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

(1969) Vol. 4, pp.19-20.





LAKE





	John Ervin Lake, born 22 October 1920 in Chicago, Ill., 

enlisted in the Navy 13 April 1928.  After service on 

several ships and stations ashore, Lake was warranted Acting 

Pay Clerk 16 September 1940 and assigned to heavy cruiser 

SALT LAKE CITY (CA-25).  He reported to ARIZONA (BB-39) 20 

September 1940 and was killed in action on board that 

battleship during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, 7 

December 1941.





DE-301

Displacement:  1,140 t.

Length:  289’5”

Beam:  35’1”

Draft:  8’3”

Speed:  21 k.

Complement:  156

Armament:  3 3”; 4 1.1”; 9 20mm;

	8 depth charge projectors;

	2 depth charge tracks;

	1 hedge hog

Class:  EVARTS



	LAKE (DE-301) was laid down 22 April 1943 by Mare 

Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, Calif.; launched 18 August 1943; 

sponsored by Mrs. Carol M. Feldman; and commissioned 6 

February 1944, Lt. Comdr. A. D. Weeks, Jr., in command.



	LAKE sailed from San Francisco 11 April 1944 escorting 

a convoy to Hawaii and arriving 20 April.  She operated 

there until sailing 23 June to escort a convoy to the 

Marshall Islands.  LAKE sortied 6 July from Eniwetok with a 

hunter-killer group for antisubmarine patrols off the 

Marianas, protecting vital shipping lanes during the 

conquest of Saipan and the liberation of Guam.  After 

returning from the patrol, LAKE cleared Eniwetok 10 August 

with destroyer escorts REYNOLDS (DE-42) and DONALDSON 

(DE-44) to escort light cruiser MONTPELIER (CL-57) to Pearl 

Harbor, arriving 15 August.



	LAKE headed toward the Marshalls shepherding two 

merchantmen.  En route, she picked up from a small raft two 

Japanese from nearby Wotje Island.  On arriving Kwajalein 2 

September, she turned the prisoners over to the Army and 

sailed escorting transports carrying troops to the Palaus 

for the invasion of Pelelieu.  Reaching the Palaus 21 

September, she served on escort duty in the area for the 

next few weeks.



	In November, LAKE screened the fueling group which 

serviced units of the fast carrier task force during the 

invasion of the Philippines.  She remained with the group 

off Leyte until she headed for the Bonins 15 February 1945 

for the invasion of Iwo Jima.



	After Iwo Jima had been secured, LAKE screened the task 

group that supplied TF 58 during operations against Okinawa.  

Throughout the campaign, she made shuttle runs to Ulithi, 

escorting empty oilers.  On 8 August, she was ordered to 

escort and give antisubmarine protection to 12 oilers and 

one merchantman heading for a rendezvous close off Japan.



	After the surrender, LAKE returned to the west coast 

arriving San Francisco 13 October.  She decommissioned at 

Mare Island 3 December 1945 and was sold 14 December 1946 to 

Puget Sound Navigation Co., Seattle, Wash., for scrapping.



	LAKE received two battle stars for World War II 

service.





Transcribed by Michael Hansen

mhansen2@home.com