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USS CRONIN DE/DEC 704 ASSOCIATION
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CRONIN was built by the Defoe Shipbuilding Company of Bay City, Michigan, and was launched 5 January 1944, with Mrs, Elizabeth Bain Cronin, daughter-in-law of her namesake, as sponsor. CRONIN was placed in commission 5 May 1944, with Lieutenant Commander Almon G, Cooke, USNR, as her first commanding officer.
After shakedown and training, and duty as school ship at Norfolk, CRONIN sailed from New York 21 July 1944 as convoy escort, bound for Bizerte, Tunisia. She returned to Norfolk from this voyage 7 September, and sailed again 2 October on convoy escort duty bound for Palermo, Sicily. While outward bound, she rescued 24 survivors from the British MV GEORGE W, KNIGHT, off the Azores. She returned to the United States 18 November to prepare for duty in the Pacific.
CRONIN sailed from New York 16 December 1944 transited the Panama, Canal 24 December, and called in the Galapagos Islands and at Bora Bora before arriving at Manus 22 January 1945. Assigned to the Philippine Sea Frontier, CRONIN operated as convoy escort until 26 May. Her next duty was on antisubmarine patrol around Luzon and Mindoro Islands until the close of the war.
On 30 August 1945, CRONIN took departure from Manila for Okinawa. From her new base, during September, she supported the occupation of the Chinese mainland, escorting transports to Jinsen, Korea. During October, she screened BOUGAINVILE (CVE 100) while the carrier delivered planes to Chinese ports, and then escorted an LST convoy to Jinsen. She cleared Okinawa on 8 November for the United States, calling at San Diego 28-29 November.
Continuing on to Boston, CRONIN entered the Naval Shipyard there 15 December 1945 to begin her pre-inactivation overhaul. She sailed from Boston the next month, and arrived at Green Cove Springs, Florida, 19 January 1946. Here she was decommissioned and placed in the reserve fleet on 31 May 1946:
Reclassified DEC-704 (Escort Vessel, Control) 13 September 1950, CRONIN was once more placed in commission 9 february 1951. She took part in two large-scale exercises with the Atlantic Fleet, then operated out of Norfolk on training duty. CRONIN left her home area only twice during the next two years, once on submarine training exercises at Key West in March 1953, and a visit during the next month to Newport. On 27 June 1953, she entered the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard for pre-inactivation overhaul. On 22 September, she cleared for her old reserve home, Green Cove Springs, where she was again placed out of commission 4 December 1953. Her designation reverted to DE-704, 27 December 1957.
On December 16, 1971 the CRONIN was towed out to sea and sunk as an aircraft target.
Her final resting place is listed at 31 43' N., 76 15' W.
CRONIN was awarded the American, European-African-Middle Eastern, and Asiatic-Pacific Area Service Medals for her World War II service. She also received the Navy Occupation Service Medal and the China Service Medal for her operations in the Far East following the close of the war.
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USS CRONIN (DE 704) was named for Chief Gunner Cornelius Cronin, USN, who was born 10 March 1838 in Detroit, Michigan, enlisted in the Navy 17 September 1858, and served almost fifty years. During the Civil War, he was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor while serving in RICHMOND for his coolness and close attention to duty in looking out for signals and steering the ship in the action in Mobile Bay on the morning and forenoon of August 5, I864." Following the Civil War, he served in MICHIGAN and a number of other vessels until transferred tn the Retired List 16 August 1898. Since this official retirement came during the Spanish-American War, he continued to serve in VERMONT, He later served in COLUMBIA, and at the New York Navy Yard until 3 February 1908, when he was relieved of active duty. He died 18 August 1912 in Brooklyn, New York.
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Check our SMALL STORES We do have a limited number of items for sale which commemorate the USS CRONIN. Take a look on the last page for some of the items. The sale of these items to Crew Members and friends support the memory of our crewmembers. 2008 Reunion is HISTORY 18 Crewmembers and guests went to sea on the Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines ship Sovereign of the Seas enroute to CocoCay and Nassau in the Bahamas. At our annual business meeting we had some new officers elected for 2008 - 2009 as follows: Herb Bayne - President: Ray Lowe - Vice President (to become President in 2010): Dick Damme - Secretary/Treasurer: and Bob Crow - Board of Directors (2 years). NASHVILLE, TN - 2009 REUNION The planning and work in setting up our next reunion is well underway. Shirley & Tom Hutson took the time out of their busy schedule (50th Wedding Anniversary) and completed the Site Evaluation Survey and our HOST Hotel has been identified. Our Host Hotel will be the GUESTHOUSE INTERNATIONAL INN & SUITES @ 2420 Music Valley Drive, Nashville, TN 37214. It is scheduled for May 6 - 10, 2009 (Wed - Sun). The best rate available is $93.05 per day which includes ALL Taxes. The Reservations phone is (800) 21-GUEST. Mark your calender with the dates and more information will be forthcoming on this site and in our newsletters. Come on You-all and make your plans to attend. Remember if you want a copy of the newsletter or an item from the small stores contact the secretary/treasurer. CONTACT ADDRESS: Richard Damme, 2638 Castle Gate Drive, Sioux City, IA. Ph: 712-274-8967, Email: usscronin@cableone.net.
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