USS Dobler

USS Dobler (DE-48) was an Evarts class destroyer escort constructed for the United States Navy during World War II. She was sent off into dangerous North Atlantic Ocean waters to protect convoys and other ships from German submarines and fighter aircraft. She performed escort and antisubmarine operations in battle areas before sailing home victorious at the end of the conflict.

History
United States
Name	USS Dobler (DE-48)
Builder	Philadelphia Navy Yard
Laid down	1 April 1942
Launched	24 July 1942 as BDE-48
Commissioned	17 May 1943 as USS Dobler (DE-48)
Decommissioned	2 October 1945
Stricken	24 October 1945
Fate	Sold for scrap on 12 July 1946
General characteristics
Class and type	Evarts class destroyer escort
Displacement	1,140 (standard), 1,430 tons (full)
Length	283 ft 6 in (86.41 m) (waterline), 289 ft 5 in (88.21 m) (overall))
Beam	35 ft 2 in (10.72 m)
Draft	11 ft 0 in (3.35 m) (max)
Propulsion	4 General Motors Model 16-278A diesel engines with electric drive 6000 shp 2 screws
Speed	19 kn (35 km/h)
Range	4,150 nm
Complement	15 officers, 183 enlisted
Armament	3 × 3 in (76 mm) cal Mk 22 (1×3), 4 × 1.1"/75 caliber gun(1×4), 9 × Oerlikon 20 mm Mk 4 AA cannons, 1 × Hedgehog Projector Mk 10 (144 rounds), 8 × Mk 6 depth charge projectors, 2 × Mk 9 depth charge tracks

Namesake

Joseph John Julius Dobler was born on 19 November 1918 in Menlo, Washington. He enlisted in the United States Naval Reserve on 14 December 1939 and was appointed aviation cadet on 29 January 1940. On active duty from 22 October 1940 with Scouting Squadron 6, on USS Enterprise. Lieutenant Dobler was killed in action on 30 January 1943 during the Battle of Rennell Island when American aircraft fought off Japanese air attacks on a task force covering the movement of transports to Guadalcanal.

Construction and commissioning

She was launched on 24 July 1942 as BDE-48 by Philadelphia Navy Yard, intended for transfer to Great Britain; retained for use by the United States; and commissioned on 17 May 1943.

Service history

World War II

Dobler voyaged to Port Arthur, Texas, on escort duty from 15 to 28 July 1943, then served as a training ship. Reassigned to transatlantic convoy duty, from 27 August 1943 to 14 June 1945, Dobler made 11 voyages from Boston, Norfolk, and New York to Bizerte, Tunisia; Oran, Algeria; and Palermo, Sicily. On 11 May 1944, her convoy was attacked off the North African coast by a large number of torpedo and bombing planes which she aided in driving away before they could damage the convoy.

Post-War

From 18 July to 10 September 1945, Dobler had training duty at New London, Connecticut. She arrived at New York on 11 September, and was decommissioned there on 2 October 1945. Dobler was sold for scrap on 12 July 1946.

Awards

	Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive)
	American Campaign Medal
	European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal (with one service star)
	World War II Victory Medal

References

 This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.

External links

• Photo gallery of Dobler at NavSource Naval History