Sloat II (DE-245)
(DE-245: dp. 1,200; l. 306'; b. 36'7"; dr. 12'3"; s. 21.2 k.; cpl. 216; a. 3 3", 2 40mm., 10 20mm., 2 dct, 8 dcp., 1 dcp. (hh.), 3 21" tt.; cl. Edsall)
John Drake Sloat was born in Sloatbury, N.Y., on 26 July 1781 and was appointed Midshipman in the United States Navy on 12 February 1800. He was sailing master of United States under Commodore Decatur and was promoted to Lieutenant for conspicuous gallantry in the capture of HMS Macedonian on 25 October 1812. He cruised in Grampus, Franklin, Washington, and St. Louis, between 1815 and 1831 and commanded the Pacific Squadron between 1844 and 1846, rendering efficient service on the coast of California in the early part of the Mexican War. Under his direction, the American flag was hoisted on 7 July 1846 above Monterey, symbolizing the conquest of that part of California by the United States. He subsequently held a number of commands ashore including making the plans for the Mare Island Navy Yard and directing the construction of the Stevens Battery in 1855. He was appointed Rear Admiral on the retired list on 25 July 1866 and died at New Brighton, Staten Island, N.Y., on 28 November 1867.
II
The second Sloat (DE-245) was laid down on 21 November 1942 by Brown Shipbuilding Co., Houston, Tex.; launched on 21 January 1943; sponsored by Mrs. J. B. Deason; and commissioned on 16 August 1943, Lt. Comdr. E. E. Garcia in command.
Sloat moved to New Orleans on 28 August and sailed from there on 5 September to Bermuda for her shakedown cruise. Following a post-shakedown yard availability period at Charleston, S. C., from 7 to 17 October, the escort sailed to New York. She escorted convoy UGS-22 from there, on 22 October, to Norfolk and returned. The first week in November, she escorted UGS-23 to Norfolk. On 11 November, Sloat, as a unit of Escort Division (CortDiv)- 7, stood out of New York with convoy UGS-24 bound for Norfolk and North Africa. The convoy arrived at Casablanca on 2 December, and the escort picked up GUS-26 there, five days later, and returned to New York on 25 December 1943.
On 10 January 1944, Sloat joined UGS-30 en route to Casablanca and returned with GUS-29 on 22 February. The escort joined the New York section of convoy UGS-36 on 10 March and sailed to Norfolk where it rendezvoused with the main body. The convoy, consisting of 72 merchant ships and 18 LST's, was guarded by Task Force (TF) 64. En route to Bizerte, Tunisia, the convoy was attacked by the Luftwaffe on 1 April, approximately 56 miles west of Algiers. Two planes were shot down and two damaged while only one ship in the convoy was damaged. The convoy arrived at Bizerte on 3 April. Eight days later, Sloat joined another convoy and returned to New York on 1 May.
Following training exercises in Casco Bay, Me., Sloat sailed from New York with Tripoli (CVE-64) in Task Group (TG) 22.4, a submarine hunter-killer group on24 May. The group put into Argentina, Newfoundland, from 12 to 15 June and then went back to sea. Sloat returned to New York on 15 June and operated from there until 7 August when she sailed with TG 23.9 for the Caribbean. In September, they were operating off Newfoundland and returned to New York on 9 October 1944. The escort operated along the east coast until 24 January 1945 when she joined TG 22.4 to hunt U-boats in the North Atlantic. Sloat returned to the east coast and operated from New York to the Caribbean until 15 July when she was ordered to San Diego and duty with the Pacific Fleet.
Sloat arrived at San Diego on 26 July and was ordered to sail for Pearl Harbor five days later. She arrived there on 7 August, and was ordered further west. From 20 August 1945 to 1 May 1946, she made supply runs to Saipan, Guam, Eniwetok, the Caroline Islands, Two Jima, and Shanghai. She returned to San Pedro, Calif., on 1 May 1946 and was routed to Charleston, arriving on 20 May. On 12 September, she sailed to Green Cove Springs, Fla., for inactivation. She was placed in reserve, out of commission, in January 1947. Sloat was struck from the Navy list on 2 January 1971 and sold to Peck Equipment Co., Portsmouth, Va., on 5 April 1972 for scrap.
Sloat received one battle star for World War II service.
