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

(1970) Vol. 5, p.186.





OSWALD





	Harvey Emerson Oswald, born in Columbus, Ohio, 11 

September 1918, enlisted in the Naval Reserve in April 

1938.  Discharged from the reserve at his own request 3 

August 1939, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy the same day.  

Assigned the following December to seaplane tender WILLIAM 

B. PRESTON (AVD-7), he was killed when that ship came under 

Japanese aerial attack at Darwin, Australia, 19 February 

1942.  For his prompt and courageous manning of a .50 

caliber PBY airplane machine gun, he was posthumously 

awarded the Silver Star.





DE-767

Displacement:  1,240 t.

Length:  306’

Beam:  36’8”

Draft:  11’8”

Speed:  21 k.

Complement:  186

Armament:  3 3”; 6 40mm; 10 20mm; 

	2 depth charge tracks; 

	8 depth charge projectors; 

	1 hedge hog

Class:  CANNON



	OSWALD (DE-767) was laid down 1 April 1943 at the Tampa 

Shipbuilding Co., Tampa, Fla.; launched 25 April 1944; 

sponsored by Mrs. Zola F. Oswald, mother of Harvey E. 

Oswald, MM2/c; and commissioned 12 June 1944, Lt. Edward L. 

Patton, USNR, in command.



	Following a Bermuda shakedown, OSWALD sailed north to 

Boston, thence to New York where she reported for duty with 

CortDiv 22 in TG 21.5.  On 19 August, she sailed with CU 36 

on her first transatlantic convoy escort mission.  Off 

Northern Ireland, on the 30th, she hunted unsuccessfully for 

an enemy submarine after the loss of the tanker SS 

JACKSONVILLE.  Rejoining the convoy, the escort vessel saw 

the remainder of her charges into Londonderry and on 4 

September began the voyage back to New York.  During the 

next 8 months, she escorted ten additional convoys across 

the North Atlantic without a loss.



	In June 1945, her task group, then designated 61.2, was 

dissolved and OSWALD reported to Quonset Point, R. I., to 

serve as plane guard during carrier qualification exercises 

on escort carrier CROATAN (CVE-25).  Reassigned in August, 

she proceeded to southern Florida for similar duties with 

escort carrier MISSION BAY (CVE-59).  In October, she 

returned to New York, underwent preinactivation overhaul, 

and then sailed south again.  Arriving at Green Cove 

Springs, Fla., 9 November, she decommissioned there 30 April 

1946 and joined Atlantic Reserve Fleet.  Transferred to the 

Philadelphia Reserve Group in 1951, she has remained in 

reserve into 1970.



	[Stricken from the Navy Register on 1 August 1972, 

OSWALD was sold on 1 November 1973.



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

the U. S. Navy, 1775-1990,” p.224.]





Transcribed by Michael Hansen

mhansen2@home.com