USS Inch (DE-146)

History
United States
Namesake:	Richard Inch
Builder:	Consolidated Steel Corporation, Orange, Texas
Laid down:	19 January 1943
Launched:	4 April 1943
Commissioned:	8 September 1943
Decommissioned:	17 May 1946
Struck:	1 October 1972
Fate:	Sold for Scrap, 21 March 1974
General characteristics
Class and type:	Edsall-class destroyer escort
Displacement:	1,253 tons standard 1,590 tons full load
Length:	306 feet (93.27 m)
Beam:	36.58 feet (11.15 m)
Draft:	10.42 full load feet (3.18 m)
Propulsion:	4 FM diesel engines, 4 diesel-generators, 6,000 shp (4.5 MW), 2 screws
Speed:	21 knots (39 km/h)
Range:	9,100 nmi. at 12 knots (17,000 km at 22 km/h)
Complement:	8 officers, 201 enlisted
Armament:	3 × 3 in (76 mm)/50 guns (3 × 1) 2 × 40 mm AA guns (1 × 2) 8 × 20 mm AA guns (8 × 1) 3 × 21 in (530 mm) torpedo tubes (1 × 3) 8 × depth charge projectors 1 × depth charge projector (hedgehog) 2 × depth charge tracks

USS Inch (DE-146) was named after Rear Admiral Richard Inch, who served with distinction during the American Civil War and the Spanish–American War.

USS Inch (DE-146) was laid down 19 January 1943 by Consolidated Steel Corp, Orange, Texas; launched 4 April 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Philip L. Inch, daughter-in-law of Admiral Inch; and commissioned 8 September 1943, Lt. Comdr. C. W. Frey in command.

Following shakedown off Bermuda, Inch began convoy escort operations from New York to Norfolk. Early in 1944 she joined a special hunter-killer group in the Atlantic, built around escort carrier USS Croatan (CVE-25). The ships sailed 24 March for the convoy lanes to search for German U-boats. During the months that followed, Inch took part in many attacks on submarines.

On the evening of 11 June the ship, in company with USS Frost (DE-144) and USS Huse (DE-145), made a contact and proceeded to attack. After over 40 depth charges, the submarine surfaced, signaling SOS. Suspecting a ruse, Inch and her companions opened fire and destroyed German submarine U-490. The entire crew of 60 German sailors was rescued by the escorts.

Soon after the attack on U-490, the escort vessels, operating as usual in concert with aircraft from Croatan, detected another submarine. They attacked 3 July and scored another kill, this time on U-154. Inch remained on this vital duty, so important in stopping the German submarine menace, until reaching New York 14 May 1945.

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Wikipedia