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Mines were perhaps the greatest single menace in the Baie de Ia Seine. During the month of June,
PT's rescued 203 survivors of mined ships. On the morning of June 8 the destroyer
Glennon hit a mine and began to settle by the stern. The
Destroyer Escort Rich, preceded by two minesweepers, approached Glennon and was passing a towline to the destroyer when a mine exploded 50 yards to starboard.
Rich was shaken but not damaged. PT-504 (Lt. jg. Harold B. Sherwood, Jr., USNR) at this time was drawing near to
Rich to offer assistance. Two minutes later another mine blew the
stern off
Rich. PT-504 circled Rich, and within 3 minutes still another mine caught
Rich amidships. PT-504, joined by PT-502 (Lt. Charles E.Twadell, Jr. USNR) and
PT-506 (Lt. Jaquelin J. Daniel, USNR), made fast to the sinking ship and sent rescue parties aboard. The boats took off 69 wounded men, casting off their lines only when the decks of the
Rich were awash. R. W. Gretter, QM2c, of the 504, and Paul E.
Cayer, S1c, of the 506, did not hear the order to abandon the Rich, and were still aboard when the ship sank. They were picked up by a Coast Guard vessel. Cayer was cited for removing "nine crew members who would have died without his aid."
PT-508 (Lt. jg. Calvin R. Whorton, USNR) rescued the last two survivors aboard the detached stern section of the ship.
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