USS Rentz (FFG-46)
| | | Career | |
|---|
| Ordered: | |
| Laid down: | September 18, 1982 |
| Launched: | July 16, 1983 |
| Commissioned: | June 30, 1984 |
| Status: | |
| Homeport: | San Diego, Calif. |
| General Characteristics |
|---|
| Displacement: | 4,100 tons (4,170 t) full load |
| Length: | 453 ft (138.1 m), overall |
| Beam: | 45 ft (13.7 m) |
| Draft: | 22 ft (6.7 m) |
| Propulsion: | 2 × General Electric LM2500-30 gas turbines generating 41,000 shp (31 MW) through a single shaft and controllable-pitch propeller |
| Speed: | 29+ knots (54+ km/h) |
| Range: | 5,000 nmi. at 18 knots
(9,300 km at 33 km/h) |
| Complement: | 15 officers and 190 enlisted, plus SH-60 LAMPS detachment of roughly six officer pilots and 15 enlisted maintainers |
| Armament: | • One OTO Melara Mk 75 76 mm/62 caliber naval gun;
• one Mk 13 Mod 4 single-arm launcher (40 round magazine):
Harpoon anti-ship missiles,
Standard anti-ship/air missiles;
• two Mk 32 triple-tube (324 mm) launchers for Mark 46 torpedoes;
• one Vulcan Phalanx CIWS;
• four .50-cal (12.7 mm) machine guns. |
| Aircraft: | 2 × SH-60 LAMPS III helicopters |
| Motto: | Dread Nought |
| Nickname: | Igno (as in Igno-Rentz - a pun for ignorance) |
| |
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 (1882â€"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 Coup" as its inaugural "UNREP breakaway song."
On
November 5,
1986,
Rentz was part of an historic visit to
Qingdao (Tsing Tao)
Chinaâ€"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.
The 453-foot-long, 4100-ton
Rentz is typical of the
Oliver Hazard Perry class of ships with a kaleidoscopic history of various duties. Despite the proliferation of high technology on these relatively small crewed vessels (without an air detachment, app. 200 usually aboard) duty aboard these ships harkens back to previous eras of surface combatant vessels. These "
Chevy Vegas of the seas" are the most likely types of vessels to be on the short end of such little known nautical rules as "
The Law of Gross Tonnage."
The colors blue and gold are traditionally associated with the U.S. Navy. The vertical trident represents the sea god
Neptune. The crossed missiles indicate the type of ship "Fast Frigate with Guided Missiles." The cross on the shield symbolizes the ship's namesake, Chaplain Rentz. The motto "Dread Nought" tells all to have no fear for the ship is watched over by higher powers.
*
USS Rentz official website*
navsource.org: USS Rentz*
navysite.de: USS Rentz*
USS Rentz at Destroyer History*
Rentz Everything2 Writeup*
FReeper Foxhole - Rentz Rescues Ecuadorians (scroll down)*
U.S. NAVY HELO CREW RESCUED BY USS RENTZ, COMNAVAIRPAC Press Release 1997: PR97-015*
MaritimeQuest USS Rentz FFG-46 pages
