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Naval History and Heritage Command

Naval History and Heritage Command

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  • Boats-Ships--Frigate
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Ebert (DE-768)

1944-1951

Hilan Ebert, born on 21 March 1903 in Alliance, Ohio, graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1926 and served in various billets afloat and ashore until assigned to Northampton (CA-26) on 29 April 1942. Lieutenant Commander Ebert was killed in action on 30 November 1942 when his ship was torpedoed in the Battle of Tassafaronga off Guadalcanal. He was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for his courage and disregard for his own safety beyond the call of duty until his ship was lost.

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The name Ebert was assigned to DE-74 which was transferred under lend lease to the United Kingdom 13 October 1943 before commissioning. After service as HMS Bentley, she was returned to the United States after the war and sold 20 June 1947.

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(DE-768: displacement 1,240; 1ength 306'0"; beam 36'8"; draft 8'9"; speed 21 knots; complement 186; armament 3 3-inch, 2 40 millimeter, 8 20 millimeter, 3 21-inch torpedo tubes, 8 depth charge projectors, 1 depth charge projector (Hedgehog), 2 depth charge tracks; class Cannon)

Ebert (DE-768) was laid down on 1 April 1943 at Tampa, Florida, by the Tampa SHipbuilding Co., Inc.; launched on 11 May 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Hilan Ebert, widow of Lt. Cmdr. Ebert; and commissioned on 12 July 1944, Lt. Cmdr. Frederic Gibbs, USNR, in command.

Ebert guarded the passage of convoys carrying men and supplies vital to victory in Europe, to ports in Britain and France, between 6 October 1944 and 14 May 1945, then returned to New York to prepare for duty in the Pacific. She sailed on 8 June for Pearl Harbor,  Territory of Hawaii; Eniwetok, Marshall Islands;  and the Philippines. She escorted convoys carrying occupation troops to Japan, until 30 November when she left Manila for the U.S. Ebert was placed out of commission in reserve at Green Cove Springs, Fla., 14 June 1946.

Towed to Boston in November 1950, Ebert was transferred to Greece on 1 March 1951 under the Mutual Defense Assistance Program- (MDAP).  Six days later, on 7 March 1951, Ebert was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register.  She served in the Royal Hellenic Navy for four decades, being stricken from that Navy's register in 1991.

Updated, Robert J. Cressman

3 March 2022

 

Published: Fri Mar 04 22:17:05 EST 2022