[Milsurplus] Navy Ship Callsigns - Fiske Fate

[Mike Morrow]

Robert wrote:

>USS Fiske, DE-143, Edsall Class, Launched Orange, TX 3/14/43, Lost 2/8/44.

There is a very interesting short web page about the last moments of USS Fiske (DE-143), including photos of her sinking that were taken by a US aircraft on the scene.  She was torpedoed by U-804 north of the Azores.

http://www.desausa.org/de_photo_library/uss_fiske_de143_sinking.htm

Fiske was commissioned 25AUG43, so she had less than a year of service life.

The DE-143 was U-804's only success (1300 tons) in two war patrols.  Commissioned 04DEC43, U-804 was sunk by British Mosquito aircraft on 09APR45 with loss of all hands (55).  She was traversing the Kattegat to the Baltic naval base at Kiel.  She was lost 16 months after commissioning with most of her commissioning crew still aboard.

Life is short.

Mike / KK5F