USS Leopold ( DE - 319 ) The USS " Leopold " ( DE - 319 ) was an built for the United States Navy during World War II . Named for Ensign Robert Lawrence Leopold ( who served aboard the battleship and was killed during the Attack on Pearl Harbor ) , she was the only U . S . Naval vessel to bear the name . " Leopold " was laid down on 24 March 1943 by the Consolidated Steel Corporation of Orange , Texas ; launched on 12 June 1943 ; sponsored by Ms . Helen S . Leopold , sister of Ensign Leopold ; and commissioned on 18 October 1943 , Lieutenant Commander Kenneth C . Phillips , USCG , in command . History . After structural firing tests at Galveston , Texas she departed for New Orleans . On 7 November , she proceeded to Great Sound , Bermuda where shakedown exercises were begun . On 9 December , she left for Charleston , South Carolina and 11 days of post - shakedown availability . After four days of training exercises for officers and her nucleus crew for new destroyer escorts in the Chesapeake Bay area , " Leopold " stood out of Thimble Shoal Channel on 24 December 1943 as part of Task Force 61 ( TF 61 ) , escorting convoy UGS - 68 to the Mediterranean . On the 30th , " Leopold " was directed to go to the rear of the convoy and search for a seaman reported lost overboard from one of the convoy ships . It was very dark and fairly rough , so , unless the seaman had on a life jacket with a light , the chances of finding him were slight . After 45 minutes , she discontinued the search . The convoy reached the Straits of Gibraltar on 10 January and was turned over to British escorts . " Leopold " moored at Casablanca on the 11th . On the 13th , she commenced patrolling as anti - submarine screen across the Atlantic side of the Straits of Gibraltar , TF 61 forming a line to prevent U - boats from entering the Mediterranean . On the 15th , she moored at Gibraltar , and on the 16th proceeded out of the inner harbor to close up the stragglers on west - bound convoy GUS - 27 . On 1 February , a northwesterly gale caused the convoy to scatter and much time was consumed rounding up stragglers . " Leopold " arrived at New York on the 4th for 10 days availability at the Navy Yard . From 14 – 27 February , " Leopold " — with other escorts of Escort Division 22 ( CortDiv 22 ) — underwent training exercises at Casco Bay , Maine . Departing New York on 1 March on her second voyage , " Leopold " took her screening station — as part of CortDiv 22 — with the 27 - ship convoy CU - 16 bound for the British Isles . On the 8th , she reported an HF / DF intercept which indicated an enemy submarine on the route of the convoy . The route was consequently altered . On 9 March , while south of Iceland , she reported a radar contact at 19 : 50 at , which placed it south of the convoy at . Assisted by the destroyer escort , " Leopold " was ordered to intercept . General Quarters was sounded and orders were issued to " " fire on sight . " " A flare was released and gun crew strained to sight the submarine in the lighted area . The U - boat was almost submerged when spotted and the gun crews had to work blind . " Leopold " was struck by an acoustic torpedo fired from the . Badly damaged , she was abandoned . " Joyce " rescued 28 survivors at the close of the action ; 171 others were lost through explosion on board or drowning after abandoning . " Leopold " remained afloat until early the next morning , then sank just south of Iceland .