The story of USS MENGES (DE-320) demonstrates how meaningful these trim but deadly warships were. MENGES managed to save a multitude of sailors and fight against U-boats and Luftwaffe planes. Unfortunately she suffered at the hands of U-371, but thanks to her crew and inventive shipyard workers, she was able to set sail once again.Follow along with our transcript and check out the photos on our website. Other ships mentioned in this episode that we have already covered in DE Classified: USS LEOPOLD, SENEGALAIS, USS HOLDERIf you like what you hear and are able to help us out by leaving a donation, we appreciate every dollar we are given! Donations are used to restore, preserve, and educate the public about USS SLATER and Destroyer Escorts. USS SLATER is a private not-for-profit museum that receives no regular support from New York State, the federal government, or the US Navy. We are funded by private donations, ticket, and merchandise sales. Thanks for listening and lending your support!Support the show Support the show

USS BEGOR (APD-127) was built as a Destroyer Escort (DE-711) and quickly transferred into the High Speed Transport while under construction. APDs are a vital part of Destroyer Escort history as they kept the ship relevant and flexible to perform many tasks that were needed during WWII and beyond. Capital region locals will be satisfied to know that USS BEGOR’s namesake was a Union College graduate before being killed in action during WWII. The ship named in his honor would serve during WWII, in China, at Bikini Atoll during atomic bomb testing, and throughout the Korean War.Follow along with our transcript and check out the photos on our website. If you like what you hear and are able to help us out by leaving a donation, we appreciate every dollar we are given! Donations are used to restore, preserve, and educate the public about USS SLATER and Destroyer Escorts. USS SLATER is a private not-for-profit museum that receives no regular support from New York State, the federal government, or the US Navy. We are funded by private donations, ticket, and merchandise sales. Thanks for listening and lending your support!Support the showSupport the show

USS BRONSTEIN (DE-189) was a cannon class destroyer escort. She was laid down on 26 August 1943 at the Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., in Port Newark, New Jersey. She was launched and christened 14 November 1943, sponsored by Mrs. Dinah Bronstein-Kurz, mother of Dr. Bronstein. The vessel was commissioned on 13 December 1943, Lt. Sheldon Hoard Kinney (1918-2004) in command. Follow along with our transcript and check out the photos on our website. If you like what you hear and are able to help us out by leaving a donation, we appreciate every dollar we are given! Donations are used to restore, preserve, and educate the public about USS SLATER and Destroyer Escorts. USS SLATER is a private not-for-profit museum that receives no regular support from New York State, the federal government, or the US Navy. We are funded by private donations, ticket, and merchandise sales. Thanks for listening and lending your support!Support the showSupport the show

USS Brough’s career was not desultory by any means. In 25 months of active duty in World War II, 373 days were spent on patrol, with her guns manned and full watches always on high alert. She was brought back for further service to take part in several Deep Freeze operations and provide assistance to U.S. garrisons in the Antarctic being resupplied. In the many years spent in Key West, countless naval officers and servicemen received ASW training from her or alongside her. She earned numerous commendations including the American Campaign Medal, the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, the World War II Victory Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Antarctic Service Medal three times and two Battle Efficiency “E” during her 17 years of service. USS Brough and the men who served aboard her followed her motto to a T: Frontier Guardian, In Peace, In War.Follow along with our transcript and check out the photos on our website. To hear more stories from sailors about Destroyer Escorts make sure you check the Oral Histories collected on on our website.If you like what you hear and are able to help us out by leaving a donation, we appreciate every dollar we are given! Donations are used to restore, preserve, and educate the public about USS SLATER and Destroyer Escorts. USS SLATER is a private not-for-profit museum that receives no regular support from New York State, the federal government, or the US Navy. We are funded by private donations, ticket, and merchandise sales. Thanks for listening and lending your support!Support the show

In June 1944 five Destroyer Escorts had a giant success in capturing German U-Boat 505. The capture was a huge development in the war, as the United States now had access to an Enigma Machine, acoustic torpedo, and submarine to study. DEs USS PILLSBURY (DE-133), USS POPE (DE-134), USS FLAHERTY (DE-135), USS CHATELAIN (DE-149), and USS JENKS (DE-665) made up Escort Division 4 and worked together to capture the U-Boat.Follow along with our transcript and check out the photos on our website. If you like what you hear and are able to help us out by leaving a donation, we appreciate every dollar we are given! Donations are used to restore, preserve, and educate the public about USS SLATER and Destroyer Escorts. USS SLATER is a private not-for-profit museum that receives no regular support from New York State, the federal government, or the US Navy. We are funded by private donations, ticket, and merchandise sales. Thanks for listening and lending your support!Support the show

USS MOSLEY DE-321 is an example of courage, determination, and tactical excellence that is evident in the fact that she earned two battle stars for her World War II service. She was one of the first DEs in a hunter killer group manned by Coast Guardsmen. She played a considerable part in the crumbling of the Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine. She battled enemies from the sea and skies, and proved Destroyer Escorts unbeatable in convoy protection. Follow along with our transcript and check out the photos on our website. If you like what you hear and are able to help us out by leaving a donation, we appreciate every dollar we are given! Donations are used to restore, preserve, and educate the public about USS SLATER and Destroyer Escorts. USS SLATER is a private not-for-profit museum that receives no regular support from New York State, the federal government, or the US Navy. We are funded by private donations, ticket, and merchandise sales. Thanks for listening and lending your support!Support the show

USS Tomich (DE-242) like her namesake served with great distinction. She guarded convoys across the Atlantic, fended off Axis air attacks and searched for U-boats along the East Coast. While this destroyer escort has a fascinating service history, there is more to the namesake’s story and his medal looking for his kin.Follow along with our transcript and check out the photos on our website. If you like what you hear and are able to help us out by leaving a donation, we appreciate every dollar we are given! Donations are used to restore, preserve, and educate the public about USS SLATER and Destroyer Escorts. USS SLATER is a private not-for-profit museum that receives no regular support from New York State, the federal government, or the US Navy. We are funded by private donations, ticket, and merchandise sales. Thanks for listening and lending your support!Support the show

USS JANSSEN (DE-396) encountered three different submarines during WWII, rescued sailors from one of them, including a spy! Hear the whole story on this episode of DE Classified. Follow along with our transcript and check out the photos on our website. If you like what you hear and are able to help us out by leaving a donation, we appreciate every dollar we are given! Donations are used to restore, preserve, and educate the public about USS SLATER and Destroyer Escorts. USS SLATER is a private not-for-profit museum that receives no regular support from New York State, the federal government, or the US Navy. We are funded by private donations, ticket, and merchandise sales. Thanks for listening and lending your support!Support the showSupport the show

USS GEORGE A. JOHNSON was a WWII Destroyer Escort that survived kamikaze attacks, a training ship in the 12th Naval District throughout most of the 1950’s, the object of a short-lived property dispute that made national news, as well as an engineering first for the crew that scrapped her on a beach. Tune in this month to DE Classified to hear the story of the DE who made her last stand on the beaches of Pacifica.              Follow along with our transcript and check out the photos on our website. If you like what you hear and are able to help us out by leaving a donation, we appreciate every dollar we are given! Donations are used to restore, preserve, and educate the public about USS SLATER and Destroyer Escorts. USS SLATER is a private not-for-profit museum that receives no regular support from New York State, the federal government, or the US Navy. We are funded by private donations, ticket, and merchandise sales. Thanks for listening and lending your support!Support the show

As one of the few DEs to serve through World War II into the Vietnam War, USS VANCE (DE-387) has a story like no other. She braced the Atlantic to defend convoys against U-boats, spent months in chilly Antarctic waters as part of Operation Deep Freeze, and endured 99 days of command under one the most cantankerous commanding officers the US Navy had ever seen. Follow along and listen to some extraordinary and occasionally ludicrous stories on this episode of DE Classified.Follow along with our transcript and check out the photos on our website. If you like what you hear and are able to help us out by leaving a donation, we appreciate every dollar we are given! Donations are used to restore, preserve, and educate the public about USS SLATER and Destroyer Escorts. USS SLATER is a private not-for-profit museum that receives no regular support from New York State, the federal government, or the US Navy. We are funded by private donations, ticket, and merchandise sales. Thanks for listening and lending your support!Support the show

Frank Slater, our namesake, served aboard heavy cruiser USS SAN FRANCISCO (CA-38). He lost his life when a plane, already ignited, bore into the 20 mm battery he was manning. Frank and the rest of the gun crew were still firing when the plane smashed directly into their positions. The fuselage warped the splinter plating and the wings splashed flaming gasoline over the ship. The burning Betty caromed off SAN FRANCISCO's superstructure and splashed into the sea. The dead included every member of the four 20mm crews. Eleven of these men have Destroyer Escorts named in their honor: William F. Cates, George R. Eisele, George I. Falgout, Andrew J. Gandy, Eugene F. George, Albert T. Harris, Harry J. Lowe, Jackson K. Loy, William T. Powell, John L. Williamson, and Frank O. Slater. Hear the story of SAN FRANCISCO and her brave crew this month on DE Classified.Follow along with our transcript and check out the photos on our website. If you like what you hear and are able to help us out by leaving a donation, we appreciate every dollar we are given! Donations are used to restore, preserve, and educate the public about USS SLATER and Destroyer Escorts. USS SLATER is a private not-for-profit museum that receives no regular support from New York State, the federal government, or the US Navy. We are funded by private donations, ticket, and merchandise sales. Thanks for listening and lending your support!Support the showSupport the show

USS CECIL J DOYLE (DE-368) is a ship that was instrumental in rescuing the sailors from the worst naval disaster in US History, the USS INDIANAPOLIS. Not only did DOYLE's crew rescue 93 survivors, she also remained in the area to give final rites and sea burials to 21 sailors. The bravery exhibited by the USS Cecil J. Doyle and the other ships involved in the rescue efforts is indicative of the bravery shown by sailors across the U.S. Navy during World War II. All destroyer escorts have a story, and DE Classified is committed to sharing those stories in memory of these sailors and the countless lives they saved. Follow along with our transcript and check out the photos on our website. If you like what you hear and are able to help us out by leaving a donation, we appreciate every dollar we are given! Donations are used to restore, preserve, and educate the public about USS SLATER and Destroyer Escorts. USS SLATER is a private not-for-profit museum that receives no regular support from New York State, the federal government, or the US Navy. We are funded by private donations, ticket, and merchandise sales. Thanks for listening and lending your support!Support the showSupport the show

USS AMICK was involved in the sinking of the last U-Boat (U-853) during WWII off the coast of Rhode Island. Unfortunately for the crew that is a little known fact. The ship would go on to serve in the Japanese and Philippine navies before being scrapped in 1989.   Join Viktor as he guides us through her history.Follow along with our transcript and check out the photos on our website. If you like what you hear and are able to help us out by leaving a donation, we appreciate every dollar we are given! Donations are used to restore, preserve, and educate the public about USS SLATER and Destroyer Escorts. USS SLATER is a private not-for-profit museum that receives no regular support from New York State, the federal government, or the US Navy. We are funded by private donations, ticket, and merchandise sales. Thanks for listening and lending your support!Support the showSupport the show

For 25 years, USS SLATER (DE-766) has called Albany, NY home. At 78 years old, the SLATER, by all accounts, should not be around. She should be razorblades or home to ocean-life as an artificial reef. Designed and built cheaply during World War II, SLATER and her sister ship destroyer escorts were meant to serve in a temporary capacity protecting merchant vessels and other warships as they transited the oceans. At no point in their construction was thought given to preservation as a museum. But SLATER has defied the odds and father time, to become a model of maritime preservation. Throughout her nearly 30 years as a museum, one constant has remained the same: the volunteers.Follow along with our transcript and check out the photos below. If you like what you hear and are able to help us out by leaving a donation, we appreciate every dollar we are given! Donations are used to restore, preserve, and educate the public about USS SLATER and Destroyer Escorts. Check out every issue of SLATER Signals!USS SLATER is a private not-for-profit museum that receives no regular support from New York State, the federal government, or the US Navy. We are funded by private donations, ticket, and merchandise sales. Thanks for listening and lending your support!Support the showSupport the show

USS HOLDER had a very eventful maiden voyage and finished her career with a different hull number painted on her bow. Hear the whole story with Andrew on this episode of DE Classified.Follow along with our transcript and check out the photos on our website.If you like what you hear and are able to help us out by leaving a donation, we appreciate every dollar we are given! Donations are used to restore, preserve, and educate the public about USS SLATER and Destroyer Escorts. USS SLATER is a private not-for-profit museum that receives no regular support from New York State, the federal government, or the US Navy. We are funded by private donations, ticket, and merchandise sales. Thanks for listening and lending your support!Support the showSupport the show

During the "epic moment" of the evacuation of Saigon at the end of the Vietnam War, USS KIRK found herself in charge of refugees fleeing the country. Through this podcast, a documentary, a book, we can preserve her history, the stories of the many sailors who served aboard her and the thousands of refugees she helped save. Despite being designed for warfare, it seems that Kirk was much better at saving lives. Follow along with our transcript and check out the photos on our website. If you like what you hear and are able to help us out by leaving a donation, we appreciate every dollar we are given! Donations are used to restore, preserve, and educate the public about USS SLATER and Destroyer Escorts. USS SLATER is a private not-for-profit museum that receives no regular support from New York State, the federal government, or the US Navy. We are funded by private donations, ticket, and merchandise sales. Thanks for listening and lending your support!Support the show

USS STAFFORD earned two battle stars during WWII. She served on anti-submarine duty in the Pacific,  splashed planes, and took a Kamikaze hit. Listen to the story of the heroes at work. Follow along with our transcript and check out the photos on our website. If you like what you hear and are able to help us out by leaving a donation, we appreciate every dollar we are given! Donations are used to restore, preserve, and educate the public about USS SLATER and Destroyer Escorts. USS SLATER is a private not-for-profit museum that receives no regular support from New York State, the federal government, or the US Navy. We are funded by private donations, ticket, and merchandise sales. Thanks for listening and lending your support!See you next month! Support the show

USS ENGLAND DE-635 is a record setting ship. Never before or since has a single ship sunk six submarines in 12 days. ENGLAND earned 10 battle stars for action in the Pacific until she was attacked by three kamikaze aircraft off Okinawa and hit by one of them on 9 May 1945. Hear the full story with John in this month's episode of DE Classified. Follow along with our transcript and check out the photos on our website. If you like what you hear and are able to help us out by leaving a donation, we appreciate every dollar we are given! Donations are used to restore, preserve, and educate the public about USS SLATER and Destroyer Escorts. USS SLATER is a private not-for-profit museum that receives no regular support from New York State, the federal government, or the US Navy. We are funded by private donations, ticket, and merchandise sales. Thanks for listening and lending your support!See you next month! Support the show

As another one of the last Destroyer Escorts in existence in the world, USS ATHERTON (BRP RAJAH HUMABON) has a fascinating story of sinking subs, including one of the last U-Boats sunk during WWII. The ship was still active in the Philippine Navy up until 2018 so she had over 75 years of service under her belt. Join Liam as he escorts you through her story.Follow along with our transcript and check out the photos on our website. If you like what you hear and are able to help us out by leaving a donation, we appreciate every dollar we are given! Donations are used to restore, preserve, and educate the public about USS SLATER and Destroyer Escorts. USS SLATER is a private not-for-profit museum that receives no regular support from New York State, the federal government, or the US Navy. We are funded by private donations, ticket, and merchandise sales. Thanks for listening and lending your support!See you next month! Support the show

It was a warm, sunny day in 2015 when WWII Vet Carl Dize, stepped aboard USS SLATER and brought to our attention a severe misidentification of ships. What the world thought was the MENGES was not the MENGES at all and Mr. Dize gave us the evidence to back it up. Learn all about how we righted this wrong on this month’s episode on the French Destroyer Escort, SENEGALAIS. Follow along with our transcript and check out the photos on our website. If you like what you hear and are able to help us out by leaving a donation, we appreciate every dollar we are given! Donations are used to restore, preserve, and educate the public about USS SLATER and Destroyer Escorts. USS SLATER is a private not-for-profit museum that receives no regular support from New York State, the federal government, or the US Navy. We are funded by private donations, ticket, and merchandise sales. Thanks for listening and lending your support!See you next month! Support the show