USS Bunch (DE-694)

USS "Bunch" (DE-694) was named after Kenneth Cecil Bunch. He was born in Norman County, Minnesota on 21 January 1919, and enlisted in the Navy in 1937. He served with Scouting Squadrons 42 and 8. He was killed in action 6 June 1942 while flying in an SBD Dauntless dive bomber attached to Scouting Squadron 8 on the "Hornet" during the Battle of Midway.

"Bunch", a Buckley class destroyer escort, was launched on 29 May 1943 at the Defoe Shipbuilding Company in Bay City, Michigan, sponsored by Mrs. Kenneth C. Bunch, widow of Aviation Radioman Bunch; and commissioned on 21 August 1943, with Lieutenant Comniander A. A. Campbell, USNR, in command.

Between November 1943 and July 1944, "Bunch" operated as a convoy escort and completed six trans-Atlantic voyages to the United Kingdom as part of Escort Division 19. At this time, CORTDIV 19 consisted of the destroyer escorts "Bunch", "Bull", "Rich", "Bates", "Amesbury", and "Blessman". From 12 October through 20 December 1944, she underwent conversion to a high speed transport, having been reclassified APD-79 on 31 July 1944.

With her conversion completed, "Bunch" transited the Panama Canal on 26 December 1944, and arrived at Pearl Harbor on 15 January 1945. She proceeded across the Pacific, via Eniwetok, Ulithi, and Leyte, to Okinawa, where after her arrival in March, she acted as parent ship for an Underwater Demolition Team, and participated in fire-support and patrol activities. On 4 April, she rescued 61 survivors, from USS "Dickerson", which had been sunk by a Japanese suicide plane. During May, "Bunch" escorted a convoy to Ulithi and Guam, and then returned to Okinawa. She remained in this area until 1 July 1945, when she departed for the west coast, arriving on 24 July. She underwent overhaul in California until 6 September, and then returned to Okinawa via Pearl Harbor and Eniwetok.

Between 1 October 1945 and 21 February 1946, she operated off Okinawa, China, and Formosa in support of the occupation. "Bunch" participated in minesweeping operations during November and December 1945. Upon her return to the United States in March 1946, she was assigned to the 19th Fleet to await inactivation. She was placed out of commission in reserve on 31 May 1946 at San Diego.

"Bunch" was sold for scrapping on 11 May 1965.

"Bunch" received two battle stars for her World War II service.

External links

* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/06/694.htm navsource.org: USS "Bunch"]
* [http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/escorts/de694.htm hazegray.org: USS "Bunch"]