USS Lloyd E. Acree (DE-356)

USS Lloyd E. Acree (DE-356) was a John C. Butler-class destroyer escort acquired by the U.S. Navy during World War II. The primary purpose of the destroyer escort was to escort and protect ships in convoy, in addition to other tasks as assigned, such as patrol or radar picket.

She was named in honor of Lloyd Edgar Acree who received the Navy Cross for his brave actions during the Battle of Cape Esperance. She was laid down by Consolidated Steel Corp., Orange, Texas, 24 January 1944; launched 21 March 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Ora A. Acree; and commissioned 1 August 1944, Lt. Comdr. John E. Greenbacker in command.

World War II Pacific Theatre operations
After shakedown out of Bermuda and convoy operations, Lloyd E. Acree was assigned to CortDiv 82 and departed Norfolk, Virginia, for the South Pacific Ocean 21 October. Steaming via the Panama Canal, the Societies, and the New Hebrides, she reached Hollandia, New Guinea, 28 November for duty with the U.S. 7th Fleet.

Invasion of the Philippines operations
Following antisubmarine warfare (ASW) training off New Guinea, Lloyd E. Acree sailed 13 December as escort for a 44-ship convoy bound for Leyte, Philippines. She arrived San Pedro Bay 21 December and after an escort run to the Palaus and back, she returned to Hollandia as convoy escort 13 January 1945. During the first 3 months of 1945, she continued to escort the vital troop and supply convoys which were important to the success of the Allied offensive in Luzon. The destroyer escort arrived Mangarin Bay, Mindoro, 18 March and began ASW patrol duty in the South China Sea. During the next 4 months she cruised in search of enemy submarines from Mindoro to Subic Bay.

Rescuing downed flyers
While on patrol off Mindoro 8 April, she rescued survivors of a Liberator which had exploded en route to a bombing mission over Formosa. In addition she supported the training of U.S. 7th Fleet submarines off the Philippines.

End-of-war operations
Lloyd E. Acree resumed convoy escort duty in the closing weeks of the war. She departed Subic Bay 12 July as escort for a convoy bound for Okinawa. She continued operating between the Philippines and the Ryūkyūs until 12 September when she began weather patrols off the Philippines. For more than 5 months she operated out of various Philippine ports from Manila, Luzon, to Guiuan, Samar while gathering important weather information in the Philippine Sea. Departing Manila 15 February 1946, Lloyd B. Acree steamed to the coast of China and arrived Tsingtao 20 February. For almost 2 months she operated in the Yellow and East China Seas in ASW training and supporting Chinese Nationalists during their struggle with Chinese Communists.

Post-war decommissioning
On 15 April she departed Tsingtao via the Marianas, Marshalls, and Pearl Harbor, and reached San Pedro, California, 11 May. There she decommissioned 10 October, was inactivated at San Diego, California, 20 November, and joined the Pacific Reserve Fleet. She was berthed at Mare Island, California, and struck on 15 January 1972. She was sold for scrap on 13 June 1973.