The third Badger, George E. Badger (DD-196), was laid down 24 September 1918 by the Newport News Shipbuilding Co., Newport News, Va.; launched 6 March 1920; sponsored by Miss Mary B. Wilson, the namesake's granddaughter; and commissioned 28 July 1920, Lt. Comdr. Albert Gleaves Berry, Jr., in command.

Click "here" to read the World War II recollections of Stephen Hoagland who served aboard from 1943-1944

After shakedown, George E. Badger based at Charleston, S.C., while operating in Caribbean waters and along the eastern seaboard from Jacksonville, Fla,, to Boston. Returning to Philadelphia 6 June 1922, she decommissioned there 11 August 1922 and was subsequently transferred to the Treasury Department 1 October 1930 for use by the Coast Guard. She was reacquired by the Navy 21 May 1934 and redesignated (AVP-16) on 1 October 1939.

George E. Badger recommissioned at Philadelphia 8 January 194.0, Lt. Comdr. Frank Akers in command. During the next year she engaged in training operations in the Caribbean. Redesignated AVD-3 on 2 August 1940, she returned to Norfolk 12 January 1941 and subsequently tended planes while based at Argentia, Newfoundland, and Reykjavik, Iceland, until the spring of 1942.

Ordered to Charleston, N.C., 26 May 1942, George E. Badger escorted convoys along the eastern seaboard, in the Gulf of Mexico, and to Recife and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, until returning to Norfolk 15 January 1943 to be fitted out for Atlantic convoy duty. Through the spring of 1943 she operated out of Argentia shepherding convoys bound for the United Kingdom. In June she underwent overhaul at Norfolk, then sailed 13 July for North Africa. Steaming with escort carrier Bogue (CVE-9) and destroyer Clemson (DD-186), she made her first kill 23 July 1943 after four depth charge attacks broke up deep-running submarine (U-13) southwest of Sao Miguel, Azores. This victory came just a few hours before planes from Bogue attacked and sent U-27 to the bottom not far away.

After touching Casablanca, George E. Badger returned to New York 23 August. During the next 2 months she made another escort voyage from New York to Casablanca, then returned to New York 21 October. Departing Hampton Roads 14 November, she sailed for North Africa with Bogue and destroyers Dupont, Osmond Ingram and Clemson on an offensive antisubmarine patrol. This patrol was aggressively and successfully conducted, blasting U-172 on 12 December 1943 after a 24-hour game of cat-and-mouse which the German submarine lost.

After escorting another convoy from Norfolk to North Africa and back George E. Badger underwent conversion to high speed transport at Charleston and was redesignated APD-33 on 19 May 1944. Sailing for duty in the Pacific, she steamed via the West Coast and Pearl Harbor to Guadalcanal where she arrived 12 August. From there she carried to the Palau Islands. Reaching Angaur Island 12 September, George E. Badger screened warships bombarding the island and from 14 to 16 September sent her hardy frogmen ashore for reconnaissance and demolition work. Intelligence was gathered and obstacles on the beach removed before the ship got underway 12 October for Leyte, where until 18 October she supported the reconnaissance and bombardment of the east coast of that strategic island and again landed her frogmen.

Departing 21 October, she called at Kossol Passage, Manus, and Noumea before participating in the Lingayen landings of 5-11 January 1945. In these she lent her effective fire support as requested, and on 5 January, shot down an attacking Japanese torpedo plane. Her frogmen hit the beaches 2 days later; and, despite frequent air attacks, George E. Badger continued screening during landings 7 January until sailing 11 January for Leyte and Ulithi.

Until the spring of 1945 the veteran warship was overhauled at Ulithi; patrolled off Iwo Jima while the fighting raged; and escorted ships from Guam to Guadalcanal, Noumea, and Manus. She sailed from Ulithi 2 April 1945 for Okinawa with carriers delivering replacement aircraft, and subsequently escorted convoys from Saipan to Okinawa. George E. Badger sailed from Eniwetok 24 June for Pearl Harbor. Ordered thence to San Francisco for reconversion, she reverted to DD-196 on 20 July 1945 and later decommissioned at that port 3 October 1945. George E. Badger was scrapped 3 June 1946.

George E. Badger received eight battle stars for World War II service in addition to the Presidential Unit Citation.

Specifications:

• Clemson Class Destroyer
• Penant: AVD 3
• Mod: Sea Plane Tender
• Displacement: 1190 tons
• Length: 314'4"
• Beam: 30'8"
• Draft: 9'3"
• Speed: 35 knots

Armament:
(Varied according to classification)

• Main - Four 102mm L/50 in four single mounts.
• Secondary - None
• Two 1pdf in single mount anti-aircraft guns
• Twelve 533mm torpedo tubes in four triple mounts

• Main - Six 76mm L/50 in 3 twin mounts
• Secondary - None
• Five 20mm L/70 anti-aircraft mounts
• Six 533mm torpedo tubes in two trible mounts
• Dept Charges - 6 x K-gun, 2 x depth charge track

Complement:

Propulsion:

History quick-view:

Decommissioned on 11 August 1922
Loaned to the Coast Guard as CG-16 from 1 October 1930 till 21 May 1934
Reclassified as sea plane tender AVP-16 on 1 October 1939
Recommissioned on 8 January 1940
Classification changed to AVD-3 on 2 August 1940
Converted back into a destroyer in early 1943 but classification changed back to DD-196 only on 1 December 1943
Converted to high speed transport and redesignated APD-33 on 19 May 1944
Classification changed back to DD-196 on 20 July 1945
Decommissioned on 3 October 1945
Stricken on 24 October 1945
Sold to be broken up for scrap on 3 June 1946

Two Noteable events involving George E. Badger include:

23 Jul, 1943
The German submarine U-613 was sunk in the mid-Atlantic south of the Azores, in position 35.32N, 28.36W, by depth charges from the US destroyer USS George E. Badger.

13 Dec, 1943
As mentioned briefly above, the German submarine U-172 was sunk on 13 December 1943 in the mid-Atlantic after a 27 hour fight west of the Canary Islands, in position 26.29N, 29.58W, by depth charges and Fido homing torpedoes from Avenger and Wildcat aircraft (VC-19) of the American escort carrier USS Bogue and by some 200 depth charges from the US destroyers USS George E. Badger, USS Clemson, USS Osmond Ingram and USS Du Pont.