Originally intended for transfer to Great Britain as BDE-47, Decker was launched on 24 July 1942 by the Philadelphia Navy Yard; retained for use in the USN; redesignated Decker (DE-47) on 4 March 1943; and commissioned on 3 May 1943.
Decker received one battle star for World War II service.
Post-War
On 28 August 1945, she was leased to the Republic of China. Decker was returned from Lend-Lease and transferred permanently to China on 7 February 1948 and renamed ROCS Tai Ping (F-22; Chinese: 太平). ROCS Tai-ping was one of the four warships sent by the Republic of China Navy on 6 November 1946 to claim islands within the South China Sea region. On 12 December 1946 Tai Ping arrived at Itu Aba island, becoming the first Chinese government ship ever to visit the Spratly Islands. (An American force had landed on Itu Aba in November 1945 and discovered that the wartime Japanese garrison had departed. A French warship, the FR Chevreuil had landed a team on Itu Aba in October 1946, two months before the Tai-ping arrived.)[1] The Chinese government gave Itu Aba the Chinese name of Taiping Island in honour of the ship.[2]
^United Press, "Chiang Leaders Plan Retaliation For Sinking of Destroyer Escort", The San Bernardino Daily Sun, San Bernardino, California, Tuesday 16 November 1954, Volume LXI, Number 66, page 1.