  {|    |} uss austin (de-15), was an  of the united states navy during world war ii. the ship was named for chief carpenter john arnold austin (1905-1941) who was killed in action on board  during the attack on pearl harbor by japanese forces on 7 december 1941, and was posthumously awarded the navy cross. the second austin (de-15) was laid down on 14 march 1942 at the mare island navy yard as hms blackwood (bde-15) for the united kingdom under the terms of the lend-lease agreement; launched on 25 september 1942: sponsored by mrs. w. c. springer; taken over by the united states navy on 25 january 1943 and redesignated de-15; and commissioned on 13 february 1943, lt. comdr. h. g. claudius, usnr, in command. the destroyer escort was apparently commissioned as simply de-15 for the name austin was not assigned to her until 19 february 1943, six days after she went into commission. ==service history== assigned to escort division (cortdiv) 14, the ship 
1942_ships Evarts-class_destroyer_escorts Ships_built_in_Vallejo,_California Weather_ships World_War_II_frigates_and_destroyer_escorts_of_the_United_States