The USS Baker (DE-190) was a Cannon-class destroyer escort constructed for the United States Navy during World War II. Laid down on September 9, 1943, at the Federal Shipbuilding & Drydock Co. in Port Newark, New Jersey, she was launched on November 28, 1943, and officially commissioned at the New York Navy Yard on December 23, 1943. The vessel measured approximately 306 feet in length, with a beam of about 36.5 feet and a draft of around 10 feet. Her standard displacement was roughly 1,240 tons, with a complement of about 14 officers and 201 enlisted men. Baker’s primary role during her service was to provide convoy escort and antisubmarine warfare (ASW) protection across the Atlantic Ocean. After shakedown training off Bermuda, she participated in multiple convoy runs between the United States and North Africa, notably to Casablanca and Bizerte, Tunisia. Her service included engaging enemy submarines, with one of her most notable actions occurring on July 5, 1944, off Newfoundland, where she located and attacked a German U-boat. Baker’s aggressive depth charge and gunfire attacks contributed to the sinking of the U-233, with Baker rescuing 31 survivors, including the U-boat commander. Throughout her wartime operations, Baker conducted ASW exercises, hunter-killer group patrols, and participated in notable engagements, including a fierce storm encounter off Iceland that caused damage requiring repairs. After the war, she continued to serve as a plane guard for escort carriers and participated in public displays of the German U-977 submarine after Germany's surrender. She was decommissioned on March 4, 1946, and transferred to the French Navy in 1952, where she was renamed Malgache (F.724). The vessel served until her decommissioning in 1969 and was ultimately sunk as a target in 1970. Baker earned one battle star for her wartime service, recognizing her role in sinking a German submarine, highlighting her contribution to the Atlantic theater and her significance in maritime anti-submarine efforts during WWII.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.