WILLIAM T POWELL DE 213
Ship Name and Designation History
This section lists the names and designations that the ship had during its lifetime. The list is in chronological order.
-
Buckley Class Destroyer Escort
- USS WILLIAM T. POWELL DE-213
Commissioned March 28 1944
- USS WILLIAM T. POWELL DER-213
Reclassified Radar Picket Escort (DER) March 18 1949
Decommissioned December 9 1949
Recommissioned November 28 1950
- USS WILLIAM T. POWELL DE-213
Reverted to Destroyer Escort (DE) December 1 1954
Decommissioned January 17 1958
Struck from Naval Register November 1 1965
Sold October 3 1966 for scrap
Keel Laid August 26 1943 - Launched November 27 1943
This section lists active links to the pages displaying covers associated with the ship. There should be a separate set of pages for each incarnation of the ship (ie, for each entry in the "Ship Name and Designation History" section). Covers should be presented in chronological order (or as best as can be determined).
Since a ship may have many covers, they may be split among many pages so it doesn't take forever for the pages to load. Each page link should be accompanied by a date range for covers on that page.
- William T. Powell Covers Page 1 (1945-47)
Postmarks
This section lists examples of the postmarks used by the ship. There should be a separate set of postmarks for each incarnation of the ship (ie, for each entry in the "Ship Name and Designation History" section). Within each set, the postmarks should be listed in order of their classification type. If more than one postmark has the same classification, then they should be further sorted by date of earliest known usage.
A postmark should not be included unless accompanied by a close-up image and/or an
image of a cover showing that postmark. Date ranges MUST be based ONLY ON COVERS IN
THE MUSEUM and are expected to change as more covers are added.
>>> If you have a better example for any of the postmarks, please feel free to replace the
existing example.
|
Postmark Type |
Date From to Date To |
Thumbnail Link To Postmark Image |
Thumbnail Link To Cover Image |
|---|
1st Commissioning March 28 1944 to December 9 1949
|
Locy Type |
1947-02-17 |
 |
 |
As DE-213
|
Locy Type |
1947-04-01 |
 |
 |
As DE-213
|
Locy Type |
1947-02-17 |
 |
|
As DE-213
|
Locy Type |
1945-11-09 |
 |
 |
As DE-213
|
Locy Type |
1945-07-30 |
 |
 |
As DE-213
Other Information
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons...
American Campaign Medal - European-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal - National Defense Service Medal
NAMESAKE - William Thomas Powell USN (October 3 1918 - November 12 1942)
Powell enlisted in the Navy on October 4 1939 and received training at the Naval Training Station, Newport, R.I., before reporting to the Heavy Cruiser USS SAN FRANCISCO CA-38 on December 17 1939, at Norfolk, Va. He advanced through the ranks to attain the rating of Gunner's Mate, 2d class, on April 1 1942. SAN FRANCISCO, while Powell served in her, took part in the war in the Pacific from the outset. The ship lay at Pearl Harbor December 7 1941 during the Japanese attack and participated in the ensuing operations: the abortive relief expedition to Wake Island; screening Task Force (TF) 17 during the Marshalls-Gilberts raids and TF 11 during the raid on Rabaul. SAN FRANCISCO also took part in the initial American offensive in the South Pacific—the invasion of the Solomon Islands. Guadalcanal remained a bitter battleground from August 1942 to February 1943. On November 12 1942, a large formation of Japanese bombers attacked a formation of American transports off Lunga Point. With ample warning, the vital ships got underway, screened by destroyers and cruisers, SAN FRANCISCO included, and the intense antiaircraft fire and superb seamanship on the part of the Americans prevented the enemy from successfully pressing home his attack. The victory had not been achieved without cost, however, as an already damaged "Betty" loosed her torpedo off SAN FRANCISCO's starboard quarter. The "fish" passed alongside, but the plane crashed into the after control station. Gunner's Mate Powell was manning a 20-millimeter Oerlikon on the gun platform at the time. He courageously refused to abandon his post in the face of the oncoming plane, and with cool determination and utter disregard for his own personal safety, maintained a steady fire on the crippled "Betty" until she hit nearby, killing Powell in the fiery explosion that engulfed his position. Fifteen men, including the cruiser's Executive Officer, were killed and 29 wounded.
For his perseverance and relentless devotion to duty, Gunner's Mate 2d Class Powell received the Purple Heart and Navy Cross posthumously. He also received, posthumously, the Presidential Unit Citation awarded SAN FRANCISCO for her performance at the Battle of Cape Esperance and the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal
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