush, USNR, in command, homeport assignment changed to Pearl Harbor, Hi. as a unit of Escort Squadron 7 (CortDiv 72)
  • 01 August 1962: Decommissioned at Treasure Island Naval Station, placed "in service", Cap't. R. A. Bush, USNR in command as OinC, NRT homeport assignment changed to San Francisco, Cal.
  • 20 September 1968: Placed "out of service" at the Naval Inactivation Facility of the Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, Cal. after 17 years and 3 months of service
  • 23 September 1968: Struck from the NVR with a total of 19 years and 2 months of service
  • 19 September 1969: Sunk as target off California
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By And/Or Copyright
    Alvin C. Cockrell
    0636601

    Alvin C. Cockrell    		 26k Alvin Chester Cockrell Jr., the son of Dr. and Mrs. Alvin C. Cockrell, was born in Hazelhurst, Miss, on 18 September 1918. Known as Chester, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve on 01 May 1937 and served as an enlisted man until accepting an appointment as 2nd lieutenant, USMCR, on 25 June 1940. Over the next two years, Cockrell served at Marine barracks at Quantico, Guantanamo Bay, Parris Island, and New River, N.C. He was appointed a 1st lieutenant on 02 December 1941. Ultimately assigned to Company "B", 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, Fleet Marine Force, he landed with the 7th Marines on Guadalcanal on his 24th birthday, 18 September 1942.

    Within a week, the 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, was to conduct a reconnaissance in force of the region between the Matanikau River and the village of Kokumbona, led by the colorful Lieutenant Colonel Lewis B. "Chesty" Puller, USMC. They departed the perimeter of the Marine defenses on 23 September. The point of Puller's battalion surprised elements of the Japanese Oka Detachment as they were sitting down cooking rice on the slopes of Mount Austen (Mambulo), late the following afternoon, 24 September, south of Lunga Point. The
    sound of firing having alerted the enemy's main body, a brisk battle ensued. As it developed, 1st Lt. Cockrell, heedless of his own personal safety, led the assault on a strongly held Japanese position under heavy machine gun and rifle fire. Personally leading one of his platoons in the assault, he was shot through the head and killed in the ensuing action, one of seven Marines who died in the engagement. For his conspicuous devotion to duty and his exhibition of bravery under fire, Cockrell was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross and Purple Heart.

    USS Alvin C. Cockrell (DE 366) (1944-1962) was the first ship to be named in his honor.

    (Photo courtesy of the web site Missing Marines)    		 Mike Smolinski
    Clifton, N.J.

    Navsource DE/FF/LCS
    Archive Manager
    Alvin C. Cockrell
    0636614    		 54k October 1944: Beaumont, Tex. - Two views of USS Alvin C. Cockrell shown near Beaumont, Texas, probably not long after commissioning on 07 October 1944, wearing 31/3D. The lightest color, haze gray, is very reflective and appears almost white.

    (U.S. Navy, Bureau of Ships photo #BS 132072 and #BS 132073 from the National Archives and Records Administration, College Park, Md.)
    		 Chin Yu Chu
    Brunei Darussalam
    South East Asia
    Alvin C. Cockrell
    0636615    		 41k
    Alvin C. Cockrell
    0636616    		 629k 08 May 1952: San Diego, Cal. - USS Alvin C. Cockrell underway entering San Diego Harbor.

    (U.S. Navy photo #80-G-443873 and #80-G-443909 from the National Archives and Records Administration, College Park, Md.)
    		 Rick E. Davis
    Springfield, Oh.
    Alvin C. Cockrell
    0636617    		 373k
    Alvin C. Cockrell
    0636612    		 193k October 1955: Pearl Harbor, Hi. - Two views of USS Alvin C. Cockrell (DE 366) at Pearl Harbor, one as she is passing Hospital Point inbound to the Naval Station, and the second from the same vantage point as she's oubound. Nick Tiberio
    Shelton, Conn.
    Alvin C. Cockrell
    0636613    		 229k
    Alvin C. Cockrell
    0636602    		 37k USS Alvin C. Cockrell (DE 366) departs San Diego, California in this undated photograph. Note "E" markings on both Mount 51 and 52, and the Escort Division insignia on her stack.

    (U.S. Naval Historical Center Photo #USN1043597, Photo and text from the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships)    		 Bob Hurst
    Worksop, Nottinghamshire,
    England, United Kingdom
    Alvin C. Cockrell
    0636603    		 91k date / location unknown
    Alvin C. Cockrell
    0636604    		 151k October 1957, San Francisco Bay (Photo © Allied Photographers, San Francisco, Cal.) Robert M. Cieri
    Alvin C. Cockrell
    0636611    		 589k 26 April 1958: At Sea - USS Alvin C. Cockrell (DE 366) underway, with her crew at quarters. Note that the ship has been recently refitted with a trainable Hedgehog mount replacing her forward twin 40mm gun mount.

    (U.S. Naval Historical Center photo #NH 107605 from the Naval History and Heritage Command)    		 Mike Green
    Port Angeles, Wash.
    Alvin C. Cockrell
    0636610    		 416k 27 September 1958: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada - USS Alvin C. Cockrell (DE 366) moored outboard of USS Colahan (DD 658) at a city wharf. (Photograph by Walter E. Frost)

    (Photo #CVA 447-8705 from the City of Vancouver Archives)    		 Mike Smolinski
    Clifton, N.J.

    Archive Manager
    DE / FF / LCS Archive
    Navsource
    Alvin C. Cockrell
    0636605    		 76k circa 1959: USS Alvin C. Cockrell (DE-366) underway.

    (U.S. Navy Photo; from "Jane's Fighting Ships, 1964 - 65")    		 Bob Hurst
    Worksop, Nottinghamshire,
    England, United Kingdom
    Alvin C. Cockrell
    0636606    		 617k February 1962: Pearl Harbor, Hi. - Alvin C. Cockrell is shown departing Pearl Harbor, for WestPac, as flagship of Escort Division 72. She sailed in the company of Vammen (DE 644), Marsh (DE 699), and Charles E. Brannon (DE 446). The photo was taken at Hospital Point, a favorite spot of Navy photographers at Pearl. Many ship portraits were taken from this area. Bill Lavine
    Alvin C. Cockrell
    0636607    		 194k 23 August 1966: the Pacific off San Diego, Cal. - Alvin C. Cockrell maneuvering alongside USS Walton (DE 361) during a training exercise off San Diego as part of Cruise 8E-RC. Ken W. Sayers
    Lt., USNR
    USS Walton (DE 361)
    Alvin C. Cockrell
    0636608    		 141k
    Alvin C. Cockrell
    0636609    		 135k undated: Alvin C. Cockrell is shown off the coast from San Diego. This appears to be a ship portrait from Marine Photos of San Diego, Cal. Nick Tiberio
    Shelton, Conn.
    Alvin C. Cockrell Memorabilia
    Ship's
    Plaque
    A.C. Cockrell
    Courtesy of
    Mike Smolinski    		 News Article
    May 1960
    A.C. Cockrell
    Courtesy of
    Navsource    		 News Article
    October 1960
    A.C. Cockrell
    Courtesy of
    Navsource    		 1962 Cruise
    Patch
    A.C. Cockrell
    Courtesy of
    Mike Smolinski
    1962 Far East
    Cruise Patch
    A.C. Cockrell
    Courtesy of
    Bill Lavine    		 Escort Squadron
    Seven Patch
    A.C. Cockrell
    Courtesy of
    Bill Lavine    		 Supply Div.
    Patch
    A.C. Cockrell
    Courtesy of
    Bill Lavine    		 Reunion
    Patch
    A.C. Cockrell
    Courtesy of
    Bill Lavine
    Alvin C. Cockrell History
    View the USS Alvin C. Cockrell (DE 366) DANFS history entry located on the Naval History and Heritage Command web site.
    View the official War History of USS Alvin C. Cockrell as submitted by the ship at war's end.
    Alvin C. Cockrell's Commanding Officers
    Thanks to Wolfgang Hechler
    Dates of Command Commanding Officers
    1.)  07 Aug. 1944 – 02 Jul. 1946Lcdr. / Cmdr. Merrill Merritt Sanford, USNR (only WWII CO) (New York City, N. Y.)
    2.)  27 Jun. 1951 - Lcdr. Thomas Rickard Pearson, USN (Recomm. CO) (USNA ‘42) (Bluefield, W.V.)
    4.)  .. Jul. 1955 – 27 Jul. 1957Lcdr. Kenneth Leroy Anderson, USN (Toledo, Ia.)
    5.)  27 Jul. 1957 – 18 Dec. 1958Lcdr. John LaCava Jr., USN
    6.)  18 Dec. 1958 – 29 Dec. 1958Lt. Warren Earl Davis, USN (acting)
    7.)  29 Dec. 1958 – .. .... 1960Lcdr. John LaCava Jr., USN
    8.)  .. .... 1960 – 01 Oct. 1961Lt. Maxley Wolfe Drumheller, USN (OinC) (enl. '43 / OCS '54) (Lynchburg, Va.)
    9.)  01 Oct. 1961 – 01 Aug. 1962Cmdr. Robert Allen Bush, USNR (San Francisco, Cal.)
    10.) 01 Aug. 1962 – 28 Sep. 1962Cap’t. Robert Allen Bush, USNR (OinC)
    11.) 28 Sep. 1962 – 20 Mar. 1964Lt. Joseph Victor Colmie, USN (OinC) (Oklahoma City, Okla.)
    12.) 20 Mar. 1964 – 16 Apr. 1967Lt. / Lcdr. Eugene Joseph Erner, USN (OinC) (East Dubuque, Ill.)
    13.) 16 Apr. 1967 – 19 May 1967Lt. James Gibson Gaukroger, USN (OinC)
    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.

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    Page Last Updated: 31 May 2024