DE-364 - Tin Can Sailors

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Hull Number: DE-364

Launch Date: 06/06/1944

Commissioned Date: 09/20/1944

Decommissioned Date: 01/09/1958

Call Sign: NHFC

Class: JOHN C. BUTLER

JOHN C. BUTLER Class

Namesake: SEVERIN LOUIS ROMBACH

SEVERIN LOUIS ROMBACH

Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, April 2016

Severin Louis Rombach was born 26 November 1914 in Cleveland, Ohio. He attended Ohio University, where he earned a B.A. in commerce. Rombach enlisted in the Naval Reserve at Grosse Ille, Mich., 5 May 1939; was appointed aviation cadet 21 September; and was designated naval aviator 10 May 1940. On 12 June he was promoted to ensign, and shortly thereafter was assigned to Enterprise (CV-6) for duty flying with Torpedo Squadron 6. Rombach was promoted to Lieutenant (junior grade) 28 May 1942. He was reported missing in action on 4 June, after his plane had been hit in the Battle of Midway. Lieutenant (junior grade) Rombach was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for his participation in ” … a vigorous and intensive assault against the Japanese invasion fleet, … Rombach pressed home his attack with relentless determination, in the face of a terrific barrage of antiaircraft fire.”

Disposition:

On 1 March 1972 she was stricken from the Navy list after an INSURV inspection team determined her unfit for further service. On 19 December 1972 she was sold for scrapping.

USS ROMBACH DE-364 Ship History

Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, April 2016

Rombach (DE-364) was laid down 20 March 1944 by Consolidated Steel Corp., Orange, Tex.; launched 6 June 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Severin L. Rombach, widow of Lieutenant (junior grade) Rombach; and commissioned 20 September 1944, Lt. Comdr. Calvert Burke Gill in command.

Following shakedown off Bermuda, she departed Boston, Mass., 29 November and arrived at Manus, Admiralty Islands, 7 January 1945. From 24 January to 2 March, Rombach escorted convoys between Hollandia, New Guinea, and Leyte Gulf, Philippine Islands. Then she served in the Manila Bay area, Luzon, Philippine Islands. Beginning 26 April Rombach spent a month with the Local Naval Defense Force, Lingayen Gulf, Luzon, Philippine Islands. She resumed operations with her escort division from 27 May to 8 August, operating in a hunter-killer group off the western coast of Luzon. Rombach next served as part of a carrier hunter-killer group patrolling the Leyte-Okinawa convoy routes north of Luzon until after the cessation of hostilities, 14 August 1945. Employed in air-sea rescue operations during the latter part of August, Rombach was engaged in occupational landings on 5 September at Jinsen, Korea; on 1 October at Taku, China, and on 5 October at Tsingtao. She then served with the “Magic Carpet” fleet from 8 October to 22 November escorting transports to East China ports where servicemen were embarked for return to the United States.

In July 1946 Rombach was assigned to the Pacific Reserve Fleet at Seattle for the training of Naval Reserves. In addition to regular training duties for Reservists of the 13th Naval District, Rombach participated in PhibPac exercises in 1952 and 1953 and spent 8 weeks each year from 1952 to 1957 as a schoolship at the Fleet Sonar School, San Diego. On 9 January 1958 she decommissioned at Bremerton, Wash., where she remained until 1 March 1972. At that time she was stricken from the Navy list after an INSURV inspection team determined her unfit for further service.