USS Kretchmer (DE-329)

• Namesake: USS Kretchmer (DE-329) was named in honor of Ensign Charles Kretchmer, a US Navy officer who was killed in action during the Japanese attack on Cavite Navy Yard, Philippines, on 10 December 1941. • Class and Type: Kretchmer was an Edsall-class destroyer escort, designed primarily for anti-submarine warfare and convoy escort duties during World War II. • Commissioning: The ship was commissioned on 13 December 1943 at Orange, Texas, and joined the Atlantic Fleet shortly thereafter. • Convoy Escort Duties: During World War II, Kretchmer escorted numerous trans-Atlantic convoys to North Africa and the Mediterranean, providing vital protection from German U-boats. • Rescue Operations: On 8 April 1944, Kretchmer rescued 70 survivors from the SS Paul Hamilton after the ship was torpedoed and exploded off the coast of Algeria. • Post-War Reassignment: After World War II, Kretchmer served as a training ship for Naval Reservists and later was placed in reserve. • Reactivation for the Cold War: With the outbreak of the Korean War, Kretchmer was recommissioned in 1956 and served in the Atlantic and Caribbean, focusing on anti-submarine warfare training. • Vietnam War Service: Converted to a radar picket ship (DER-329), Kretchmer was deployed to the Pacific and participated in “Operation Market Time,” patrolling the coast of Vietnam to intercept North Vietnamese supply craft. • Distinguished Deployments: She earned multiple campaign stars for her service off Vietnam and was involved in the rescue of Vietnamese refugees during the conflict. • Decommissioning and Fate: USS Kretchmer was decommissioned for the final time in 1973 and struck from the Naval Vessel Register in 1974 before being sold for scrap in 1975.