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s e a f o r c e s – online
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Naval Forces
Technology, History & Information
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Guided Missile Frigate
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FFG 46 - USS Rentz
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USS
Rentz (FFG 46)
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US Navy photo
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Type,
Class:
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Guided Missile Frigate; Oliver Hazard Perry – class (long
hull);
planned and built as FFG
46;
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Builder:
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Todd Pacific Shipyard, San
Pedro, California, USA
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STATUS:
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Awarded: April 28, 1980;
Laid down: September 18, 1982;
Launched: July 16, 1983;
Commissioned:
June 30, 1984;
ACTIVE UNIT/ in
commission (Pacific Fleet)
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Homeport:
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San Diego, California, USA
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Namesake:
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Named after and in honor of Commander George Snavely Rentz
(1882 – 1942);
> see history, below;
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Ship's
Motto:
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> DREAD NOUGHT <
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Technical Data:
(Measures, Propulsion,
Armament,
Aviation, etc.)
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see: INFO > Guided
Missile Frigate / Oliver Hazard Perry - class.
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Pictures,
photos & more ...
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George
Snavely Rentz
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Photo credits: US Navy, US Naval
Historical Center
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Namesake
& History:
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Commander
George Snavely Rentz (July 25, 1882 – March 1, 1942):
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Born on July 25, 1882 in
Lebanon, Pennsylvania, George Snavely Rentz graduated from Princeton
Theological Seminary, was obtained by Presbytery of Northumberland in 1909,
and pastured churches in Pennsylvania and New Jersey for eight years.
Following entry of the United States in World War I, he was appointed acting
chaplain with the rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade and assigned to the 11 th
Regiment of Marines in France until 1919. He attained the rank of
Commander in 1924, among his sea duty assignment, he served in USS Florida
BB-30, USS Wright AV-1, USS West Virginia BB-48, and USS Augusta CA-31. In
1940, when the USS Houston CA-30 relieved Augusta as flagship of the Asiatic
Fleet, Commander Rentz transferred to the new arrival. It was aboard this cruiser
he served so devotedly and enthusiastically, providing the ship's crew and
officers with great hope and promise.
During an allied attack on February 4, 1942, Houston was under severe air
attack. Commander Rentz spurned cover and circulated among the crew of the
anti-aircraft battery, encouraging them. It was noted by an officer that the
crew members at the guns “… saw this man of God walking fearlessly among
them, they no longer felt alone.” In the Flores Sea, during the attack
Houston took a direct hit that disabled turret III and killed 48 men. Less
than a month later Houston was in a the battle of Java Sea with the
Australian light cruiser HMAS Perth. Both ships were outnumbered by a
Japanese troop convoy but they persisted in an ensuring melee of fire,
causing such confusion as to have a Japanese destroyer fire a spread of
torpedoes that passed the allied cruisers and caused four Japanese troopships
close inshore to sink. All in all, the involvement was no match for the
wounded Perth and Houston, the Japanese attack on these two cruisers caused
them to sink; but they went down fighting to the last second.
It was during the abandonment of Houston that commander Rentz entered the
water and attained partial safety along with the other crew members on a
spare main float of the Houston's lost planes. Aware of the extreme
overcrowding and dangerous overloading, he attempted to relinquish his space
and his life jacket to wounded survivors nearby, declaring “ You men are
young, I have lived the major part of my life and I am willing to go,“ no one
would oblige the generous, fearless chaplin. After several attempts of
leaving and being brought back by his shipmates, he uplifted them with
prayers and songs until, ultimately, he succeeded in placing his life jacket
near a wounded sailor who did not have one, and commander Rentz courageously
slipped away into the sea on the morning of March 1, 1942.
For his selfless bravery following the loss of Houston in Sundra Strait that
night, he was awarded posthumously, the Navy Cross – the only navy chaplain
to be so honored during World War II
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USS Rentz (FFG 46):
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USS Rentz (FFG-46) was the
40th ship to be constructed in the Oliver Hazard Perry-class of guided missile
frigates of the United States Navy. The only United States combatant vessel
to ever be named after a priest, the Rentz was named after World War II Navy
Chaplain George S. Rentz (1882–1942). Chaplain Rentz was posthumously awarded
the Navy Cross for selfless bravery following the loss of USS Houston (CA-30)
in the Battle of Sunda Strait. He was the only Navy chaplain to be so honored
during World War II.
The keel of the Rentz was laid on September 18, 1982 at Todd Pacific
Shipyards in San Pedro, California. She was launched July 16, 1983, and
commissioned at Naval Station Long Beach on June 30, 1984. In attendance were
survivors of the Houston, as well as Chaplain Rentz's surviving daughter.
In December, 1985, Rentz moved from Long Beach, California to its current
(2006) location in San Diego, California. Following initial shakedown cruises
and operations, Rentz was assigned to the USS Ranger aircraft carrier group.
As part of that group, the ship regularly cruised the Southern California
Operations Area off the coast of San Clemente Island with a pair of fuzzy
dice dangling above the ship's computerized helm. During
"breakaways" after underway replenishment (UNREP) at sea, Rentz
blasted the Beach Boys song "Little Deuce Coupe" as its inaugural
"UNREP breakaway song."
On November 5, 1986, Rentz was part of an historic visit to Qingdao (Tsing
Tao) China - the first US Naval visit to China since 1949. Rentz was
accompanied by two other ships, the Reeves (DLG-24) and Oldendorf (DD-972).
The visit was officially hosted by the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy
(PLAN). ("After 37-year absence, U.S. vessels visit China," New
York Times Nov. 6, 1986, Sec. A, p. 3)
In July 1987, Rentz was sent to the Persian Gulf as part of Operation Earnest
Will. Her primary duties consisted of escorting commercial vessels through
the Strait of Hormuz. Rentz has been deployed to the Gulf numerous times
since 1987.
By 2005, Rentz was captained by Commander Dominic DeScisciolo and assigned to
Destroyer Squadron 21 in San Diego.
Interesting events in Rentz's history include the rescue of a downed
helicopter crew in the Persian Gulf (August 16, 1997), interception of
cocaine smugglers off of the Southern California coast (April 11, 2002), and
the rescue of 90 Ecuadorians on a disabled vessel (June 18, 2005).
Rentz has won awards for "outstanding food service" in the Pacific
Fleet (1997 Ney Award winner "Small Afloat" and 2000 runner-up same
category). Rentz also received the Mobility Energy Efficiency award from the
Federal Emergency Management Agency in 2003.
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… and patches …
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>> seaforces.org
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