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

(1970) Vol. 5, p.188.





OTTERSTETTER





	Born 11 January 1920 at Moorhead, Minn., Carl William 

Otterstetter enlisted in the Navy as Apprentice Seaman at 

San Francisco, Calif., 18 September 1940.  He was advanced 

to Seaman Second Class 18 January 1941 and transferred to 

Commander, Patrol Wing Two on 3 April.  He was killed in 

action during the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor, 

7 December 1941.  He received a citation for prompt and 

efficient action and utter disregard of personal danger in 

the effort to repel the attack on the Naval Air Station, 

Kaneohe Bay, Oahu.





DE-244

Displacement:  1,200 t.

Length:  306’

Beam:  37’

Draft:  12’3”

Speed:  21 k.

Complement:  216

Armament:  3 3”; 3 21” torpedo tubes;

	2 depth charge tracks;

	8 depth charge projectors;

	1 hedge hog

Class:  EDSALL



	OTTERSTETTER was laid down 9 November 1942 by Brown 

Shipbuilding Co., Houston, Tex., launched 19 January 1943; 

sponsored by Mrs. Miles P. Refo, Jr.; commissioned 6 August 

1943, Lt. Comdr. W. B. Porter, in command.



	OTTERSTETTER sailed on her shakedown cruise along the 

East Coast of the United States and on 14 November joined a 

convoy and steamed as escort from Norfolk to Casablanca, 

French Morocco.  She arrived there on 2 December 1943 and 

returned to New York on Christmas Day.  She made a convoy 

escort voyage to Casablanca in February 1944.



	On 24 May, OTTERSTETTER made the first of three voyages 

to Argentia, Newfoundland, escorting convoys enroute to the 

United Kingdom.



	On 16 July 1945, OTTERSTETTER sailed for Pearl Harbor 

via Guantanamo Bay, Panama Canal, and San Diego, Calif.  

After a brief training in Hawaiian waters, she proceeded to 

Saipan, arriving 29 August.  The following day she sailed 

for Iwo Jima, arriving on 1 September 1945.



	OTTERSTETTER remained at Iwo Jima for a short time, 

then sailed for Empire waters, arriving 3 November.  She 

returned to the Marianas Islands 2 December and sailed for 

Okinawa 29 December, before steaming on to Tokyo.  She 

arrived at Tokyo on the last day of the year 1945.



	On 4 January 1946, OTTERSTETTER got underway for 

Jinsen, Korea, returning to Okinawa 14 February.  

OTTERSTETTER arrived at Sasebo, Japan, on 29 March and at 

Shanghai, China, on 6 April.  Two days later she sailed for 

Pearl Harbor via Okinawa and then on to the Panama Canal.  

She transited the canal and arrived at Charleston 15 May.



	OTTERSTETTER underwent a pre-inactivation overhaul and 

departed for Green Cove Springs, Florida, 10 September.  The 

ship was placed out of commission in reserve 21 September 

and attached to the Florida Group, Atlantic Reserve Fleet.



	On 1 June 1951, Charleston Naval Shipyard commenced the 

dual procedure of reactivating OTTERSTETTER and converting 

her from a destroyer escort to a radar picket destroyer 

escort.



	Reclassified DER-244 in December 1951, OTTERSTETTER 

recommissioned at Charleston Naval Shipyard 6 June 1952, Lt. 

Comdr. John P. Sullivan in command.



	On 19 July 1952, OTTERSTETTER reported to Commander, 

Destroyer Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet, as a unit of Escort 

Squadron Sixteen.



	After a shakedown cruise to Guantanamo Bay, she sailed 

4 December for her first picket in the contiguous radar 

coverage of the Atlantic Coast, searching for and reporting 

aircraft in her sectors of responsibility.  She continued 

these duties for the next several years.



	OTTERSTETTER was decommissioned 20 June 1960 and into 

1970 remains berthed at Philadelphia.



	[Stricken from the Navy Register on 1 August 1974, 

OTTERSTETTER was sunk as a target off Puerto Rico on 15 

February 1976.



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