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USCGC Richard Snyder is the United States Coast Guard's twenty-seventh Sentinel-class cutter, commissioned 20 April, 2018. Like the other ships of her class, Richard Snyder is named after an enlisted member of the Coast Guard, noted for heroic action.

Operational Career

Richard Snyder is assigned to the U.S. Coast Guard's Fifth District, based out of Portsmouth, VA and calls on Atlantic Beach, NC as its homeport. The unit's primary missions are Search and Rescue, Living Marine Resource law enforcement, and Ports, Waterways, and Coastal Security.

Namesake

The vessel is named after BMC Richard T. Snyder, originally from Clyde, OH, and Coast Guard World War II hero. For actions on 27 May 1944, Richard Snyder was awarded the Silver Star.

Richard T. Snyder was born in Clyde, Ohio, on Nov. 25, 1922. He graduated from Clyde High School on May 28, 1940, and after working as a welder, he enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard in Cleveland, Ohio, on Dec. 29, 1941. While initially training at the Coast Guard station in Ashtabula, Ohio, he later trained as a boatswain’s mate at Manhattan Beach Training Station. He was eventually assigned to the Captain of the Port, Cleveland, until he was assigned to Landing Support Tank, or LST, Flotilla 8 on Feb. 11, 1943. He was subsequently assigned to LST-168 and by Feb. 1, 1944, he attained the rank of boatswain’s mate first class. On April 19, 1944, Snyder transferred to Naval Beach Party #6. Just a month later, allied forces made their plan to invade the island of Biak, located at the western end of Papua New Guinea. The island dominated the entrance to Geelvink Bay and was already taken over by nearly 11,000 Japanese troops under the command of Col. Kuzume Naoyuki. The U.S. Army’s 41st Infantry Division landed on the island of Biak on May 27, 1944. By late that afternoon, 12,000 troops had landed on the island, bringing with them 12 M-4 Sherman tanks, 29 field guns, 500 vehicles and 2,400 tons of supplies.

On that day as U.S. forces attacked Biak Island, Snyder was serving as a member of Navy Beach Party #6 when members of a landing party were subject to severe hand grenade bombardment from Japanese troops in two caves camouflaged in the cliff near the beach. Snyder procured a weapon and hand grenades and by tossing the grenades into the caves, killing four Japanese troops, Snyder eliminated the enemy resistance. By his initiative and resourceful fighting qualities under fire, he defeated enemy resistance and made possible the expeditious landing of vital material without casualty. For gallantry in action during the amphibious assault, Snyder was awarded the Silver Star. In his award citation, it was noted that, “Snyder’s forceful initiative, cool courage and unwavering devotion to duty in the face of grave danger were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.” After the landings at Biak, Snyder would also participate in the landings at Morotai and at Lingayen Gulf in the Philippines. Snyder was honorably discharged as a Chief Petty Officer and separated from the service Sept. 13, 1945. In addition to a Silver Star, Snyder was entitled to the American Theater Ribbon, the Asiatic-Pacific Theater Medal, the Philippine Liberation Medal, a Letter of Commendation from General MacArthur for his actions in the Admiralty Islands landings, and the Good Conduct Medal. Richard Snyder survived the war, went on to continue the family trade of breeding and training harness racing horses, and passed away on Nov. 25, 1989.

Richard Snyder's Silver Star Citation: The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Boatswain's Mate First Class Richard T. Snyder, United States Coast Guard, for gallantry in action in the amphibious attack on Biak Island, Schouton Group, Dutch New Guinea, on 27 May 1944. When members of the party landed and were subject to severe hand grenade fire from Japanese troops in two caves in the cliff near the beach, Boatswain's Mate First Class Snyder procured hand grenades, returned to the cliff area and eliminated enemy resistance, killing the four Japanese hidden in the caves. By his initiative and resourceful fighting qualities under fire he defeated enemy resistance and made possible the expeditious landing of vital material without casualty.

Design

The Sentinel-Class cutters were designed as a replacement for the Coast Guard's legacy 110 ft (34 m) Island-Class patrol boats. Richard Snyder is armed with the Mk38 Mod3 Bushmaster M242 25mm cannon and four, crew-served M2HB 50-caliber machine guns. It is equipped with a bow thruster for enhanced maneuvering as well as stabilization fins increased comfort in higher seas. This vessel class is equipped with a SafeBoat OTH(Over-The-Horizon) IV and launches and recovers the boat at a ramp in the vessel's stern. A complement of twenty-four crew including 4 officers operates the vessel which is based on a parent-design concept, with the Coast Guard making modifications to the proven Damen Stan 4708. Changes to this quality Dutch design, include an increase in sustained speed to 28 knots (32mph/52kph), six-bladed fixed-pitch propellers, stern launch capability, and watertight bulkheads.

Richard Snyder has an overall length of 153ft 6in (46.8m), is 25ft (7.6m) wide at the beam, displaces 325 long tons (330 t; 364 short tons) and draws 9ft 6in (2.9m). It has a maximum speed of 28+ knots with a maximum range of 2,950NM (3,390mi/5,460km).

External links

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damen_Stan_patrol_vessel
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damen_Group
• https://www.damen.com/
• http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2015/02/coast-guard-heroes-richard-t-snyder/

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