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

(1969) Vol. 4, p.92.





LEOPOLD





	Robert Lawrence Leopold, born 11 November 1916 in 

Louisville, Ky., enlisted in the Naval Reserve 10 July 1940.  

Following training in gunnery training ship WYOMING (AG-17), 

he was appointed midshipman 16 September 1940 and 

commissioned ensign 12 December.  Reporting for duty on 

board ARIZONA (BB-39) two weeks later, Ensign Leopold served 

in that battleship until killed in action 7 December 1941, 

during the attack on Pearl Harbor.





DE-319

Displacement:  1,200 t.

Length:  306’

Beam:  36’7”

Draft:  8’7”

Speed:  21 k.

Complement:  186

Armament:  3 3”; 8 40mm; 10 20mm;

	2 depth charge tracks;

	8 depth charge projectors;

	1 hedge hog

Class:  EDSALL



	LEOPOLD (DE-319) was laid down 24 March 1943 by 

Consolidated Steel Corp., Orange, Tex.; launched 12 June 

1943; sponsored by Miss Helen S. Leopold, sister of Ensign 

Leopold; and commissioned 18 October 1943, Lt. Comdr. 

Kenneth C. Phillips, USCG, in command.



	After shakedown off Bermuda, Coast Guard manned LEOPOLD 

departed Norfolk 24 December 1943 to escort convoy USG-68 to 

Casablanca.  Arriving 11 January 1944, the destroyer escort 

made an antisubmarine patrol off the Straits of Gibraltar 

until sailing 5 days later on an escort passage to the 

United States.



	Departing New York 1 March on her second voyage, 

LEOPOLD screened convoy CU-16 for the British Isles.  While 

investigating a submarine contact on the eve of 9 March at 

57d 37m N., 26d 30m W., LEOPOLD was struck by an acoustic 

torpedo fired from U-255.  Badly damaged, she was abandoned.  

Sister ship JOYCE (DE-317) rescued 28 survivors at the close 

of the action; 171 others were lost through explosion on 

board or drowning after abandoning.  LEOPOLD remained afloat 

until early the next morning, then sank.





Transcribed by Michael Hansen

mhansen2@home.com