Koiner DE-331

Koiner

James Duval Koiner, born 16 February 1919, in Waynesboro, South River, Va., entered the Naval Reserve as Ensign 31 December 1940. He reported for active duty 17 March 1941, under instruction at the Supply Corps, Naval Medical Center, Washington, D.C. Koiner reported to the 3d Naval District 17 October 1941, for duty on board Atlanta (CI-51) upon her commissioning. After serving in the light cruiser during the Midway and Solomon

Islands campaigns, Koiner was promoted to Lieutenant (j.g.) I October 1942. He was killed in action 13 November 1942, on board Atlanta, during the Battle of Guadalcanal.

(DE-331: dp. 1,200; 1. 306' ; b. 36'7" ; dr. 8'7"; s. 21 k.; cpl. 186; a. 3 3", 6 40mm., 10 20mm., 9 dcp., 2 dct.; el. Edsall)

Koiner (DE-331) was laid down 26 July 1943, by Consolidated Steel Co., Orange, Tex.; launched 5 September 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Mae H. Koiner, the mother of Lt. (j.g.) Koiner; and commissioned 27 December 1943, Lt. Comdr. C. S. Judson, Jr., in command.

After shakedown off Bermuda, Koiner cleared Charleston, S.C., 28 February 1944, to join a convoy at Willemstad, Curacao, N.W.I., and escort tankers to Mediterranean ports. For the next 6 months she remained on convoyescort duty in the Atlantic, making four roundtrip cruises from Curacao to North Africa and Naples.

Completing her final Mediterranean cruise 31 August, Koiner commenced escort duty for United Kingdom bound ships. From 20 September 1944 to 1 May 1945 the destroyer escort sailed with five convoys to British ports and upon cessation of hostillities in Europe she began preparations for Pacific duty.

Koiner arrived Pearl Harbor 25 June commencing training operations with Corregidor (CVS-58) and exercises with submarines. Departing Pearl Harbor 4 August, she was en route to Leyte when President Truman announced the end of hostilities with Japan. The destroyer escort remained in the Far East as part of the occupation forces on escort and patrol duty until 1 April 1946. Clearing Hong Kong she sailed by way of the Indian Ocean and Mediterranean Sea, and arrived Charleston, S.C., 30 May. Koiner decommissioned and joined the Atlantic Reserve Fleet 4 October 1946, at Green Cove Springs, Fla.

From 20 June 1951 to 14 May 1954, Koiner was on loan to the Coast Guard commissioned as WDE-431. She served as an ocean station vessel out of Seattle, Wash., until her return to the Navy in 1954. She was converted to a radar picket escort vessel and reclassified DER-331 on 28 September 1954. Recommissioned 26 August 1955, Lt. Comdr. V. W. Tracy in command, Koiner joined the Continental Air Defense System in the Pacific Barrier. From 1956 into 1965 Koiner operated on picket stations off the Washington and California coast to provide early warning in the event of enemy air attack. On I July 1965 Koiner departed Alamada, Calif., for her new homeport, Guam, arriving 28 July after a stopover at Pearl Harbor. On 6 August she left for the first of three "Market Time" patrols ending in December. The experience Koiner had gained during her patrols off the West Coast enabled the radar picket escort ship to contribute greatly to the surveillance tactics necessary to prevent the flow of supplies by sea to the Viet Cong.

During 1966 Koiner was again deployed for further "Market Time" operations off Vietnam. A 7-month WestPac cruise began late in February. Between patrols the ship visited Hong Kong; Bangkok; Manila; and Kaoshiung, Formosa.

In late January 1967 Koiner participated in a gunfire mission after a brief inport period in Japan. She then resumed her regular duties. The important work radar picket escort and her sister ships is an example of the diversified roles which the Navy must play in defending the nation and encouraging peace abroad.