Reynolds

Dudley Louis Reynolds, born at Blair, Nebr., 20 November 1910, enlisted in the Navy on 4 January 1928. Warranted Machinist from 18 February 1938, he was commissioned ensign on 23 July 1942. He served briefly in Saratoga (February and March 1938), then reported for duty in Pensacola. Ensign Reynolds was killed on board Pensacola during action against the Japanese in the Battle of Tassafaronga, Solomon Islands, on 30 November 1942.

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DE-91, originally assigned the name Reynolds, was designated for transfer to the United Kingdom on 10 June 1943; laid down on 10 October 1943 by the Bethlehem Steel Shipyard, Hingham, Mass.; launched on 14 October 1943; and delivered to and commissioned in the Royal Navy as H.M.S. Halsted on 3 November 1943. Subsequently damaged, she was cannibalized for spares in late 1944 and was scrapped in 1948 by the R. V. Holland Shipbreaking Yard.

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(DE-42: dp. 1,140; l. 289'5"; b. 35'1"; dr. 11'10"; s. 21 k.; cpl. 156; a. 3 3", 4 1.1", 9 20mm., 2 dct., 8 dcp., 1 dcp (hh.); cl. Evarts)

DE-42, originally assigned to the United Kingdom, was laid down on 12 January 1943 as BDE-42 by the Puget Sound Navy Yard, Bremerton, Wash.; redesignated DE-42 on 16 June 1943; named Reynolds on 23 June 1943; launched on 1 August 1943; and christened by Mrs. D. L. Reynolds, widow of Ensign Reynolds, and commissioned on 1 November 1943, Lt. Cmdr. Edward P. Adams in command.

Following shakedown off southern California, Reynolds departed the west coast 13 January 1944 and steamed to Pearl Harbor. Further training followed and on 27 January she sailed west in the screen of White Plains (CVE-66) then ferrying replacement aircraft to forward areas. Arriving at Majuro on 4 February, she accompanied White Plains to Kwajalein, then back to Majuro, whence they steamed via Makin to Pearl Harbor, arriving on 23 February. Reynolds then operated under Commander, Submarine Training Force, into May and, after conducting an ASW demonstration for Australian observers, she resumed oceanic escort duties with a run to Eniwetok. Arriving 20 June, she joined TG 12.2, a hunter-killer group, and on 28 July assisted Wyman (DE-38) in sinking I-55.

Detached from hunter-killer duty 9 August, Reynolds returned to Pearl Harbor. Departing again on 20 August as a unit of TU 31.4.4, the Western Garrison Force for the Palau operation, she arrived at Kossol Passage on 20 September and, until 5 October, remained in the area, patrolling the northern entrance to the passage. Between 5 October and 14 November, she escorted ships between Manus and Purvis Bay, then proceeded to Ulithi where she joined TG 30.8 on the 17th. Operating primarily with that group for the remainder of the war, she screened the auxiliaries as they replenished the task groups of TF 38/58 off the Philippines, Formosa, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa.

After the cessation of Pacific hostilities, Reynolds continued to screen the logistic ships. Detached on 4 September she proceeded to Tokyo Bay. There until the 7th, she screened refueling operations for TF 16, then steamed via Ulithi for the United States and inactivation. Arriving at San Francisco in mid-October, Reynolds decommissioned at Mare Island on 5 December 1945. Struck from the Navy list on 19 December 1945, she was sold and delivered to Mr. John L. Key, San Francisco, on 28 April 1947.

Reynolds (DE-42) earned eight battle stars during World War II.