>From the “Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships,” 

(1968) Vol. 3, pp.490-492.





JAMES E. CRAIG





	James Edwin Craig, born Jacksonville, Fla., 29 October 

1901, was appointed to the Naval Academy 3 July 1918.  After 

graduation in 1922, he saw almost continuous sea duty until 

early 1929 when he received aviation training at the 

Pensacola Naval Air Station.  As an aviator, he served at 

Coco Solo, C.Z., and on board seaplane tender WRIGHT (AV-1), 

battleship ARIZONA (BB-39) and aircraft carrier YORKTOWN 

(CV-5).  He attained the rank of Lieutenant Commander in 

1937 and commanded Torpedo Squadron 5 in 1938.  In March 

1939, he assumed command of destroyer CONYNGHAM (DD-371).  

Two years later, he became Damage Control Officer and First 

Lieutenant aboard battleship PENNSYLVANIA (BB-38).  

Lieutenant Commander Craig was killed in action during the 

Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, 7 December 1941.





DE-201

Displacement:  1,400 t.

Length:  306’

Beam:  36’10”

Draft:  9’5”

Speed:  24 k.

Complement:  186

Armament:  3 3”; 4 1.1”; 8 20mm; 3 21” torpedo tubes;

	2 depth charge tracks;

	8 hedge charge projectors;

	1 hedge hog

Class:  BUCKLEY



	JAMES E. CRAIG (DE-201) was launched 22 July 1943, by 

Charleston Navy Yard; sponsored by Mrs. J. E. Craig, widow 

of Lieutenant Commander Craig; and commissioned 1 November 

1943, Lt. Comdr. Hampton M. Ericson in command.



	The new destroyer escort departed Charleston 23 

November for shakedown off Bermuda and returned to 

Charleston 25 December for alterations.  She sailed 4 

January 1944 for Panama via the Windward Passage.  In the 

Caribbean she joined sister ships LOVELACE (DE-198) and 

SAMUEL S. MILES (DE-183) 7 January to escort two troop 

transports.  She transited the Panama Canal 8 January.



	In company with other DEs, JAMES E. CRAIG steamed from 

Balboa, C.Z., 14 January escorting SS AZALEA CITY to Noumea, 

New Caledonia.  Stopping at Bora Bora 27 January, JAMES E. 

CRAIG and AZALEA CITY departed the 28th and 2 days later 

encountered a typhoon which pounded the ships with 50-foot 

waves.  They passed through a second typhoon 4 February with 

winds of 80 knots.  On 5 February they were ordered to 

Espiritu Santo, and arrived the following day.



	JAMES E. CRAIG departed Espiritu Santo 13 February with 

three other escorts and seven merchant ships bound for 

Guadalcanal.  Upon arrival the 16th, she began antisubmarine 

patrol off Lunga Point.  She departed for Espiritu Santo 23 

February ,escorting two merchant ships and continued her 

escort duty between Guadalcanal and Espiritu Santo for 

several weeks.  On 15 March, she escorted oiler CACAPON 

(AO-52) from Espiritu Santo to a fueling rendezvous with 

Task Force 36, which was engaged in operations against 

Kavieng, New Ireland, and Emirau Island, “the last link in 

the ring around Rabaul.”  Refueling completed the 25th, 

JAMES E. CRAIG and CACAPON joined other escorts and tankers 

and returned to Espirito Santo.



	On 31 March, JAMES E. CRAIG departed Espiritu Santo in 

company with Escort Division 37, including LOVELACE, MANNING 

(DE-199), NEUENDORF (DE-200) and EICHENBERGER (DE-202).  

Stopping at Tulagi in the Solomons, 2 to 4 April, they 

sailed the 5th for New Guinea, where JAMES E. CRAIG was to 

see action for 5 months.



	On 26 April, JAMES E. CRAIG joined a convoy of escorts 

and transports bound from Cape Sudest to Humboldt Bay to 

support the invasion of Hollandia, underway since the 22d.  

The convoy arrived 3 May; and after discharging the 

transports, the escorts returned to Cape Sudest the 5th.  

JAMES E. CRAIG, now under the command of Lt. Comdr. Edward 

F. Andrews, steamed 13 May on escort duty to Humboldt Bay 

via Aitape Roads, arrived the 17th, and immediately joined 

an attack convoy bound for Wakde-Sarmi, west of Hollandia.  

She returned the same day to Humboldt Bay, where she 

continued her patrols and escort duty.  She bombarded enemy 

troop concentrations at Wakde-Sarmi on the 27th and returned 

to Cape Cretin via Humboldt Bay on the 31st.



	JAMES E. CRAIG returned to Humboldt Bay 6 June to 

prepare for the bitter conquest of Biak Island.  With six 

other escorts, she accompanied the convoy and supported the 

landing operations 12 June.  Departing the same day, the 

convoy returned to Humboldt Bay the 14th; and JAMES E. CRAIG 

continued as escort to Cape Cretin, where she arrived 3 days 

later.



	During the remainder of June and through July, JAMES E. 

CRAIG continued escort and antisubmarine duties along the 

northern coast of New Guinea.  While on ASW operations off 

Wakde, she conducted prolonged, successful bombardments of 

enemy supply depots at Sawar, 11-12 July, expending some 

3,300 rounds of 3" and 1.1" shellfire.  A week later, she 

arrived at Noemfoor Island, southwest of Biak, and escorted 

convoys 18 to 23 July on a triangular route from Noemfoor to 

Humboldt Bay via Biak.  Arriving Mandang Harbor, Astrolabe 

Bay, 23 July for overhaul, JAMES E. CRAIG returned to 

Humboldt Bay to resume her escort and ASW operations.



	During August, she plied the coastal waters off New 

Guinea from Cape Cretin to Wakde; then devoted the 6 weeks 

to escort and antisubmarine patrol between Cape Cretin, 

Manus Island, and Humboldt Bay.  On 11 October, she joined a 

convoy at Ulithi, then sailed for the Palaus on the 18th and 

arrived Peleliu 2 days later for ASW operations.  She 

returned to Manus the 25th for repairs.



	Back at Humboldt Bay on 14 November, she joined a large 

convoy of transports, amphibious craft, and escorts underway 

on the 17th for the Philippine Islands, to support the 

vital, Allied foothold on Leyte, established some 4 weeks 

earlier.  The convoy of 75 ships and 9 escorts steamed 

northwestward and by dusk of the 23d approached Leyte Gulf.



	JAMES E. CRAIG, returning from radar picket patrol to 

her assigned ASW station, made radar contact with six 

low-flying unidentified planes approaching from the south at 

approximately 190 knots.  Soon her spotters observed “Jill” 

torpedo planes 7 miles out, closing at high speed.  As the 

enemy planes broke into three groups in an attempt to "box 

the target," JAMES E. CRAIG turned left full rudder to meet 

the attackers; and all guns which could bear commenced 

firing at the planes, still more than 2 miles out.  Four of 

the attackers began a run and launched their torpedoes at a 

range of 1,000-1,500 yards to port; as the ship turned, 

three torpedoes passed “close aboard to port” and almost 

parallel to her.  Meanwhile, two planes commenced a run from 

the starboard side.  Approaching almost directly from out of 

the sunset, one plane dropped a torpedo within a thousand 

yards which broached once before settling down on its run.  

As JAMES E. CRAIG turned hard to starboard, the torpedo 

passed within 5 yards astern.  One of the attackers passed 

within 200 yards of the ship, was hit by starboard 20mm 

gunfire, and splashed after passing over frigate EL PASO 

(PF-41).



	The convoy stood into San Pedro Bay, Leyte, the 

following day, and remained at battle stations a greater 

part of the day to repel enemy aircraft which attempted to 

bomb the convoy.  That night, the convoy and escorts 

reformed and departed for Humboldt Bay via the Palaus.



	Upon arrival, JAMES E. CRAIG received general 

maintenance and overhaul from destroyer tender DOBBIN (AD-3) 

through 10 December.  She spent the remainder of the month 

escorting fleet tankers and practicing antiaircraft and 

night torpedo firing drills at Padaido, Dutch East Indies, 

and Humboldt Bay.  On 28 December, Escort Division 37 

departed Humboldt Bay with a convoy of tankers and merchant 

ships bound for Leyte, where they arrived 1 January 1945.



	The following day, JAMES E. CRAIG stood out for Mindoro 

Island to join Task Group 77.2, ordered to support landing 

operations on northern Luzon.  Enemy reconnaissance planes 

maintained close surveillance; and late afternoon 4 January 

an enemy suicide plane penetrated defenses and struck 

OMMANEY BAY (CVE-79), causing her to burst into flame.  

After the conflagration got out of hand, the escort 

carrier’s commander ordered abandon ship.  JAMES E. CRAIG 

assisted in rescue operations and, later that evening, 

proceeded with other escorts and tankers to Mindoro.



	Standing into Mangarin Bay the following morning, JAMES 

E. CRAIG commenced picket and ASW operations, which 

continued through the day and into the night, as the convoy 

departed Mangarin to maneuver off Mindoro during darkness.  

Designed to prevent enemy attack at night, the night 

maneuvers continued until the 10th, when the convoy remained 

at Mangarin Bay through the night.



	JAMES E. CRAIG resumed ASW operations at the harbor 

entrance for several days until troublesome submarine 

detection equipment forced her to retire to Mangarin Harbor 

14 January.   She commenced antiaircraft patrol for ships in 

anchorage and on 5 February returned to San Pedro Bay, 

Leyte, for repairs, thence to Humboldt Bay, New Guinea, 

arriving 2 March.



	Getting underway the following day, she returned to San 

Pedro Bay via Kossol Roads, Palaus.  Upon arriving Leyte 10 

March, JAMES E. CRAIG prepared for continued escort duties 

between San Pedro Bay and Manila, Manus, Humboldt Bay, and 

Kossol Roads.  From 14 March to 21 May, she operated almost 

continuously on escort duty, and on the 21st she departed 

Leyte for Lingayen Gulf.  Standing into San Fernando Harbor 

4 days later, she commenced antisubmarine and escort patrols 

along the coast of Luzon that continued to 13 August when 

she departed for Manila.  Once at Manila, she resumed ASW 

operations to the 27th; then, as escort in company with 

EICHENBERGER, she convoyed tugs and tows en route Okinawa.  

An impending typhoon disrupted the convoy 1 September; high 

seas and 70-knot winds scattered the ships and separated 

tugs from their tows.  After the storm abated 2 September, 

JAMES E. CRAIG began search and rescue operations which 

continued to the 9th.  Further typhoon warnings caused the 

ships to return to Subic Bay, Luzon, where the convoy 

anchored the following day.



	JAMES E. CRAIG remained at Subic Bay until 1 October, 

when she steamed for the United States via Eniwetok and 

Pearl Harbor.  She arrived San Diego 5 November and 

decommissioned there 2 July 1946.  As a unit of the Pacific 

Reserve Fleet, she presently is berthed at San Diego, Calif.



	JAMES E. CRAIG received four battle stars for World War 

II service.



	[Stricken from the Navy Register on 30 June 1968, JAMES 

E. CRAIG was sunk as a target in February 1969.



K. Jack Bauer and Stephen S. Roberts, “Register of Ships of 

the U. S. Navy, 1775-1990,” p.228.]





Transcribed by Michael Hansen

mhansen2@home.com