Is there any hard evidence that the Philadelphia Experiment Ever Occured?, page 1

Here's what I found on the U.S.S. Eldridge:

ELDRIDGE

John Eldridge, Jr., born 10 October 1903 in Buckingham

County, Va., graduated from the Naval Academy in 1927.

After flight training at Pensacola, Fla., he served at

various stations on aviation duty. From 11 September 1941

he was Commander, Scouting Squadron 71, attached to

aircraft carrier WASP (CV-7). Lieutenant Commander

Eldridge was killed in action in the Solomons, 2 November

1942. For his extraordinary heroism in leading the air

attack on Japanese positions in the initial invasion of the

Solomons, 7 and 8 August 1942, he was posthumously awarded

the Navy Cross.

DE-173

Displacement: 1,240 t.

Length: 306’

Beam: 36’8”

Draft: 8’9”

Speed: 21 k.

Complement: 186

Armament: 3 3”; 3 21” torpedo tubes;

8 depth charge projectors;

2 depth charge tracks;

1 hedge hog

Class: CANNON

ELDRIDGE (DE-173) was launched 25 July 1943 by Federal

Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Newark, N.J.; sponsored by

Mrs. John Eldridge, Jr., widow of Lieutenant Commander

Eldridge; and commissioned 27 August 1943, Lieutenant C. R.

Hamilton, USNR, in command.

Between 4 January 1944 and 9 May 1945, ELDRIDGE sailed

on the vital task of escorting to the Mediterranean men and

materials to support Allied operations in north Africa and

on into southern Europe. She made nine voyages to deliver

convoys safely to Casablanca, Bizerte, and Oran.

ELDRIDGE departed New York 28 May 1945 for service in

the Pacific. En route to Saipan in July, she made contact

with an underwater object and immediately attacked but no

results were observed. She arrived at Okinawa 7 August for

local escort and patrol, and with the end of hostilities a

week later, continued to serve as escort on the

Saipan-Ulithi-Okinawa routes until November. ELDRIDGE was

placed out of commission, in reserve, 17 June 1946. On 15

January 1951, she was transferred under the Mutual Defense

Assistance program to Greece, with whom she serves as

destroyer escort LEON (D-54).

[LEON was disposed of by the Greek Navy in 1991, but

she was retained as a training hulk.

“Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World, 1995,”

p.248 (The “Guide” says the ex-ELDRIDGE became the Greek

destroyer escort PANTHIR (D-67), various “Jane’s Fighting

Ships” and “Conway’s All The World’s Fighting Ships,

1947-1995” agree with the “Dictionary.”)]

Transcribed by Michael Hansen

mhansen2@home.com