USS Harold C. Thomas

USS Harold C. Thomas, in 1945
History
United States
Name	USS Harold C. Thomas
Builder	Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, California
Laid down	30 April 1942
Launched	18 December 1942, as HMS Essington (BDE-21)
Commissioned	31 May 1943
Decommissioned	26 October 1945
Renamed	USS Harold C. Thomas, 19 February 1943
Stricken	28 November 1945
Honors and awards	2 battle stars (World War II)
Fate	Sold for scrapping, 25 November 1946
General characteristics
Type	Evarts-class destroyer escort
Displacement	1,140 long tons (1,158 t) standard 1,430 long tons (1,453 t) full
Length	289 ft 5 in (88.21 m) o/a 283 ft 6 in (86.41 m) w/l
Beam	35 ft (11 m)
Draft	11 ft (3.4 m) (max)
Propulsion	4 × General Motors Model 16-278A diesel engines with electric drive, 6,000 shp (4,474 kW) 2 screws
Speed	19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph)
Range	4,150 nmi (7,690 km)
Complement	15 officers and 183 enlisted
Armament	3 × single 3"/50 Mk.22 dual purpose guns 1 × quad 1.1"/75 Mk.2 AA gun 9 × 20 mm Mk.4 AA guns 1 × Hedgehog Projector Mk.10 (144 rounds) 8 × Mk.6 depth charge projectors 2 × Mk.9 depth charge tracks

USS Harold C. Thomas (DE-21) was an Evarts-class destroyer escort constructed for the United States Navy during World War II. It was promptly sent off into the Pacific Ocean to protect convoys and other ships from Japanese submarines and fighter aircraft. At the end of the war, she returned to the United States with two battle stars.

She was launched on 18 December 1942 by the Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, California, as HMS Essington (BDE-21) for the British Royal Navy; later designated for U.S. Navy use; and commissioned on 31 May 1943.