_underway%2c_circa_in_1944.jpg) USSAlexander J. Luke (DE-577) | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Ordered | 1942 |
| Builder | Bethlehem Hingham Shipyard |
| Laid down | 5 November 1943 |
| Launched | 28 December 1943 |
| Commissioned | 19 February 1944 |
| Decommissioned | 18 October 1947 |
| Stricken | 1 May 1970 |
| Fate | Sunk as target 22 October 1970 |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement | 1400 tons standard, 1740 tons full load |
| Length | 306 ft (93 m) |
| Beam | 37 ft (11.3 m) |
| Draft | 9.5 ft (4.1 m) standard, 11.25 ft full load |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 23 knots (43 km/h) |
| Range |
|
| Complement | 15 officers, 198 men |
| Armament |
|
USSAlexander J. Luke (DE/DER-577), aBuckley-classdestroyer escort of theUnited States Navy, was named in honor ofSergeant Alexander J. Luke (1916–1942), who was killed in action during the attack onTulagi on 6 August 1942. He was posthumously awarded theSilver Star.
Alexander J. Luke was laid down on 5 November 1943 by theBethlehem Hingham Shipyard,Hingham, Massachusetts; launched on 28 December 1943; sponsored by Catherine B. Luke, mother of Sgt. Luke; and commissioned on 19 February 1944.
While returning toBoston on 2 March, the destroyer escort ran aground and suffered minor damage. After a period ofdrydocking for repairs, she got underway on 16 April for a shakedown cruise toBermuda and returned to Boston on 15 May for post-shakedown availability.
The ship reported toNorfolk, Virginia, in early June and began conducting exercises as a training ship for precommissioning details. On 13 July,Alexander J. Luke sailed as a unit ofEscort Division 66 in company with aconvoy bound forBizerte, Tunisia. The ship returned to theVirginia Capes area on 27 August. Following an availability period and training exercises at Boston andCasco Bay, Maine,Alexander J. Luke joined Task Group 62.7 for another voyage to theMediterranean. She sailed with a convoy toAlgeria on 27 September and returned to Boston on 4 November. Upon arriving in Boston,Alexander J. Luke entered drydock. She got underway on 23 November for a period ofanti-submarine warfare exercises and tactical maneuvers conducted at Casco Bay;NS Argentia,Newfoundland;Halifax, Nova Scotia; andNew London, Connecticut.
On 21 March 1945, the ship returned to convoy duty, sailing forGreat Britain. She made port calls atDerry,Northern Ireland;Liverpool andFalmouth, England; andLoch Alsh,Scotland. Having completed this mission, she reported to the Brown Shipbuilding Corp.,Houston, Texas, on 22 June for conversion to aradar picket escort ship.The yard work was completed on 7 December, and the ship received the new designationDER-577.
_at_New_York_on_1_June_1946_(NH_79724).jpg)
Alexander J. Luke departed Houston on 8 January 1946. She headed toGuantánamo Bay, Cuba, for shakedown and refresher training. On 1 February, the destroyer escort sailed to Casco Bay for further training and inspections. She reported to Norfolk on 17 February and began preparations for rejoining the active fleet. In late March, the destroyer escort was involved in maneuvers with the escort carrierUSS Mindoro. On 17 April, she steamed fromHampton Roads for spring maneuvers in theCaribbean and arrived inTrinidad on the 24th. In early May,Alexander J. Luke planeguardedUSS Salerno Bay. She later took part in landing exercises atCulebra Island,Puerto Rico. The vessel departed the Caribbean and arrived inNew York City on 26 May.
Alexander J. Luke remained in New York through 10 June, then shifted operations to Casco Bay. From 1 to 26 July, the destroyer escort was in availability. Following this, the ship remained dockside and was used for training personnel. On 6 September, she moved to theNew York Naval Shipyard for hull repairs.
The destroyer escort sailed on 7 January 1947 for Norfolk. She joined the carrierUSS Sicily and her screen and sailed on 18 January for Guantánamo Bay. Upon their arrival, the ships began three weeks of hunter/killer exercises. On 10 February,Alexander J. Luke touched back at Norfolk. She continued her routine of anti-submarine warfare exercises and tactical maneuvers held along the East Coast through 18 October 1947. On that date,Alexander J. Luke was placed out of commission, in reserve, atCharleston, South Carolina.
Alexander J. Luke was re-designatedDE-577 in August 1954. The ship was never modernized, and an inspection found her unfit for further service.Alexander J. Luke was struck from the Navy List on 1 May 1970 and was expended as a target off Newport, RI, on 22 October 1970.
This article incorporates text from thepublic domainDictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be foundhere.
