Otter II DE-210

Otter II
(DE-210 dp. 1,200, 1. 306', b. 37', dr. 12'3", s. 24 k., cpl. 216; a. 3 3"; 3 21" tt., 8 dcp., 1 dcp. (hh.), 2 dct.; cl. Edsall)

The second Otter was laid down 26 July 1943 by the Charleston Navy Yard, launched 23 October 1943, sponsored by Mrs. William M. Otter, the mother of Lt. Otter, commissioned 21 February 1944, Lt. Comdr. D. M. Kerr, USNR, in command.

Following a Bermuda shakedown, Otter joined the Atlantic Fleet and escorted two carriers to Casablanea, then, for the remainder of the year, she helped protect convoys shuttling from the United States to various Mediterranean ports. Throughout these operations not a single ship was lost.

In December 1944, Otter and three of her sister ships formed a task group to hunt and destroy German U-Boats in the middle and north Atlantic. On 16 January 1945, without assistance from aircraft, the group located and sank German submarine U-248. Otter, after playing a erueial role in the depth charge attack, proudly displayed a sub silhouette on her bridge.

In April this task group joined a large task force of DE's and escort carriers patrolling the shipping lanes of the North Atlantic and searching for subs. During these operations Davis (DE-136) was torpedoed and sunk, and while other ships of the group engaged and sank U-546, Otter assisted in the resuce of survivors

Upon the end of the European war, Otter was one of the qhips assigned to accept the surrender of German subs. She intercepted a U-boat east of Newfoundland, put a boarding party on board, and escorted the sub, the second to surrender, over a thousand miles to the East Coast of the United States.

Otter then began to refit for the Pacific War. The end of hostilities changed plans and Otter was assigned to the Submarine Base, New London, Conn., to assist in submarine training.

By directive dated January 1947 Otter was placed out of commission, in reserve, attached to the U.S. Atlantic Reserve Fleet and berthed in Florida.

Otter received one battle star for service in World War II.