Please Report Any Broken Links Or Trouble You Might Come Across To The Webmaster
Please Take A Moment To Let Us Know So That We Can Correct Any Problems And Make Your Visit As Enjoyable And As Informative As Possible.

Navsource Online: Destroyer Escort Photo Archive

USS Swearer (DE 186)


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


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row: Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive)
Second Row: American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal w/ 9 stars -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
Swearer (DE 186) Building and Operational Data:
  • 12 August 1943: Keel laid at the Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., Port Newark, N.J.
  • 31 October 1943: Launched and christened, sponsored by Mrs. Walter F. Swearer
  • 24 November 1943: Commissioned at the New York Navy Yard, Lt. K. N. Hannan, USNR, in command
  • 27 August 1947: Decommissioned at Green Cove Springs, Fla. after 3 years and 9 months of service
  • 16 September 1950: Transferred to France, renamed Bambara (F-719) (struck and broken up in 1959)
  • 20 October 1950: Struck from the NVR
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By And/Or Copyright
    Swearer
    0618602    		 151k undated wartime image John Klar
    Somerville, N.J.
    Swearer
    0618603    		 138k undated wartime image (Photo from Jason's grandfather, Sylvester Schneider, a WWII Swearer crewmember) Jason Schneider
    Swearer
    0618605    		 63k undated wartime images (Photos from David's Dad, Donald Kirby, a WWII machinist mate in Swearer)


    (Note: Photo #0618606 and #0618603 from Jason Schneider must have been taken only minutes apart. The only difference is the positioning of some of the people in both photos.)    		 David Kirby
    Swearer
    0618606    		 57k
    Swearer
    0618607    		 112k
    Swearer
    0618608    		 109k
    Swearer
    0618609    		 101k
    Swearer
    0618604    		 81k date/location unknown: Bambara (F-719, ex-USS Swearer DE 186) underway.

    (Photo by Wright & Logan, Southsea, England; from "Jane's Fighting Ships, 1961-62")    		 Bob Hurst
    Worksop, Nottinghamshire,
    England, United Kingdom
    Swearer History
    View the USS Swearer (DE 186) DANFS history entry located on the Naval History and Heritage Command web site.
    View the official War History of USS Swearer as submitted by the ship at war's end.
    Swearer's Commanding Officers
    Thanks to Wolfgang Hechler & Ron Reeves
    Dates of Command Commanding Officers
    1.) 24 Nov. 1943 - 02 Sep. 1944Lcdr. Kenneth H. Hannan, USNR (Comm. CO)
    2.) 02 Sep. 1944 - 26 Sep. 1945Lcdr. John M. Trent, USNR 
    3.) 26 Sep. 1945 - 01 Jun. 1946Lcdr. Clifford Edson Caton, USNR (Springfield, Mass.)
    4.) 01 Jul. 1946 - 01 Aug. 1946Lcdr. Elmer Leon Prescott (Jacksonville, Fla.)
    5.) 01 Aug. 1946 - 25 Feb. 1947Lt. Neil Helberg Lindhjem (Decomm. CO) (Fort Frances, Ontario, Canada)
    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
    To The DE, FF, LCS Photo Index Page
    Back To The Main Photo Index

    Comments, Suggestions, E-mail: Webmaster.

    This Page Created And Maintained By Mike Smolinski
    All pages copyright Navsource Naval History
    by Paul R. Yarnall, All Rights Reserved.
    Page Last Updated: 26 March 2019