Pride (DE-323)
(DE-323: dp. 1,590 (f.); l. 306-0-; b. 367-; dr. 12-3-; s. 21 k. cpl. 216; a. 3 3-, 8 40mm, 2 dct., 8 dcp., 1 dcp. (hh.), 3 21- tt.; cl. Edsall)
Lewis Bailey Pride, Jr., born at Miami, Fla. 22 April 1919, was appointed Midshipman from Kentucky 23 June 1937. He was commissioned an Ensign 7 February 1941, and reported on board Oklahoma 13 March 1941. He was killed in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, 7 December 1941.
Pride (DE-323) was laid down by the Consolidated Steel Co., Orange, Tex., 12 April 1943; launched 3 July 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Lewis Bailey Pride, mother of Lewis Bailey Pride, Jr.; and commissioned 13 November 1943, Comdr. R. R. Curry, U.S.C.G, in command.
After shakedown off Bermuda, Pride spent the next twelve months escorting six convoys into the Mediterranean. On 20 April 1944 during the second voyage German planes attacked Convoy UGS-38 at dusk off Algiers, and sank five ships, including a transport carrying 500 soldiers, and destroyer Landsdale. On the return voyage Pride with Joseph E. Campbell (DE-70), RF Senegalais and HMS Blankney, sank U-371, taking 49 prisoners, 4 May 1944.
On I March 1945, she was assigned hunter killer work with three other ships of her division, the group scoring against U-866 off Halifax I March. She then joined a North Atlantic escort carrier group assigned to search out and destroy U-boats before they gained access to the shipping lanes. By the end of European hostilities, 5 of the 6 submarines known to be in the area were destroyed. The 6th surrendered shortly after V-E Day.
She then escorted two transports to Liverpool, whence she steamed back across the Atlantic to Panama where she conducted submarine training exercises until late in 1945. On 29 December she reported to the Atlantic Reserve Fleet at Green Cove Springs, Fla. On 26 April 1946 Pride decommissioned at Green Cove Springs. In 1961 she was moved to Orange, Tex., where she remains into 1970.
Pride earned three battle stars for World War II service.
