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

(1968) Vol. 3, p.673.





KOINER





	James Duval Koiner, born 16 February 1919 in 

Waynesboro, South River, Va., entered the Naval Reserve as 

Ensign 31 December 1940.  He reported for active duty 

17 March 1941, under instruction at the Supply Corps, Naval 

Medical Center, Washington, D.C.  Koiner reported to the 3d 

Naval District 17 October 1941 for duty on board light 

cruiser ATLANTA (CL-51) upon her commissioning.  After 

serving in the light cruiser during the Midway and Solomon 

Islands campaigns, Koiner was promoted to Lieutenant (j.g.) 

1 October 1942.  He was killed in action 13 November 1942, 

on board ATLANTA during the Battle of Guadalcanal.





DE-331

Displacement:  1,200 t.

Length:  306’

Beam:  36’7”

Draft:  8’7”

Speed:  21 k.

Complement:  186

Armament:  3 3”; 6 40mm; 10 20mm;

	2 depth charge tracks;

	9 hedge charge projectors;

Class:  EDSALL



	KOINER (DE-331) was laid down 26 July 1943, by 

Consolidated Steel Co., Orange, Tex.; launched 5 September 

1943; sponsored by Mrs. Mae H. Koiner, the mother of Lt. 

(j.g.) Koiner; and commissioned 27 December 1943, Lt. Comdr. 

C. S. Judson, Jr., in command.



	After shakedown off Bermuda, KOINER cleared Charleston, 

S.C., 28 February 1944, to join a convoy at Willemstad, 

Curacao, N.W.I., and escort tankers to Mediterranean ports.  

For the next 6 months she remained on convoy escort duty in 

the Atlantic, making four round-trip cruises from Curacao to 

North Africa and Naples.



	Completing her final Mediterranean cruise 31 August, 

KOINER commenced escort duty for United Kingdom bound ships.  

>From 20 September 1944 to 1 May 1945, the destroyer escort 

sailed with five convoys to British ports and upon cessation 

of hostilities in Europe, she began preparations for Pacific 

duty.



	KOINER arrived Pearl Harbor 25 June commencing training 

operations with escort carrier CORREGIDOR (CVE-58) and 

exercises with submarines.  Departing Pearl Harbor 4 August, 

she was en route to Leyte when President Truman announced 

the end of hostilities with Japan.  The destroyer escort 

remained in the Far East as part of the occupation forces on 

escort and patrol duty until 1 April 1946.  Clearing Hong 

Kong, she sailed by way of the Indian Ocean and 

Mediterranean Sea, and arrived Charleston, S.C., 30 May.  

KOINER decommissioned and joined the Atlantic Reserve Fleet 

4 October 1946, at Green Cove Springs, Fla.  



	From 20 June 1951 to 14 May 1954, KOINER was on loan to 

the Coast Guard commissioned as WDE-431.  She served as an 

ocean station vessel out of Seattle, Wash., until her return 

to the Navy in 1954.  She was converted to a radar picket 

escort vessel and reclassified DER-331 on 28 September 1954.  

Recommissioned 26 August 1955, Lt. Comdr. V. W. Tracy in 

command, KOINER joined the Continental Air Defense System in 

the Pacific Barrier.  From 1956 into 1965, KOINER operated 

on picket stations off the Washington and California coast 

to provide early warning in the event of enemy air attack.  

On 1 July 1965, KOINER departed Alameda, Calif., for her new 

homeport, Guam, arriving 28 July after a stopover at Pearl 

Harbor.  On 6 August, she left for the first of three 

"Market Time" patrols ending in December.  The experience 

KOINER had gained during her patrols off the West Coast 

enabled the radar picket escort ship to contribute greatly 

to the surveillance tactics necessary to prevent the flow of 

supplies by sea to the Viet Cong.



	During 1966, KOINER was again deployed for further 

"Market Time" operations off Vietnam.  A 7-month WestPac 

cruise began late in February.  Between patrols the ship 

visited Hong Kong; Bangkok; Manila; and Kaoshiung, Formosa.



	In late January 1967, KOINER participated in a gunfire 

mission after a brief in-port period in Japan.  She then 

resumed her regular duties.  The important work radar picket 

and her sister ships is an example of the diversified roles 

which the Navy must play in defending the nation and 

encouraging peace abroad.



	[Stricken from the Navy Register on 23 September 1968, 

KOINER was sold on 3 September 1969.



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

the U. S. Navy, 1775-1990,” p.225.]





Transcribed by Michael Hansen

mhansen2@home.com