USS Perch (SS-313) - 1960s

1960s

Perch recommissioned 11 November 1961, Lt. Comdr. C.H. Hedgepeth in command, trained on the West Coast and Hawaii through 1962, and arrived at her new homeport, Subic Bay, Philippine Islands in March 1963. Her operations consisted of training the U.S. Marine's Amphibious Recon Battalion, Army Special Forces, and Navy UDTs in reconnaissance and also in providing training services to allied countries. In May and June 1964 Perch traveled to Mindoro and trained with British commando forces. July and August were spent in Hong Kong, Pohong Bay, Korea (with R.O.K. Special Forces), Yokosuka and Okinawa, Japan.

March and April 1965, saw Perch participating in exercise "Jungle Drum III" by landing 75 Marine Corps reconnaissance personnel on the Malay Peninsula from the Gulf of Siam. Perch conducted search and rescue operations in the Vietnam combat zone during August and September. She made two amphibious landings on the coast of South Vietnam during November and December as part of operation "Dagger Thrust."

During January Perch landed UDT personnel for beach survey work in South Vietnam as part of operation "Double Eagle." She then provided services at Legaspi, P.I. to train Filipino and American UDT personnel. Between local training operations in the Subic Bay area, Perch worked with Chinese Special Forces at Kaohsiung, Taiwan, and with Army Special Forces at Keelung, Taiwan.

In July Perch participated in operation "Deck House II" on the coast of South Vietnam. Again in August, Perch conducted several independent beach surveys with UDT personnel along the coast of South Vietnam. For operation "Deck House IV" in September Perch landed UDT personnel on five successive nights for preinvasion beach reconnaissance. On 7 October 1966, Perch headed for Pearl Harbor via Hong Kong, Palau Islands, Guam, and Midway Island. She operated in Hawaiian waters until 1967 when she became Naval Reserve Training submarine at San Diego. On 22 August 1968 Perch's classification was changed from APSS–313 to Submarine Transport LPSS–313.

Perch was designated an Unclassified Miscellaneous Submarine IXSS-313 30 June 1971 She was decommissioned and struck from the Naval Register, 1 December 1971, and Disposition, sold for scrapping, 15 January 1973.

Perch received four battle stars for World War II service and one battle star for Korean War service.