Baker DE-190

Baker

(DE-190: dp. 1240,1. 308'; b. 36'8", dr. 11'8" s. 21 k.:
colt 18G; a. 3 3", 3 21" TT., cl. Cannon)

Baker (DE-190) was launched 28 November 1943 by Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Newark, N. J.' sponsored by Mrs. Margaret Baker, mother of' Ensign Baker; and Commissioned 23 December 1943, Lieutenant Commander L. B. Lockwood, USNR, in command.

Reporting to the Atlantic Fleet, Baker was assigned to
Escort Division 48 and escorted two trans-Atlantic convoys
to North Africa (13 February-24 March and 12 April~0
May 1944)

Between 20 June 1944 and 9 May 1945 she served with several hunter-killer task groups. On 5 July 1944 while operating with T6 22.10 in 42°1B' N., 59°49' W., she delivered several depth charge attacks which forced the German submarine ll-238 to surface. All Baker's guns opened fire scoring several hits, and then she laid a 13 charge shallow pattern ahead of the submarine~ who rode squarely into the middle of the detonation. The sub's crew abandoned her Just before Thomas ( D~102) rammed and sank her. Thirty-one survivors of the sub's crew were picked up and transferred to Card (CVE~11),

From May until October 1945 Baker operated out of Quonset Point, B. I., as a plane guard during carrier qualifications, During November and part of December she escorted the captured German submarine U-877 to various eastern ports as a Part of a Victory Loan drive. Baker went out of commission in reserve 4 March 1848 and was transferred to France under the Mutual Defense Assistance Program 29 March 1952.

Baker received one battle star for her action with U-838.