From the “Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships,” 
(1968) Vol. 3, pp.406-407.


HUSE

DE-145
Displacement:  1,200 t.
Length:  306’
Beam:  36’7”
Draft:  8’7”
Speed:  21 k.
Complement:  186
Armament:  3 3”; 2 40mm; 8 20mm; 3 21” torpedo tubes;
	2 depth charge tracks;
	8 depth charge projectors;
	1 hedge hog
Class:  EDSALL

	HUSE (DE-145) was launched by Consolidated Steel Corp., 
Orange, Tex. 23 March 1943; sponsored by Mrs. L. M. 
Humrichouse, daughter of Vice Admiral Huse, and commissioned 
30 August 1943, Lt. Comdr. W. A. Sessions in command.

	Following exhaustive shakedown cruise off Bermuda, HUSE 
returned to Charleston 25 October 1943.  She then moved to 
Norfolk for additional training before joining her first 
Atlantic convoy there 13 November.  After seeing this convoy 
safely to Casablanca, she returned to New York Christmas Day 
1943.  Following training exercises off Norfolk, HUSE 
escorted another convoy to Africa 25 January-11 February 
1944, then, before returning home, engaged in antisubmarine 
patrol work off Gibraltar with ships of the Royal Navy.

	Returning to New York 8 March, the ship was given a new 
assignment:  to join an antisubmarine group in the Atlantic 
built around escort carrier CROATAN (CVE-25).  Sailing from 
Norfolk 24 March to search for U-boats, the ships were 
rewarded with contact 7 April.  The escorts dogged U-856 
until it surfaced and was destroyed by gunfire from HUSE and 
destroyer CHAMPLIN (DD-601).  After a brief period at 
Bermuda, the group stood out to the search area again 12 
April.  Carrier aircraft and escort vessels came upon 
another submarine 26 April, and the DE's sank U-boat U-488.

	HUSE spent the period 11 May-3 June at Brooklyn, 
departing the latter date with CROATAN to search for 
submarines.  They had not long to wait, beginning attacks on 
a submerged submarine the morning of 11 June.  Six depth 
charge and two hedgehog runs brought no confirmation of a 
sinking, but the persistent ships remained in the area 
searching until just after midnight 12 June when radar 
revealed a surfaced submarine.  The badly damaged U-490 was 
finished off by gunfire.  In the months that followed, HUSE 
continued to operate with the CROATAN hunter-killer group 
that had much to do with keeping open the important supply 
lines to Europe.  Replenishing as necessary at Norfolk, 
Bermuda, or Casablanca, they scoured the sea for enemy 
submarines.  In addition, HUSE rescued downed pilots from 
CROATAN’s air group on three separate occasions.  She 
arrived Brooklyn 2 October 1944 for repairs and training, 
after which she conducted exercises in Chesapeake Bay and 
the Caribbean.

	HUSE joined CROATAN for hunter-killer operations again 
25 March 1945, and two of her sister ships scored a kill on 
U-880 on 16 April 1945 in the Atlantic.  They continued to 
operate in northern waters out of Argentia until returning 
to New York 14 May 1945.

	The war against Germany over, HUSE prepared to join the 
Pacific fleet for the final effort to defeat Japan.  She 
sailed 10 July 1945 for training exercises in the Caribbean, 
passing through the Panama Canal and arriving San Diego 7 
August 1945.  During the voyage to Pearl Harbor, the ship 
learned of Japan's collapse 15 August.  After various 
exercises in Hawaiian waters, the veteran escort ship 
returned to Norfolk via San Diego and the Canal Zone 28 
September 1945.  She subsequently arrived Green Cove Springs, Fla., 19 January 1946; decommissioned 27 March; and 
joined the Atlantic Reserve Fleet.

	HUSE recommissioned in response to the increased needs 
of the Navy during the Korean conflict 3 August 1951.  After 
shakedown training in the Caribbean, she arrived Key West 15 
January 1952 to act as sonar-training ship.  In May, she 
steamed northward to take part in a cold weather operation 
off Labrador.  The ship then began regular training 
operations, based at Newport. R.I., taking her to the 
Caribbean and Key West.  This antisubmarine readiness 
training was maintained until July 1955 when the ship sailed 
to Norfolk to embark NROTC Midshipmen on a training cruise 
to Northern Europe.  HUSE returned to Newport 3 September 
1955 and resumed antisubmarine operations.  This continued 
until early 1957 when she made preparations to join the 
crack Navy task group operating off the Atlantic Missile 
Test Range.

	During May 1957, HUSE operated off Puerto Rico in 
connection with the launching of a Vanguard satellite test 
vehicle and the subsequent nose cone recovery efforts.  
After further tactical exercises at Key West, she sailed in 
September for important NATO exercises in Northern European 
waters, returning to Newport 21 October 1957.  During 1958 
and 1959, except for short cruises to the Caribbean and a 
periodic overhaul, HUSE remained in the Key West area on 
sonar-training operations.

	HUSE was assigned to the Naval Reserve Training program 
in March 1960, and for the next three months carried out 
training cruises with reservists from New York and Norfolk.  
She arrived New Orleans, her new home port, 6 July 1960 to 
begin reserve training cruises, designed to keep the Navy's 
reserve officers and men at a peak of training and 
professional knowledge should expansion of the navy be 
required to protect and defend the United States.  In 
October 1962, when the introduction of offensive missiles 
into Cuba brought on just such a demand, HUSE promptly 
steamed to Florida to bolster Naval strength in support of 
the quarantine operations.  Through 1963 into 1965 she 
continued to operate out of New Orleans in the Gulf and the 
Caribbean performing her vital training function.  In June 
1965, HUSE decommissioned and was placed in the Atlantic 
Reserve Fleet at Norfolk, Va., where she remains.

	HUSE received five battle stars for World War II 
service.

	[Stricken from the Navy Register on 1 August 1973, 
HUSE was sold on 24 June 1974.

K. Jack Bauer and Stephen S. Roberts, “Register of Ships of 
the U. S. Navy, 1775-1990,” p.225.]


Transcribed by Michael Hansen
mhansen2@attbi.com