Pope II DD-134

Pope II (DD~134: dp. 1,590 (f.); 1. 306'0"; b. 36'7"; dr. 12'3", s. 21 k. cpl. 216; a. 3 3", 8 40mm, 2 det., 8 dcp., 1 dcp. (hh.) cl. Edsall). The second Pope (DE-134) was laid down by Consolidated Steel Co., Orange, Tex. 14 July 1942, launched 12 January 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Rae W. Fabens; and commissioned 25 June 1943, Comdr. Frederiek Sherman Hall in command. After shakedown off Bermuda, Pope reached Casablanea with her first convoy 23 September 1943 and subsequently escorted two more convoys to the Mediterranean. She then began work with TG 21.12, an antisubmarine task group centered on Guadalcanal (CVE-60). On 9 April 1944 Pope's task group sank U-616 off French Morocco, and on 4 June participated in the capture of U-606 west of Cape Blanehe. For her part in that action Pope received the Presidential Unit Citation. Pope continued operations with Guadalcanal in the Atlantic and Caribbean until the end of the war in Europe, assisting in the sinking of U-646, 24 April 1945. Shortly after hostilities ceased, Pope, with Pillsbury (DE133), escorted U-868 which had surrendered in the North Atlantic to Cape May, N.J., then escorted another convoy across tee Atlantic. After returning to the United States, Pope performed plane guard duties for Solomons (CVE-67) out of Norfolk and Mayport, then began inactivation. Pope decommissioned 17 May 1946 at Green Cove Springs, Fla. and entered the Atlantic Reserve Fleet where she remains into 1970. Pope received three battle stars for World War II service.