Blair (DE 147) - Naval Cruise Book

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IISHURT HISTIIRY IIE THE UNITED STATES SHIP BLAIR BLAIR was built by the Consolidated Steel Corporation at their Orange, Texas yard. It was sponsored at its launching 6 April, 1943, by Mrs. Muriel Agnes Blair of Providence, Rhode Island, wife of chief Blair, and was placed in full commission 13 September, 1943, with a complement of 10 officers, and 168 enlisted men. Under the command of Lieutenant Commander Alden J. Laborde, she was assigned after trials and shake-down training to Escort Division Three under the Commander, Des- troyers U.S. Atlantic Fleet. BLAIR's main task in the Atlantic was the escort of con- voys to the United Kingdom or Gibralter from New York. She completed 12 trans- Atlantic missions in 20 months and no ship in any of her convoys was lost despite intensive enemy air and submarine activity. In May of 1945, BLAIR was readied for action in the Pacific Theatre, and arrived in Pearl Harbor, T.I-I. on 10 August, 1945. The war was soon over however and BLAIR was ordered to Charleston, South Carolina on 4 September, 1945, for assignment to the reserve umoth ball fleet. On 24 April, 1946, she was placed '4Out of commission, in reservei' at Green Cove Springs, Florida, on the St. Johns River. With the impact of the Korean war, BLAIR was once more needed and reactivation commenced on 20 August, 1951. After re- commissioning on 5 October, 1951, BLAIR was extensively engaged in anti-subma- rine training at Key West, Florida in conjunction with the Fleet Sonar School there. The decision to establish the Distant Early Warning line and to extend it to seaward necessitated the conversion of several destroyer escorts to Destroyer Escort, Radar Pickets. BLAIR was decommissioned in November, 1956, at the Boston Naval Ship- yard and underwent extensive changes and modernization to prepare her for her new task. The conversion consisted primarily of the installation of better radar and sonar equipment and improved habitibility features. Under the command of LCDR Richard L. Warren, she was recommissioned 2 December, 1957, with a complement of 12 officers and 165 enlisted men. Once again BLAIR journeyed to Pearl Harbor for service on the Pacific Barrier. In July, 1958, BLAIR was awarded the Escort Squadron Seven Battle Efficiency E for excellence in all phases of her opera- tions. LCDR George P. Peed relieved as Commanding Officer in December, 1958.

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RICHARD L. WARREN LCDR., USN Commanding Officer Dec. 1957-Dec. 1958 FORREST R. DEGLER ELCDR., USN - Executive Officer 'Dec. 1957-Nov. 1958 N 0 Phoio Available