Home Page of the USS FESSENDEN DE/DER 142

USS FESSENDEN DE 142 was built by Consolidated Steel Corp., launched 9 March 1943, de-commissioned 30 June  1960 and sunk off Pearl Harbor on 20 December 1967.

USS Fessenden DE 142 - ready for war!

1943-1946

On January 4, 1943, the keel was laid, and on March 9, 1943, barely three months later, the USS Fessenden (DE 142) was launched by Consolidated Steel Corporation, Orange, Texas; sponsored by Mrs. R.K. Fessenden, daughter-in-law of Professor Reginald A. Fessenden, and commissioned August 25,1943.LCDR William A. Dobbs, USNR of Ackerman, Mississippi, a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy in 1932, accepted command of the ship after a brief commissioning exercise. Another weapon in the U.S. Navy arsenal was about to take her place in history, and the battle to keep the sea lanes open.
Down the Sabine River, through the Gulf of Mexico and into the Atlantic, she sailed, bound for Bermuda. At Bermuda the ship's officers and men went through the usual three weeks "Shakedown" period. Training was rugged, but the new. ship and inexperienced personnel were gradually molded into an efficient fighting team. At the end of this time Fessenden was ready for combat.To learn moreabout the Fessenden in WWII CLICK HERE!  

The Fessenden was a VERY LUCKY SHIP! On the night of April 19, 1944, Capt. Finski's U-Boat the U 371 rendezvoused with two motor torpedo boats. They met about 10 miles in front of the ship train, which is what they called a convoy. Their intention was to hire one or two of the escort ships away from the convoy. This would create a gap in the sonar screen through which a U-Boat might slip into the convoy. If he could make it past the screen he could have a field day. His intended target was the Fessenden! For this story CLICK HERE!

FESSENDEN received two battle stars for World War II service. For more  about the  sinking of the German submarineU 1062 by the Fessenden on September 30, 1944, CLICK HERE.  

On June 24, 1946, USS Fessenden (DE 142) was decommissioned and assigned to the Atlantic Reserve Fleet at Green Cove Springs, Florida. Thirteen piers in the St. Johns River provided dockage for a major U.S. Navy “mothball fleet.”.

 For more about "Edsall Class" Destroyer Escorts CLICK HERE!

Fessenden ready for picket duty

USS Fessenden - 1951- 1961

In 1951 Fessenden was sent to Boston Naval shipyard, Boston, Massachusetts for conversion to a DER. Conversion from World War 11 Destroyer Escort to Destroyer Escort Radar Picket Ship consisted of enlarging the ship's "Nerve Center" - Combat Information Center - to handle data fed by the new Air Search; Surface Search; and Height Finder radars. The center portion of the main deck had to be enclosed and superstructure added to provide living quarters for the 160 man crew. These modifications added more than 400 tons to the ship's displacement. She would now in addition to being small, be more top heavy, rougher riding, far from comfortable, and would be required to remain on station regardless of weather conditions. March 4,1952, USS Fessenden (DER 142) was recommissioned. First to command after conversion was LCDR Emery L. Burgess, USN.

To read more about the operation of Fessenden as a DER, Please CLICK HERE!

Lists of Crew Members CLICK HERE

Who was Reginald Fessenden? He was a Canadian who not only is credited with inventing Sonar but also was the first person to use radio as a means for broadcasting. To learn more about Reginald A Fessenden, CLICK HERE!

SEE OUR NEW Photo Gallery, CLICK HERE!

The 2005 Fessenden Association Reunion was held in Philadelphia, PA on September 22 - 25, 2005

The Crew from 1944 , Left to right,Poland, Mamoliti, Maffessanti, Clarke, Boaz, Beckwith, and Wells

About the Fessenden Association

Acknowledgements.

The Fessenden Association is grateful to the following persons for their contributions of photos and historical items in the construction of this Web Page: Thomas A. Lewis, Elmer O. Clarke, Edward J. Finnerty, Richard T. Allen, Mitchell E. Sapp, Garry Shaw, Michael Kirsch, Belvin M. Wells, and John D. Aldrich, webmaster.

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