DE-37 - Tin Can Sailors

The Tin Can Sailors 2024 National Reunion Will Be Held In Exciting, Historic New Orleans From Sept. 8th-12th. Register Now! Check Our Facebook Page For More Announcements.

Home » Ships » DE-37

Hull Number: DE-37

Launch Date: 05/20/1943

Commissioned Date: 08/18/1943

Decommissioned Date: 11/19/1945

Call Sign: NYHP

Class: EVARTS

EVARTS Class

Namesake: KENNETH FREDERICK GREINER

KENNETH FREDERICK GREINER

Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, April 2016

Kenneth Frederick Greiner was born in Hibbing, Minn., 27 April 1910 and enlisted as a Seaman, Second Class, 28 September 1935. He became an Aviation Cadet in 1936, underwent flght training, and was honorably discharged 7 April 1936. Lt. (j.g.) Greiner was appointed to the Naval Reserve 29 March 1941, and after attending an aeronautical engineering course at the University of Minnesota reported to Naval Air Station, Dutch Harbor, Alaska, 1 October 1941. He was killed in enemy action there 4 June 1942 during the Japanese attack on the Aleutians.

Disposition:

Stricken 5 December 1945. The ship was subsequently sold to J. G. Berkwit & Co. 10 February 1945, and resold in 1947.

Ship History

USS GREINER DE-37 Ship History

Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, April 2016

Greiner (DE-37), originally intended for Great Britain under Lend-Lease, was launched as BDE-37 20 May 1943 by the Puget Sound Navy Yard, Bremerton, Wash., and commissioned 18 August 1943, Lt. Comdr. F. S. Dowd in command.

Following shakedown and training exercise along the California-Washington coast, Greiner sailed for Pearl Harbor, reaching there 31 October 1943. A series of training and patrol operations kept her in the Hawaiian area until 23 December, when she sailed for recently won Tarawa as flagship of Escort Squadron 28. Greiner spent virtually a year in the Gilberts-Marshalls area, as the great American island offensive swept westward toward Japan. The ship performed a variety of tasks, including the most important job of escorting transport vessels to the assault areas. She rescued 13 men from a downed PBM 26 January 1944, and shelled Kusaie Island, in the Carolines, in reply to a salvo from Japanese batteries 1 June 1944.

Greiner spent 3 months at Pearl Harbor for repairs and operations July-October 1944, and after anti-submarine exercises in Hawaiian waters spent December patrolling around Wotje, Mill, Jaluit, and Maloelap atolls, leapfrogged earlier in the war. She spent the remainder of the war in the Gilberts and Marshalls plane-guarding and screening escort carrier forces, except for a short voyage to Okinawa 29 June to 3 July 1945.

Greiner steamed back to the United States from Kerama Retto 3 July 1945, and arrived San Francisco 28 July via Ulithi, Eniwetok, and Pearl Harbor. She decommissioned at Oakland 19 November 1945 and was stricken from the Navy List 5 December. The ship was subsequently sold to J. G. Berkwit & Co. 10 February 1945, and resold in 1947.

Greiner received three battle stars for World War II service.