USS James E . Craig ( DE - 201 ) USS " James E . Craig " ( DE - 201 ) , a of the United States Navy , was named in honor of Lieutenant Commander James Edwin Craig ( 1901 - 1941 ) , who was killed in action aboard the during the Japan ese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941 . " James E . Craig " was launched on 22 July 1943 , by Charleston Navy Yard ; sponsored by Mrs . J . E . Craig , widow of Lieutenant Commander Craig ; and commissioned on 1 November 1943 , Lieutenant Commander Hampton M . Ericson in command . Service history . The new destroyer escort departed the Charleston Navy Yard on 23 November for shakedown off Bermuda and returned to the yard on 25 December for alterations . She sailed on 4 January 1944 for Panama via the Windward Passage . In the Caribbean she joined her sister ships and on 7 January to escort two troop transport s . She transited the Panama Canal on 8 January . In company with other destroyer escorts , " James E . Craig " steamed from Balboa , Panama , on 14 January escorting SS " Azalea City " to Nouméa , New Caledonia . Stopping at Bora Bora on 27 January , " James E . Craig " and " Azalea City " departed the 28th and two days later encountered a typhoon which pounded the ships with waves . They passed through a second typhoon on 4 February with winds of . On 5 February they were ordered to Espiritu Santo , and arrived the following day . New Guinea campaign . " James E . Craig " departed Espiritu Santo on 13 February with three other escorts and seven merchant ships bound for Guadalcanal . Upon arrival the 16th , she began anti - submarine patrol off Lunga Point . She departed for Espiritu Santo on 23 February , escorting two merchant ships and continued her escort duty between Guadalcanal and Espiritu Santo for several weeks . On 15 March , she escorted the oiler from Espiritu Santo to a fueling rendezvous with Task Force 36 , which was engaged in operations against Kavieng , New Ireland , and Emirau Island , " the last link in the ring around Rabaul . " Refueling completed the 25th , " James E . Craig " and " Cacapon " joined other escorts and tankers and returned to Espirito Santo . On 31 March , " James E . Craig " departed Espiritu Santo in company with Escort Division 37 , including " Lovelace " , , and . Stopping at Tulagi in the Solomons , 2 to 4 April , they sailed the 5th for New Guinea , where " James E . Craig " was to see action for five months . On 26 April , " James E . Craig " joined a convoy of escorts and transports bound from Cape Sudest to Humboldt Bay to support the invasion of Hollandia , underway since the 22nd . The convoy arrived on 3 May ; and after discharging the transports , the escorts returned to Cape Sudest the 5th . " James E . Craig " , now under the command of Lieutenant Commander Edward F . Andrews , steamed on 13 May on escort duty to Humboldt Bay via Aitape Roads , arrived the 17th , and immediately joined an attack convoy bound for Wakde - Sarmi , west of Hollandia . She returned the same day to Humboldt Bay , where she continued her patrols and escort duty . She bombarded enemy troop concentrations at Wakde - Sarmi on the 27th and returned to Cape Cretin via Humboldt Bay on the 31st . " James E . Craig " returned to Humboldt Bay on 6 June to prepare for the bitter conquest of Biak Island . With six other escorts , she accompanied the convoy and supported the landing operations on 12 June . Departing the same day , the convoy returned to Humboldt Bay the 14th ; and " James E . Craig " continued as escort to Cape Cretin , where she arrived three days later . During the remainder of June and through July , " James E . Craig " continued escort and anti - submarine duties along the northern coast of New Guinea . While on ASW operations off Wakde , she conducted prolonged , successful bombardments of enemy supply depots at Sawar , 11 – 12 July , expending some 3 , 300 rounds of 3 - inch and 1 . 1 - inch shellfire . A week later , she arrived at Noemfoor Island , southwest of Biak , and escorted convoys 18 to 23 July on a triangular route from Noemfoor to Humboldt Bay via Biak . Arriving at Madang , Astrolabe Bay , on 23 July for overhaul , " James E . Craig " returned to Humboldt Bay to resume her escort and ASW operations . During August , she plied the coastal waters off New Guinea from Cape Cretin to Wakde ; then devoted the six weeks to escort and anti - submarine patrol between Cape Cretin , Manus Island , and Humboldt Bay . On 11 October , she joined a convoy at Ulithi , then sailed for the Palaus on the 18th and arrived Peleliu two days later for ASW operations . She returned to Manus the 25th for repairs . Philippines campaign . Attacked off Letye . Back at Humboldt Bay on 14 November , she joined a large convoy of transports , amphibious craft , and escorts underway on the 17th for the Philippine Islands , to support the vital , Allied foothold on Leyte , established some four weeks earlier . The convoy of 75 ships and 9 escorts steamed northwestward and by dusk of the 23rd approached Leyte Gulf . " James E . Craig " , returning from radar picket patrol to her assigned ASW station , made radar contact with six low - flying unidentified planes approaching from the south at approximately . Soon her spotters observed " Jill " torpedo bomber s out , closing at high speed . As the enemy aircraft broke into three groups in an attempt to " box the target , " " James E . Craig " turned left full rudder to meet the attackers ; and all guns which could bear commenced firing at the aircraft , still more than out . Four of the attackers began a run and launched their torpedo es at a range of 1 , 000 - 1 , 500 yards to port ; as the ship turned , three torpedoes passed " close aboard to port " and almost parallel to her . Meanwhile , two aircraft commenced a run from the starboard side . Approaching almost directly from out of the sunset , one dropped a torpedo within a thousand yards which broached once before settling down on its run . As " James E . Craig " turned hard to starboard , the torpedo passed within astern . One of the attackers passed within of the ship , was hit by starboard 20 mm gunfire , and splashed after passing over frigate . The convoy stood into San Pedro Bay , Leyte , the following day , and remained at battle stations a greater part of the day to repel enemy aircraft which attempted to bomb the convoy . That night , the convoy and escorts reformed and departed for Humboldt Bay via the Palaus . Upon arrival , " James E . Craig " received general maintenance and overhaul from destroyer tender through 10 December . She spent the remainder of the month escorting fleet tankers and practicing anti - aircraft and night torpedo firing drills at Padaido , Dutch East Indies , and Humboldt Bay . On 28 December , Escort Division 37 departed Humboldt Bay with a convoy of tankers and merchant ships bound for Leyte , where they arrived on 1 January 1945 . Landings on Luzon . The following day , " James E . Craig " stood out for Mindoro Island to join Task Group 77 . 2 , ordered to support landing operations on northern Luzon . Enemy reconnaissance planes maintained close surveillance ; and late afternoon on 4 January an enemy suicide plane penetrated defenses and struck the , causing her to burst into flame . After the conflagration got out of hand , the escort carrier ' s commander ordered abandon ship . " James E . Craig " assisted in rescue operations and , later that evening , proceeded with other escorts and tankers to Mindoro . Standing into Mangarin Bay the following morning , " James E . Craig " commenced picket and ASW operations , which continued through the day and into the night , as the convoy departed Mangarin to maneuver off Mindoro during darkness . Designed to prevent enemy attack at night , the night maneuvers continued until the 10th , when the convoy remained at Mangarin Bay through the night . " James E . Craig " resumed ASW operations at the harbor entrance for several days until troublesome submarine detection equipment forced her to retire to Mangarin Harbor on 14 January . She commenced anti - aircraft patrol for ships in anchorage and on 5 February returned to San Pedro Bay , Leyte , for repairs , thence to Humboldt Bay , New Guinea , arriving on 2 March . Escort duties . Getting underway the following day , she returned to San Pedro Bay via Kossol Roads , Palaus . Upon arriving Leyte on 10 March , " James E . Craig " prepared for continued escort duties between San Pedro Bay and Manila , Manus , Humboldt Bay , and Kossol Roads . From 14 March to 21 May , she operated almost continuously on escort duty , and on the 21st she departed Leyte for Lingayen Gulf . Standing into San Fernando Harbor four days later , she commenced anti - submarine and escort patrols along the coast of Luzon that continued to 13 August when she departed for Manila . Once at Manila , she resumed ASW operations to the 27th ; then , as escort in company with " Eichenberger " , she convoyed tugs and tows en route Okinawa . An impending typhoon disrupted the convoy on 1 September ; high seas and winds scattered the ships and separated tugs from their tows . After the storm abated on 2 September , " James E . Craig " began search and rescue operations which continued to the 9th . Further typhoon warnings caused the ships to return to Subic Bay , Luzon , where the convoy anchored the following day . Decommissioning . " James E . Craig " remained at Subic Bay until 1 October , when she steamed for the United States via Eniwetok and Pearl Harbor . She arrived San Diego on 5 November and decommissioned there on 2 July 1946 . She was struck from the Navy List on 30 June 1968 . Awards . " James E . Craig " received four battle star s for World War II service .