Today's classic warship, USS Cecil J. Doyle (DE-368)
John C. Butler class destroyer escort
Displacement. 1,350 t.
Lenght. 306'
Beam. 36'7"
Draft. 13'4"
Speed. 24 k.
Complement. 186
Armament. 3 5"; 4 40mm; 10 20mm; 3 21" tt.; 8 dcp.; 1 hedgehog.
Cecil J. Doyle (DE-368) was launched 1 July 1944 by Consolidated Steel Corp., Orange, Tex.; sponsored by Mrs. O. P. Doyle; and commissioned 16 October 1944, Lieutenant Commander D. S. Crocker, USNR, in command.
Cecil J. Doyle carried out her first mission while still in shakedown, when she cruised on an air-sea rescue station during the flight of Government officials to the Yalta Conference. On 30 January 1945, she rendezvoused with HMS Ranee, and guarded the escort carrier through the Panama Canal and north to San Diego. Cecil J. Doyle continued on to Pearl Harbor and Eniwetok, where she arrived 28 March to join the Marshalls-Gilbert Patrol and Escort Group. Her escort duties took her to Guam, and Ulithi, where on 30 April she was transferred to the Carolines Surface Patrol and Escort Group. On 2 May, Cecil J. Doyle 's commanding officer became Commander, Screen, Peleliu, protecting the great anchorage in Kossol Roads.
While on patrol, Cecil J. Doyle several times rescued downed aviators, and on 27 May 1945 bombarded a by-passed Japanese garrison on Koror Island.
On 2 August, she was ordered to the rescue of a large group of men in rafts reported at 11°30' N., 133°30' E., and bent on top speed to be the first to reach the survivors of torpedoed Indianapolis (CA-35). It was Cecil J. Doyle's melancholy duty to radio the first report of the cruiser's loss.
HAVE ARREVED AREA X AM PICKING UP SURVIVORS FROM USS INDIANAPOLIS (CA 35) TORPEODED [sic] AND SUNK LAST SUNDAY NIGHT
She rescued 93 survivors, and gave final rites to 21 found already dead. Remaining in the area searching until 8 August, Cecil J. Doyle was the last to leave the scene.
From 26 August 1945, when she sailed into Buckner Bay, Okinawa, the destroyer was assigned to occupation duty. She sailed with hospital ships to Wakayama, Japan, to evacuate released prisoners of war, then screened carriers providing air cover for landing of occupation troops. Through 12 November, she cruised on courier duty between Japanese ports, and after drydocking at Yokosuka, sailed for San Francisco, arriving 13 January 1946. She was decommissioned and placed in reserve at San Diego 2 July 1946.
Stricken from the Navy list on July 1 1967, she was sunk as target off California December 2 1967.
