USS Stewart (DE-238) facts for kids
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USS Stewart in 1943
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| History | |
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 United States |
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| Name | Stewart |
| Namesake | Charles Stewart |
| Builder | Brown Shipbuilding, Houston, Texas |
| Laid down | 15 July 1942 |
| Launched | 22 November 1942 |
| Commissioned | 31 May 1943 |
| Decommissioned | January 1947 |
| Stricken | 1 October 1972 |
| Fate | Donated as a museum ship to Galveston, Texas on 25 June 1974 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Edsall-class destroyer escort |
| Displacement |
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| Length | 306 ft (93.3 m) |
| Beam | 36.58 ft (11.1 m) |
| Draft | 10.42 ft (3.2 m) full load |
| Propulsion |
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| Speed | 21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph) |
| Range | 9,100 nmi (16,900 km; 10,500 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) |
| Complement | 8 officers, 201 enlisted |
| Armament |
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USS Stewart
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 USS Stewart
Location in Texas
USS Stewart
Location in the United States
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| Location | East End of Seawolf Park, Galveston, Texas |
| Area | 0.3 acres (0.12 ha) |
| NRHP reference No. | 07000689 |
| Added to NRHP | 12 July 2007 |
USS Stewart (DE–238) is a special kind of ship called an Edsall-class destroyer escort. She was the third ship in the United States Navy to be named Stewart. This ship was named after Rear Admiral Charles Stewart. He was a brave naval officer who commanded the famous ship USS Constitution during the War of 1812.
The Stewart is very unique. She is one of only two destroyer escorts that have been saved in the U.S. Also, she is the only ship of her specific type, the Edsall-class, that is still around. Today, you can visit her in Galveston, Texas. She is a museum ship and is open for everyone to explore.
Contents
Building and Early Missions
The third ship named Stewart (DE-238) was built in Houston, Texas. Her construction started on July 15, 1942. She was officially launched into the water on November 22, 1942. The ship was then put into service on May 31, 1943.
Stewart stayed in Houston for a short time. Then, she moved to Galveston for a few days. After that, she went to New Orleans, Louisiana, to get ready for her duties. On June 22, she began her training near Bermuda. This training, called a shakedown cruise, lasted about a month.
After training, Stewart sailed to Philadelphia. She spent six days there before heading south to Miami, Florida. For several months, she patrolled and practiced in the waters near Miami. On October 31, she arrived in Norfolk, Virginia.
Training and Convoy Escorts
After a short trip up the Potomac River, Stewart began an important job. She helped train new crews for other destroyer escorts in Norfolk. This training lasted for about three and a half months. During this time, she also helped escort two convoys (groups of ships traveling together) from Tompkinsville, New York, to the Virginia Capes area.
On March 17, 1944, Stewart left Norfolk. She joined a convoy heading to Reykjavík, Iceland. This journey included a stop in Newfoundland. She returned to Tompkinsville on April 10. After a quick stop in drydock, she joined another convoy on April 25.
This convoy sailed through Aruba and reached Cristobal in the Panama Canal Zone on May 3. The next day, Stewart escorted the convoy to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. From there, she sailed alone to Bermuda.
Submarine Hunts and Exercises
Stewart arrived at Port Royal on May 10. For the next week, she practiced attacking a captured Italian submarine. From May 18 to 23, Stewart searched for an unknown contact near Bermuda. She used depth charges once, but the results were not clear. On May 23, she returned to Port Royal.
On May 27, Stewart left Port Royal again. She was part of a "hunter-killer" group with two other ships, USS Rhind and USS Wainwright. On June 3, they met up with a convoy and sailed north. Stewart then went to Boston, Massachusetts, arriving on June 9.
On June 25, she moved to Casco Bay, Maine. The next day, she practiced antisubmarine warfare (ASW) with an Italian submarine named Vortice. On June 27, she sailed south to Norfolk.
Transatlantic Convoys
Stewart arrived in Norfolk on June 29. On July 1, she began escorting another convoy to Naples, Italy. They arrived on July 15. She left Naples on July 21 with the return convoy. She reached the Brooklyn Navy Yard in New York on August 3.
In mid-August, she went back to Casco Bay for training. Then, she entered drydock in Boston on August 17. She left drydock on August 21 and soon joined another convoy in Norfolk. On August 24, she started another trip to Naples. She returned to New York City on September 26.
On October 9, she moved to Casco Bay again for ASW training with Vortice. On October 20, she returned to Boston. Two days later, she sailed with convoy CU 44. On that same day, Stewart dropped four depth charges after hearing a sound. However, she had to stop the search and rejoin the convoy. She reached the River Clyde in Scotland on November 2.
Eight days later, she sailed back to the United States. She arrived in New York on November 22. After more ASW training near Nantucket Island, she left Boston on December 10 with another convoy. Ten days later, she entered Plymouth Sound in England. On December 23, she joined another convoy heading back to America.
Between January and June 1945, Stewart escorted three more convoys to England. One went to Falmouth and two to Liverpool. After each round trip, she trained off the New England coast. During one return trip, Stewart helped the ship SS Saint Mihiel fight fires. These fires were caused by a collision with another ship. After her last trip to England, Stewart spent 18 days at the New York Navy Yard. On June 24, 1945, she left New York for Norfolk. After a brief stop, she continued to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. She trained there from June 30 to July 12.
Moving to the Pacific
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On July 12, Stewart left Guantanamo Bay with USS Edsall and USS Moore. The three ships went through the Panama Canal on July 16. They arrived in San Diego on July 24. After four days for repairs, USS Wilhoite joined them. They all sailed to Pearl Harbor on July 28.
The ships reached Pearl Harbor on August 4. Stewart then trained with the submarine USS Spearfish. Later, she trained with the cruiser USS Baltimore. This training lasted until September 5, when she left for the west coast. She stopped in San Diego from September 11 to 13. Then, she continued to the Canal Zone.
Becoming a Museum Ship
Stewart went through the Panama Canal again on September 22. She arrived in Philadelphia on September 27. One month later, Stewart joined the Atlantic Reserve Fleet in Philadelphia. This meant she was no longer actively serving.
In January 1947, Stewart was officially taken out of service and placed in reserve. She was kept at Green Cove Springs, Florida. Over the years, Stewart moved to different locations. First, she went to Charleston in 1958. Then, she moved to Norfolk in 1959. Finally, she arrived in Orange, Texas in 1969. In 1972, the ship was checked and found not fit for naval service anymore. So, her name was removed from the Navy list on October 1, 1972.
On June 25, 1974, the U.S. Navy gave Stewart and the submarine Gato-class submarine Cavalla to the city of Galveston. They were to be part of the American Undersea Warfare Center at Seawolf Park. This park is a memorial to the lost USS Seawolf and Texans who died in World War II. The park is on Pelican Island. Both ships were placed on land, looking over the city. In April 2024, USS Stewart was repainted. She now looks like the USS Samuel B Roberts did during World War II.
You can find more information at: www.galvestonnavalmuseum.com
Challenges and Restoration
Over the years, the Stewart and Cavalla faced many problems. They lacked proper care, and the weather and vandalism caused a lot of damage. Rust and missing parts were clear issues. In 1996, the U.S. Navy thought about taking Stewart back. They considered moving her to Pittsburgh. This would only happen if tests showed her hull was strong enough to float again.
In October 1998, the Galveston Parks Board wanted to scrap both ships. They planned to turn Seawolf Park into an RV park. After a big public debate, the Parks Board allowed the Cavalla Historical Foundation to raise money. This money was for restoring and saving the ships.
Becoming a Historic Place
On November 11, 2007, Stewart was officially added to the National Register of Historic Places. This is a list of important historical sites. A ceremony was held during the annual Veterans Day activities. Many important people were there, including the Mayor of Galveston.
Hurricane Ike's Impact
On September 13, 2008, Hurricane Ike hit Galveston. Stewart suffered a lot of damage from flooding and strong winds. Even though Hurricane Ike was a strong Category 2 storm, most of the damage came from the huge storm surge. This surge was like a Category 5 storm. Both Cavalla and Stewart were badly damaged. However, restoration work has brought both ships back to good condition.
More to Explore
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Galveston County, Texas
- Effects of Hurricane Ike in Texas
- USS Slater - This is another destroyer escort that is now a museum ship in Albany, NY. It is the last one still floating in America.
