USS Eversole (DE-404)

From Wikipedia.

The USS Whitehurst sank the submarine, I-45, that sank the Eversole on October 28, 1944.

The ship was commissioned 21 March 1944 and named for naval aviator John Thomas Eversole who was killed at the Battle of Midway. It arrived at Pearl Harbor in June 1944 and did anti-submarine patrol at Leyte Gulf. It escorted two damaged aircraft carriers and rescued downed pilots and took wounded off carriers.

On 29 October 1944 it had just made submarine contact when it was hit by two torpedoes and sank in 15 minutes with the loss of 80. Many of the dead came about because of the Eversole's armed depth charges going off as the ship sank. They had been set to go off at particular depths.

The USS Bull rescued 139, thanks in part to their use of flashlights at night. The Destroyer Escort Sailors Association has a list of the 80 who died.

--GreGen