USS Crystal (PY-25)

History
United States
Name:	USS Crystal (PY-25)
Builder:	Pusey and Jones Co
Launched:	1929 as Cambriona
Acquired:	15 January 1942
Commissioned:	24 February 1942
Decommissioned:	6 March 1946
Fate:	Maritime Commission
General characteristics
Displacement:	1,400 tons
Length:	225 ft (69 m)
Beam:	34 ft (10 m)
Draft:	13 ft (4.0 m)
Propulsion:	2 x Winton 157 diesels, 1,100shp, two shafts
Speed:	18 kn (33 km/h)
Armament:	2 x 3"/50 dual purpose mounts

USS Crystal (PY-25) was a patrol yacht in the United States Navy.

Crystal was built in 1929 as the yacht Cambriona by the Pusey and Jones Co., Wilmington, Del. She was built for Walter O. Briggs of Detroit, Michigan. She was renamed Vida by Erle P. Halliburton, founder of the New Method Oil Well Cementing Company now known as Halliburton, after his wife Vida Tabor. Vida was offered to and acquired by the Navy, 15 January 1942. She was commissioned on 24 February 1942, Lieutenant Commander O. B. Drotning, USNR (Ret.), in command.

Crystal arrived at Pearl Harbor 1 May 1942 for duty with the Hawaiian Sea Frontier. She served on patrol and escort duty in the island area, escorting Army transports and merchant vessels to outlying islands ; transported civilian workers and servicemen; and joined in exercises and drills with destroyers. From 1 December 1943 to 14 April 1944 she based at Midway for patrol duty and exercises and training with submarines. After overhaul at Pearl Harbor she returned to operations under the Hawaiian Sea Frontier, adding weather station patrols to her duties. On 8 November 1945 she got underway for the west coast, arriving at San Francisco 17 November.

Crystal was decommissioned there 6 March 1946 and transferred to the Maritime Commission 2 April 1947. Sold 7 Jul 1974 to Barnett Shipping and used as a freighter and passenger vessel in Central and South America. Fate unknown.

References

• This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.