10/18/2023 0 Comments Navy war black and whiteThe armament was not as strong as a full destroyer and they lacked torpedoes to take on large surface ships. For all of their capabilities against undersea threats, they were somewhat of a compromise above decks. Smaller than a traditional destroyer, but larger than corvettes or patrol craft, DEs had all of the speed, armament, sea keeping ability, and range necessary to subdue or kill submarines. Designed to escort convoys and attack submarines, they transformed the Battle of the Atlantic. Destroyer escorts were a new class of vessels built for the US Navy during World War II. The USS Mason (DE-529) was the second to last ship in the Evarts-class of destroyer escorts (DE). On March 20, 1944, just under two years after Newton Mason was killed, a new ship named in his honor was commissioned into the US Navy. Even with a “integrated” crew, the white sailors still lived in separate quarters aboard ship. Although most of the crew were African Americans, there were only white officers and chief petty officers. Blackford, commanding officer of USS Mason standing among his crew on commissioning day.
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