United States Navy — Destroyer escort

USS Duffy (DE-27) — service history

This is the full service history. For the vessel's particulars, photograph and specifications, see the entry.

In the words of the US Navy. The account below is reproduced verbatim from the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, compiled by the Naval History and Heritage Command — a work of the United States Government, in the public domain, and the only text on this site not written here.

Contents

Before commissioning
Second World War 1939–1945
1943 Gilbert Islands 3
1944 2
1945 1
References 4

Periods, years and the actions beside them are read out of the text — the source is one continuous narrative with no divisions of its own. A period is the calendar, not a claim: a vessel with a 1951 section was not necessarily off Korea.

Before commissioning

Charles John Duffy, born 31 December 1919 in New York City, enlisted in the Naval Reserve 25 April 1941 and was appointed an aviation cadet 13 November 1941. Flying a carrier aircraft. Ensign Duffy was killed in action during the Naval Battle of Casablanca, French Morocco, 8 November 1942 during the landings on north Africa.

Second World War 1939–1945

1943 Gilbert Islands

DE-268 carried the name Duffy from 23 February to 14 June 1943. She was loaned to Britain 28 August 1943 and named Dacres, returned to the United States and sold 14 December 1946.

Duffy (DE-27), originally intended for transfer to Great Britain, was launched as BDE-27 on 16 April 1943 by Mare Island Navy Yard; sponsored by Mrs. Thomas Vice; retained in the U.S. Navy; and commissioned 5 August 1943, Commander G. A. Parkinson, USNR, in command.

Duffy sailed from San Francisco 2 October 1943 escorting a convoy to Pearl Harbor where she joined in training exercises before joining the 5th Fleet. On 10 November she sailed in the screen for carriers bound for air strikes on Mille, Jaluit, and Makin in the Marshalls. A week later Duffy was detached to escort Neosho (AO-48) during the invasion of the Gilbert Islands, returning to Pearl Harbor 15 December.

1944

Departing Pearl Harbor 22 January 1944 in the escort for an LST convoy, Duffy arrived off Kwajalein 2 February for the assault landings the next day. Two days later she sailed, escorting unladen transports to Funafuti, Ellice Islands, arriving 8 February. Duffy served on escort and patrol duty in the Solomons between 19 February and 28 September, then between Manus and Ulithi until 25 October, and through November in the Marianas. On 30 November she sailed from Saipan escorting a group of LSTs with men, supplies, and equipment, unloading at Leyte 6 to 13 December for the retaking of the Philippines. Protecting the convoy during unloading, Duffy scored several hits on an enemy plane which crashed on the beach during an air raid.

Returning to Saipan 27 December 1944, Duffy served on patrol and local escort duty in the Marianas and to Majuro until 27 May 1945. She covered air strikes on Maloelap, sailing close to the island to stand by for air-sea rescue work if necessary, and on the 29th fired a shore bombardment. Duffy continued to operate from Majuro, bombarding and waging psychological warfare against bypassed Japanese-held islands. On 14 June she took prisoner seven men of the cutoff garrison on Mille Atoll.

1945

Duffy sailed from Kwajalein 13 July 1945 for the west coast, arriving at San Francisco 26 July. She was decommissioned there 9 November 1945 and sold 16 June 1947.

Other photographs

Held for this vessel, and not tied to any part of the account above.

USS Duffy (DE-27) — The Micro Serial Number is listed as 149042. Department of the Navy. Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. Intelligence Division. Office of Naval Records and Library. (1922 - 10/10/1945) — This file was contributed to Wikimedia Commons by National Archives at College Park - Textual Reference as part of a cooperation project. The donation was facilitated by the Digital Public Library of America , via its partner Digital Public Library of America . Record in source catalog DPLA identifier: 6ab9d8a6f23b01fe11f398d8cec9edd5 National Archives Identifier: 77557723 — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons

References

Every work this entry draws on. There are no numbered markers in the text above: what we hold is the provenance of the page — this history, this article, these photographs.

History Duffy (DE-27) Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, Naval History and Heritage Command. A work of the United States Government, in the public domain — the only text on this site reproduced verbatim.
Facts USS Duffy (DE-27) Structured facts only — dates, dimensions, armament and fate. No wording is taken from it. Harvested 1 August 2026.
Photograph USS Duffy US Navy — Scan from the original work — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
Photograph USS DUFFY - War Diary, 9-1-30-45 - DPLA - 6ab9d8a6f23b01fe11f398d8cec9edd5 Department of the Navy. Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. Intelligence Division. Office of Naval Records and Library. (1922 - 10/10/1945) — This file was contributed to Wikimedia Commons by National Archives at College Park - Textual Reference as part of a cooperation project. The donation was facilitated by the Digital Public Library of America , via its partner Digital Public Library of America . Record in source catalog DPLA identifier: 6ab9d8a6f23b01fe11f398d8cec9edd5 National Archives Identifier: 77557723 — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons