The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Lieutenant Commander Brent Maxwell Abel, United States Navy, for extraordinary heroism and distinguished service in the line of his profession as Commanding Officer of the Destroyer Escort U.S.S. BUCKLEY (DE-51), in offensive action against a German submarine during while patrolling the Atlantic Coast on the early morning of 6 May 1944. Directed by an unarmed search plane to the position of a surfaced enemy submarine, Lieutenant Commander Abel immediately proceeded to the scene of contact, preparing his ship, while en route, for any form of anti-submarine combat. The approach of the U.S.S. BUCKLEY, conducted at high speed and in very bright moonlight, was undetected by the enemy until just before the U.S.S. BUCKLEY reached the effective gun range, at which point the enemy made a recognition signal and fired torpedoes. After avoiding the torpedoes, despite the threat of other attacks and in the face of a heavy barrage of automatic weapons fire, the U.S.S. BUCKLEY closed to a short range where an effective blanket of fire from all guns succeeded in silencing the enemy’s fire within four minutes after the beginning of the gun action. Avoiding another torpedo, the U.S.S. BUCKLEY closed the widely maneuvering submarine, raked it at close range with all available gun power, and rammed. The enemy countered with an attempted boarding while the vessels were in contact, and then attempted to ram after the combatants became disengaged. Following the defeat of these efforts the doomed submarine, with conning tower shattered and burning fiercely, with all hatches open, abandoned by its crew and completely out of control, disappeared under the surface of the water. Three minutes after the enemy had taken its final plunge under Diesel power, the U-boat blew up with accompanying heavy underwater explosions. Lieutenant Commander Abel’s skill and inspiring leadership and the courageous, aggressive spirit of his command in offensive action against the enemy were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.