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Navsource Online: Destroyer Escort Photo Archive

USS Rizzi (DE 537)


Flag Hoist / Radio Call Sign:
N - T - U - M
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
American Campaign Medal - WWII Victory Medal - National Defense Service 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
Rizzi (DE 537) Building and Operational Data:
  • 03 November 1943: Keel laid by the Boston Navy Yard, Charlestown, Mass.
  • 07 December 1943: Launched and christened, sponsored by Mrs. Teresa Rizzi, mother of Seaman First Class Rizzi
  • 26 June 1945: Commissioned, Lcdr E. K. Winn, USNR, assumed command
  • 18 June 1946: Decommissioned at Green Cove Springs, Fla. after 1 year of service
  • 28 March 1951: Recommissioned, assigned to NRT, 3rd Naval District, homeported at the New York Naval Shipyard, Brooklyn, N. Y.
  • 25 February 1958: Decommissioned at the U. S. Naval Supply Depot, Bayonne, N. J. with 7 years and 11 months of total service; custody transfered to CO, New York Group, U.S. Atlantic Reserve Fleet
  • 01 August 1972: Struck from the NVR
  • 05 February 1974: Sold for scrapping
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By And/Or Copyright
    Rizzi
    0653707    		 117k June 1945: at sea - USS Rizzi (DE 537) built at the Boston Navy Yard, is shown underway, as commissioned.

    (U.S. Navy Photo from the 1st Naval District Command)    		 Mike Green
    Port Angeles, Wash.
    Rizzi
    0653707    		 513k 05 May 1952: New York City, N.Y. - USS Rizzi (DE 537) at the lower mouth of the East River off Brooklyn.

    (U.S. Navy photo #80-G-442916 from the National Archives and Records Administration)    		 David Wright
    Destroyer Archives
    Manager, Navsource
    Rizzi
    0653702    		 80k 1954: Havana, Cuba Sonarman 2nd Class Joseph J. Kuczka
    Keith Kuczka, USCG
    Rizzi
    0653703    		 90k 1954: Post card image taken entering Havana Harbor, Cuba
    Rizzi
    0653704    		 95k June 1955: at sea in the Atlantic - Transferring the doctor from USS Allen (DE 531) to Rizzi during a training exercise. John Nilsson, USNR
    Rizzi
    0653705    		 122k date / location unknown David Buell
    ***Coffman / Rizzi***
    0619104    		 269k Winter 1972 - Spring 1973: Philadelphia, Pa. - A view of the Inactive Ship Basin at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. Looking south from the Langley Ave. side, we see Whitehall (PC-856) and another unidentified PC alongside the the Intrepid Ave. quay. Further to the right, at the Constitution Ave. quay we see Oswald (DE 767), Melvin R. Nawman (DE 416), Tabberer (DE 418), Coffman (DE 191), Rizzi, and Edward H. Allen (DE 531). Jim Cunliffe
    Frederica, Del.
    Rizzi
    0653706    		 303k Winter 1972 - Spring 1973: Philadelphia, Pa. - A closer view of Rizzi, and Edward H. Allen (DE 531) at the Inactive Ship Basin at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard.
    Neunzer
    0615005    		 218k 25 May 1973: Philadelphia, Pa. - Mothballed destroyer escorts at the Inactive Ship Facility of the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard.



    Upper photo, from left to right; Rizzi (DE 537), Edward H. Allen (DE 531), McClelland (DE 750), Cooner (DE 172), Neunzer (DE 150), and Swenning (DE 394).



    Lower photo, from left to right; Melvin R. Nawman (DE 416), Tabberer (DE 418), Coffman (DE 191), Rizzi (DE 537), Edward H. Allen (DE 531), McClelland (DE 750), Cooner (DE 172), Neunzer (DE 150), and Swenning (DE 394).



    Note from Rick Davis: "Back in May 1973, Martin Holbrook (INRO Photo Collection), invited me for a tour of Philadelphia Naval Shipyard Mothball Fleet. Martin had been making trips to Philly and other mothball sites for years and was one of the “old-timers” that had been taking photos of USN ships since before WWII in the New York City area. Anyway, when he picked me up in his van, there were two other gents. One was Ted Stone (I thought the other one was Paul Silverstone, but when I had a chance to ask him a few years ago if it was, he said he didn’t recall a photo trip to PhilNSY). Martin had enough “pull” that we were provided with an Admiral’s Gig! I had my brand-new Nikon F2 35-mm camera. Martin and Ted had larger format cameras. I felt like a rank amateur and a kid in a candy store. I have seen some of the same photos of subjects that we all took photos from the same boat, show-up elsewhere. We were all excited that USS Sigsbee (DD 502) was on the outside of a nest this trip. Martin had been trying to get good views of her for years. Ex-USS Gherardi (DD 637) ... built at PhilNY ... was outside the reserve basin ready to be towed away for scrapping. We got photos of her as well".    		 Rick E. Davis
    Springfield, Oh.
    Neunzer
    0615006    		 671k
    R.F. Keller
    0641917    		 480k October 1973: Philadelphia, Pa. - Looking across the reserve ship basin at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, we see the ex-Robert F. Keller (DE 419) in line with ex-Chester T. O'Brien (DE 421), ex-Edward H. Allen (DE 531), ex-Rizzi (DE 537), ex-Kyne (DE 744) and ex-Earl K. Olsen (DE 765).

    (Heilenday photo #II 0423A from the Heilenday Collection)    		 Mark Heilenday
    Virginia Beach, Va,

    Captain, USN (ret.)
    June 1974 - July 2004
    Rizzi Memorabilia
    Ship's
    Matchbook
    Rizzi
    Courtesy of
    Nick Tiberio
    Rizzi History
    View the USS Rizzi (DE 537) DANFS history entry located on the Naval History and Heritage Command web site.
    View the official War History of USS Rizzi as submitted by the ship at war's end.
    Rizzi's Commanding Officers
    Thanks to Wolfgang Hechler
    Dates of Command Commanding Officers
    1.) 26 Jun. 1945 - 03 Dec. 1945Lcdr. Edwin Kevin Winn, USNR (Comm. CO)
    2.) 11 Dec. 1945 - 1946Lcdr. Robert T. E. Schuyler, USNR (Brooklyn, N. Y.)
    3.) 1946 - 18 Jun. 1946 Lt. Robert E. Dobbyn, USNR (Decomm. CO) (Quincy, Mass.)
    6.) 1954 - 09 Aug. 1956Lcdr. Price Lewis Jr., USN (Holland Patent, N. Y.)
    7.) 09 Aug. 1956 - 25 Feb. 1958Lcdr. Lloyd L. Lacher, USN (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.

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    Page Last Updated: 15 September 2024