DE-527 - Tin Can Sailors

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Hull Number: DE-527

Launch Date: 11/02/1943

Commissioned Date: 11/22/1944

Decommissioned Date: 10/18/1945

Call Sign: NTUJ

Class: EVARTS

EVARTS Class

Namesake: JOHN ALBERT O'TOOLE

JOHN ALBERT O'TOOLE

Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, April 2016

John Albert O’Toole, born in Boston, 16 May 1916, entered the Naval Reserve as Ensign 7 May 1942. Assigned to Joesph Hewes (AP-50) following instruction at the Naval Reserve Midshipmen’s School in Chicago, he commanded a boat wave from that transport during the assault on Fedhala, Morocco, 8 November 1942. Killed while withdrawing from the beach, Ensign O’Toole was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for “his great personal valor and relentless fighting spirit…” as he led his wave to the beach and calmly directed the offloading of men and materiel, despite heavy artillery fire from the enemy.

Disposition:

Stricken 1 November and scrapped in March 1946.

Ship History

USS O'TOOLE DE-527 Ship History

Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, April 2016

O’Toole (DE-527) was laid down at the Boston Navy Yard 25 September 1943; launched 2 November 1943; sponsored by Mrs. John A. O-Toole, and commissioned 22 January 1944, Lt. Comdr. J. G. Enzensperger, Jr., in command.

Following shakedown off Bermuda, O’Toole served as a training ship for the Fleet Sound School, Key West, Fla. Detached 15 July, she sailed north to Casco Bay, thence proceeded south to Norfolk to escort Tripoli (CVE-64) to Recife, Brazil. Escorting Solomons (CVE-67) on the return voyage, she arrived at Norfolk, 25 August, and continued on to New York where she joined CortDiv 80 for transatlantic convoy duty.

On 9 September, O’Toole stood out of New York Harbor on her first escort of convoy mission. Acting as communication liason ship between CTG 27.5 and convoy NY 119, she shepherded the small craft convoy to the Azores, thence to Falmouth, England, arriving 18 October. On 8 November she departed for Reykjavik as escort to Abnaki (ATF-96). From Iceland she proceeded to Norfolk and New York, where she rejoined CortDiv 80. In mid-December the escort sailed with convoy UGS 64 for North Africa, returning 23 January 1945. Completing another Mediterranean run in April, she was enroute home from Algeria when the war in Europe ended.

Arriving at New York 23 May, she operated off the New England coast until mid-July when she proceeded to Miami, for a brief tour as schoolship. In September, she moved north, reporting for inactivation at Charleston on the 10th. Decommissioned there 18 October, she was struck from the Navy List 1 November, and scrapped in March 1946.