USS CROATAN

(CVE-25) Motto: OLD CROW
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USS Croatan was named for a sound off the North Carolina coast. The ship was commissioned April 28, 1943 as CVE-25. In August, she began patrol with a hunter group out of Norfolk looking for submarines. She had two skirmishes with a couple of surfaced submarines. In late 1943, the ship undertook ferrying duties from the east coast to Casablanca. Early 1944 saw her back on submarine patrols and then doing a stint for the Naval Research Laboratory. After her guinea pig run, she went back on submarine patrol and hit pay dirt. Two times in April, she spotted and sunk two German U-boats. Her summer patrol in June and July caught her two more targets.

Back in port, Croatan was overhauled and conducted more testing with the Naval Research Laboratory. In August and September, she was back on submarine hunting. She conducted antisubmarine training that autumn and winter in the Caribbean. In March 1945, she was part of a barrier group out to intercept German submarines. Later that year, she was used to qualify aviators. She also conducted two round trip voyages to return troops from Europe.

May 20, 1946, the ship was taken out of active service.

CVE-25 Deployments - Major Events

Month Year to Month Year Deployment / Event
Add a CVE-25 Deployment - Major Event

CVE-25 Crew

Year Rank/Rate Last Name First Name Hometown Home State Remembered by
1940 Richardson W.T. Corinth MS
1941 PFC Hagosian George San Francisco CA Email
1942 -- Ward Marvin Charlotte NC
1942 RD Wallace Roy Milton OR
1943 AM Adams Jerold Washington D.C. DC
1943 AO Love Hiram Newhall CA
1943 CPO Krenski Francis Ski St. Louis MO
1943 CWO Watkins Bernard R (Skins ) Troy NH
1943 CWO Watkins Bernard (Skins) Troy NH
1943 EM Rider Russel Caribou ME
1943 ENSN Semisch Philadelphia PA
1943 FC Morgan Ross H. Gresham OR
1943 LCOL Krummel Julius Lynbrook Ny NY Email
1943 LT Barton Claude Reed OK
1943 SM Schultz Robert Newington CT Email
1943 SM Webber Robert Osawatomie KS
1944 Cunningham Philadelphia PA
1944 -- Hagosian George Sanfrancisco CA
1944 BM Brown W.t. Cochran
1944 ENS Valeich Edward Jersey City NJ Email
1944 ENSN Semisch Philadelphia PA
1944 SM Cochran Harold Buffalo WV Email
1945 Partin James Bowlinggreen KY
1945 -- Petty Charles Olive Branch MS
1945 RM Groover Donald Johnson City NY