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

(1969) Vol. 2, p.317.





EARL K. OLSEN





	Earl Kenneth Olsen, born 2 July 1903 in Brooklyn, N.Y., 

was a member of the Naval Academy Class of 1926.  After 

varied duty afloat and ashore, he was ordered to heavy 

cruiser PENSACOLA (CA-24) on 9 February 1939.  Lieutenant 

Commander Olsen was serving as engineering office during the 

night battle of Tassafaronga, off Guadalcanal, 30 November - 

1 December 1942.  When a torpedo hit flooded the engine 

room, he coolly and efficiently directed evacuation of 

survivors.  Attempting to carry another officer to safety, 

he himself succumbed to smoke and toxic gases.  Lieutenant 

Commander Olsen was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross.





DE-765

Displacement:  1,240 t.

Length:  306’

Beam:  36’8”

Draft:  8’9”

Speed:  21 k.

Complement:  186

Armament:  3 3”; 3 21” torpedo tubes; 

	2 depth charge tracks;

	8 depth charge projectors;

	1 hedge hog

Class:  CANNON



	EARL K. OLSEN (DE-765) was launched 13 February 1944 by 

Tampa Shipbuilding Co., Inc., Tampa, Fla.; sponsored by Mrs. 

H. E. Olsen, mother of Lieutenant Commander Olsen, and 

commissioned 10 April 1944 Lieutenant Commander W. F. 

DeLong, USNR, in command. 



	After serving as schoolship for the Fleet Sound School 

at Key West 24 June to 13 August 1944, EARL K. OLSEN sailed 

to Casco Bay, Maine, for refresher training before reporting 

to Boston, 24 August, for convoy duty.  Between 28 August 

1944 and 24 May 1945, she made six voyages escorting convoys 

between Boston, New York and United Kingdom ports.  On the 

fifth voyage, as the convoy sailed for Southampton, United 

States Army Transport J. W. McANDREW and the French aircraft 

carrier BEARN collided 13 March in a violent storm.  EARL K. 

OLSEN rescued two men and escorted the two stricken ships 

into Ponta Delgada, Azores, for emergency repairs while 

OLSEN rejoined her convoy.



	At the close of the war in Europe, EARL K. OLSEN sailed 

from New York, 8 June 1945, to join the Pacific Fleet, 

training at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, during her passage to 

Pearl Harbor.  She arrived 19 July.  Heading west again on 6 

August, she escorted ships to island ports and arrived at 

Manila, 3 September.  The same day, she commenced the first 

of four voyages to escort LSTs to Yokohama, and then 

operated in the Philippines until 9 January 1946.



	EARL K. OLSEN returned to San Pedro, Calif., 24 

February 1946, and sailed 10 March for Norfolk, arriving the 

26th.  On 11 April, she got underway for Green Cove Springs, 

Fla., arriving the 13th, to decommission.  She was placed 

out of commission in reserve, 17 June 1946.



	Assigned to Naval Reserve duty 13 December 1946, EARL 

K. OLSEN was towed to Tampa and served with reduced 

complement.  Recommissioned 21 November 1950, she reached 

Charleston, S.C., her new home port, 7 January 1951.  With 

her complement increased, she continued to train Naval 

Reservists, but with a larger cruising range, visiting the 

Caribbean, France, Spain and Portugal two summers, 1951 and 

1955.  From 18 July 1953, she continued Reserve training 

duty out of Philadelphia, punctuated by fleet exercises.  

Reporting for inactivation on 23 November 1957, EARL K. 

OLSEN was placed out of commission in reserve again, 25 

February 1958, at Philadelphia.



	[Stricken from the Navy Register on 1 August 1972, EARL 

K. OLSEN was sold on 15 October 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