Hissem (DER 400) - Naval Cruise Book

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USS Hissem was built and launched at the Brown Shipbuilding Company, Houston, Texas. The ship was commissioned asa destroyer escort on 13 janu- ary 1944. During World War II Hissem served as a unit of Escort Division 58 escorting convoys from New York to North Africa and Italy. After the German surrender in june 1945 Hissem was ordered to join the Pacific Fleet where she remained after the war as part of the Occupation Forces in the Far East. Returning to the United States in February 1946, Hissem was decommissioned and went into retirement as part of the Reserve Fleet. Q On 31 August 1956 Hissem was recommissioned and designated as a DER, signifying Destroyer Escort Radar Picket. She was assigned as a unit of Escort Squadron 16, homeported at Newport, Rhode Island, and began duty on the significant, lonely and often dangerous North Atlantic Barrier. As a unit of the North Atlantic Barrier Forces, Hissem performed her duties with distinction winning the Escort Squadron 16 Battle Efficiency HEP award in 1957, 1961 and 1963. Hissem kept herlonely watch in the North Atlantic near Iceland and in the Straits of Florida. She was also one of the first ships uOn Station 'during the Cuban Crisis in October 1962 and since then has returned to Key West, Florida as FleetSonar Schoolship and as a unit under Command- er Key West Force engaged in special operations in the Caribbean Sea. In February 1963 Hissem was informed that she would participate in Operation DEEP FREEZE as an ocean station weather ship operating from Dunedin, New Zealand from September until the end of February 1964. Almost immediately plans were made to load sufficient repair parts and stores to sup- port the extended deployment. Plans were also laid to return to the United States by continuing west from New Zealand and completing an Around the World Cruise. The total nine-month cruise marked a unique event because in- dependent circumnavigation of the globe is very infrequent for a ship of Hissem 'S size. To the accompaniment of the Cruiser-Destroyer Force Band playing uAround the World in Eighty Days , Hissem departed Newport on 12 August enroute Dunedin amid the farewells and well wishes of friends and families. Hissem steamed south and arrived at Panama on 17 August. During the eight-hour transit of the Canal. the crew enjoyed a 'gfresh water wash-down in