Raymond II DE-341

Raymond II

(DE-341: dp. 1,745 (f.),1. 306'0", b. 36'7"; dr. 13'4"; s. 24k.; cpl. 222, a. 2 5", 4 40mm., 10 20mm., 2 dct., 8 dcp., 1 dcp.(hh.), 3 21" tt.; el. .lohn C. Butler)

The second Raymond (DE-341) was laid down by Consolidated Steel Corp., Orange, Tex., 3 November 1943; launched 8 January 1944, sponsored by Mrs. Helen Raymond; and commissioned 15 April 1944, Lt. Comdr. A. F. Beyer, Jr., in command.

Following shakedown off Bermuda, Raymond served as training ship for the Norfolk Training Station, then steamed 1 July, for the Panama Canal. She arrived at Pearl Harbor 23 July, and got underway 12 August for Guadaleanal and Manus. Arriving at the latter 28 August, she joined the escort carrier group staging for the Morotai assault. On 15 September she sereelled lhe C~E's attackhlg Morotai in the Netherlands East Indies. After returning to Manus, she supported air operations 16 October against Leyte, Philippine Islands. On 25 October she participated in the Battle of Samar during which she attacked Japanese ships, inflieting damage to a Japanese cruiser with 5" gunfire, and picked up survivors from stricken escort carrier Sf. Lo.

Returning to Manus and Pearl Harhor, she left the latter port 29 December and arrived at Eniwetok 7 January 1945. She then performed escort duty to Saipan and Tinian and on 9 February was underway with Task Unit 50.8.24 to refuel Task Force58 prior to the Iuo Jima assault. As a unit of the antisubmarine screen for Task Unit 60.8.24, Raymond supported the Iwo Jima campaign, arriving off Guam en route to Ulithi 3 March.

On 21 March, she sortied with Task Unit 50.18.34, hound for Kerama Retto, Okinawa. During operation "Iceberg," Raymond performed escort and screening duties until mid-May 1945. She then resumed convoy escort duties and for the remainder of the war steamed between the Western Carolines and the Ryukyus. By 15 August she had shot down five enemy planes. She served in ocoupied Japanese waters 2-6 September then returned to the United States and in November entered the Pacific Reserve Fleet.

Decommissioned 24 January 1947, Raymond was berthed at San Diego until recommissioned 27 April 1951. She transited the Panama Canal and arrived Newport, R.I., 11 August 1951. Local operations along the New England coast, exercises in the Caribbean and duty with the Fleet Sonar School at Key West kept her in the western Atlantic until the summer of 1953 when she conducted a midshipman training cruise to Seandinavia.

Returning to Newport for local operations 1 September, she resumed her previous schedule and, interrupting them only for a second midshipman cruise, in the summer of 1954 continued operations off the eastern seaboard and in the Caribbean until 22 September 1958 when she was decommissioned and placed in service. She continued her operatiOns off the east coast during 1959. Placed out of service, in reserve 31 May 1960 and berthed at Philadelphia, she was struck from the Navy list, 1 July 1972.

Raymond earned five battle stars for World War II service.i[vc