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USS Foss (DE-59) |
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| USS Foss on 20 January 1953 in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Note the two cable reels resulting from the TEG conversion. National Archives #80G630973 | |
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Operational and Building Data |
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The USS Foss (DE-59) was sponsored by Mrs. George R.
Foss, mother of Ensign Foss; and commissioned with Lieutenant Commander J.
J. Jordy, USNR, in command. The USS Foss sailed from Boston 22 September 1943 for the Netherlands West Indies to escort a tanker convoy back to New York. From New York she put to sea once more 13 October, again with a group of tankers and, after calling at Aruba, crossed the Atlantic to Dakar, Oran, and Algiers, returning by way of Aruba and the Canal Zone to New York. Between 26 December and 9 October 1944, the Foss operated on the New York-Londonderry convoy route, making seven voyages to build up forces in Europe for the Normandy invasion and to support the advance on the continent once the landings had been made. Assigned to operational development activities in antisubmarine warfare, the USS Foss sailed out of Washington, New London, Charleston, Norfolk, and ports in Florida during the next 6 years. She tested equipment for the Naval Research Laboratory and conducted operations under the direction of the Fleet Sonar School, the Antisubmarine Development Detachment, and the Operational Development Force. In 1946, she was equipped with ship/shore power conversion equipment, with which, during the winter of 1947-48, she provided Portland, Maine, with emergency electric power after normal power resources had failed because of forest fires and lack of rain. The USS Foss took part, in August 1950, in rocket experiments at Cape Canaveral, recording data after seaward firings. Reassigned to the Pacific Fleet, the Foss departed Norfolk 29 September 1950, reaching San Diego 11 October. Six days later, she sailed for duty in the Far East, where her special ability to provide power to the shore was used at Chinnampo, Inchon, and Hungnam in November and December. She arrived at Ulsan Man, Korea, 25 December, and remained until 18 August 1951, providing power for an Army unit stationed there. Returning to San Diego 10 September, the USS Foss served in ordnance tests until 21 September 1951, when she sailed to Pearl Harbor, her new home port. During the next 5 years, she operated locally in the Hawaiian Islands, as well as making two cruises on surveillance patrol through the islands of the Pacific Trust Territory and two tours of duty in the Far East. During her 1955 tour, she served as station ship at Hong Kong. In June 1957, the Foss returned to the west coast and was decommissioned and placed in reserve at Mare Island Naval Shipyard. The USS Foss received one battle star for Korean war service. |
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Undated photo of the USS Foss (DE-59)
National Archives #BS76533 |
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Undated photo of the USS Foss (DE-59)
National Archives #BS76534 |
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Construction photo taken on 20 January 1943 of the USS
Formoe (DE-58) on the left and the USS Foss (DE-59)
on the right. The USS Formoe was transferred to the United
Kingdom under the Lend lease act and was renamed HMS Calder
(K-349). The Calder served in the UK's 4th Escort Group in
the Atlantic for the duration of the war and was finally returned on 19
October 1945. National Archives #BS85616 |
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| Undated photo of the USS Foss (DE-59). |
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