PCE-842-class patrol craft

The PCE-842-class patrol craft were United States Navy patrol craft escorts designed during World War II that were intended for coastal and convoy escort. The design was derived from the 180-foot (55 m) Admirable-class minesweeper as a substitute for the 173-foot (53 m) PC-461-class submarine chasers that were used for anti-submarine warfare (ASW) in coastal areas.[1] At 185 feet long and 640 tons, the PCE is more than twice the displacement of the PC. It has a crew complement of 99 officers and men.

PCEC-872
Class overview
Builders:
Operators:
Built: 1942–1945
Completed: 68
Preserved: ~2
General characteristics [1]
Displacement: 850 long tons (860 t)
Length:
  • 180 ft (54.86 m) wl
  • 184 ft 6 in (56.24 m) oa
Beam: 33 ft 1 in (10.08 m)
Draft: 9 ft (2.74 m)
Propulsion:
  • 2 shaft diesel engines
  • 2,000 bhp (1,500 kW)
Speed: 14.3 kn (26.5 km/h; 16.5 mph)
Range: 8,500 nmi (15,700 km; 9,800 mi) at 12 kn (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Complement: 96
Armament:

Development and design

The Admirable class had been developed as a smaller minesweeper than the Raven-class and Auk-class minesweepers, which would be cheaper and easier to build, while still having good seakeeping capabilities in high seas. An escort derivative of the new design was proposed for supply under the Lend-Lease scheme to Britain's Royal Navy (which had already rejected the Admirable class as minesweepers), and when the United States Navy realized that a shortage of engines might prevent it from receiving additional PC-461-class submarine chasers beyond those already on order, it was decided to build the escort variant, designated as Patrol Craft Escort (PCE) for both the US Navy and Royal Navy.[1][2]

The ships were 184 ft 6 in (56.24 m) long overall and 180 ft 0 in (54.86 m) between perpendiculars, with a beam of 33 ft 1 in (10.08 m) and a draft of 9 ft 5 in (2.87 m).[1] Displacement was 850 long tons (860 t) standard and 903 long tons (917 t) full load.[3] They were powered by two 1,000 horsepower (750 kW) General Motors 12-278A diesel engines driving two shafts via single reduction gearing.[1][3] This gave a speed of 15.7 kn (18.1 mph; 29.1 km/h).[3] The ships had a range of 8,500 nmi (9,800 mi; 15,700 km) at 12 kn (14 mph; 22 km/h).[1]

The normal armament on completion consisted of a single 3 in (76 mm) gun forward, two 40 mm anti-aircraft guns, backed up by 4 or 5 Oerlikon 20 mm cannon. A Hedgehog anti-submarine mortar was mounted between the 3 inch gun and the ship's bridge, while depth charge projectors and rails were mounted on the ships' fantail.[4][5] Later ships were fitted with a third Bofors gun and additional Oerlikons,[3] while ships were later modified to mount three twin Bofors mounts and four Oerlikons.[5] Some ships (including PCE-867) were armed with two 3-inch guns and three Oerlikons.[6]

Detection equipment

The class was fitted with radar, sonar and other detection equipment for ASW.

Conversions

Some PCEs later were converted to PCE(R), Rescue Escorts, and to Amphibious Control Vessels, PCE(C) that were used in many U.S. amphibious landing operations in World War II, especially Leyte Gulf and Normandy.

Production

Sixty-eight Patrol Craft Escorts were built for the US Navy, and seventeen were delivered under the Lend-Lease Program to Allies during World War II. The PCEs proved to be an inexpensive substitute for larger and more valuable destroyers and destroyer escorts in convoy escort work.

Philippine Navy

In 2014, the Philippine Navy still operates the Miguel Malvar class with six PCEs as gun corvettes, with all the ships' ASW equipment already removed. The PCE is the most numerous major ship class of the Philippine Navy that, at one time, numbered more than ten vessels.

Ships
Ship name Hull number Original navy of service Commissioned Decommissioned Status
Kilbernie PCE-827  Royal Navy 16 July 1943 June 1945 Sold to a commercial interest, 1947; sold for scrap, August 1997[7][8]
Kilbride PCE-828  Royal Navy 31 July 1943 1945 Sold to a commercial interest, 1947; sold for scrap, 1988[9]
Kilchatten PCE-829  Royal Navy 16 August 1943 12 July 1945 Sold to a commercial interest, 1947; sold for scrap, 1983[10]
Kilchrenan PCE-830  Royal Navy 31 August 1943 1945 Sold to a commercial interest, 1947; currently in service as of 2019 as a ferry
Kildary PCE-831  Royal Navy 14 September 1943 1945 Sold to a commercial interest, 1947; sold for scrap, 1980
Kildwick PCE-832  Royal Navy 27 September 1943 1945 Sold to a commercial interest, 1947; sunk while under tow, October 1983
Kilham PCE-833  Royal Navy 9 October 1943 1945 Built in 1943 for the US Navy by the Pullman Car Company. Constructed of reinforced steel. Laid down 1943 February 26 as PCE-833 by the Pullman Standard Car Co., Chicago, IL. Launched 1943 August. Transferred 1943 October To Great Britain and commissioned HMS Kilham (Z 07); Reclassified BEC-7. Returned 1946 to U.S. custody in December; Struck from the Navy Register in 1947. Sold 1949 to S/A Investment (FylkesbaataneSogne og Fjordane, Mgrs.) of Bergen, Norway. Converted 1950 renamed M/S Sognefjord passenger ship. Sold 1958 to FylkesbataaneSogne og Fjordane of Bergen; Operated on the Norwegian west coast until 1982. Sold 1982 to Filmeffekt A/S of Oslo,Norway and renamed Orion. Sold 1984 to K/S Orion Film A/S of Bergen and laid up. Sold 1987 to Matkat OY of Helsingfors, Finland. Sold 1991 to Orion Risteilyt O/Y of Hamina, Finland and renamed Orion II. Sold 1996 to Jaako Mathias Eriksson of Honduras. Sold 1997 renamed ORIENT EXPLORER. Listed for sale in Sabah, Malaysia 2019 for $129,000.
Kilkenzie PCE-834  Royal Navy 20 October 1943 July 1945 Sold to a commercial interest, 1948; sold for scrap, 1978
Kilkhampton PCE-835  Royal Navy 30 Oct 1943 1945 Returned to the United States, December 1946; fate unknown
Kilmacolm PCE-836  Royal Navy 6 November 1943 1945 Sold to a commercial interest, 1952; fate unknown
Kilmarnock PCE-837  Royal Navy 13 November 1943 1945 Sold to a commercial interest, 1949; wrecked 5 January 1951
Kilmartin PCE-838  Royal Navy 11 December 1943 1945 Sold to a commercial interest, 1947; sold for scrap, 12 June 1969
Kilmelford PCE-839  Royal Navy 8 December 1943 1945 Sold to a commercial interest, 1949; fate unknown
Kilmington PCE-840  Royal Navy 11 December 1943 1945 Sold to a commercial interest, 1951; sold for scrap, 2007
Kilmore PCE-841  Royal Navy 24 December 1943 1945 Sold to a commercial interest, 1947; fate unknown
Marfa PCE-842  United States Navy 29 January 1944 17 August 1955 Transferred to South Korea, 18 December 1961; Sunk by North Korean shore battery fire, 19 January 1967[11]
Skowhegan PCE-843  United States Navy 30 January 1944 March 1955 Sold to a commercial interest, 1961; fate unknown
Worland PCE-845  United States Navy 1 March 1944 25 May 1964 Transferred to United States Navy Reserve as Naval Reserve Training Ship for 9th Naval District (Chicago) on 11 December 1950 and served on the Great Lakes. Transferred to State of North Carolina, Cape Fear Technical Institute, Wilmington, NC, 6 August 1964 and renamed R/V Advance II. Sold in 1980 to the Standard Products Co., Inc. of Wilmington, North Carolina. Donated to the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries 15 October 1993. Sunk 21 June 1994 off Kitty Hawk (Artificial Reef 145) as part of their artificial reef program.
Eunice PCE 846  United States Navy 4 March 1944 Unknown Transferred to Ecuador, 29 November 1960; fate unknown
n/a PCE-847  United States Navy 18 March 1944 Unknown Transferred to Mexico, November 1947; fate unknown
n/a PCE-848  United States Navy 30 March 1944 March 1946 Sold for scrap, January 1947
Somersworth PCE-849  United States Navy 11 April 1944 September 1965 Sold for scrap, 1972
Fairview PCE-850  United States Navy 17 April 1944 1 May 1968 Sold to a commercial interest, 1969; fate unknown
Rockville PCE-851  United States Navy 15 May 1944 21 December 1968 Transferred to Colombia, 1969; fate unknown
Brattleboro PCE-852  United States Navy 26 May 1944 1 November 1965 Transferred to South Vietnam, 11 July 1966; later fled to the Philippines in 1975 after the fall of South Vietnam; Active as of 2019
Amherst PCE-853  United States Navy 15 June 1944 6 February 1970 Transferred to South Vietnam, 3 June 1970; later fled to the Philippines in 1975 after the fall of South Vietnam; decommissioned in 2010, awaiting disposal
n/a PCE-854  United States Navy 4 January 1945 1945 Sold to a commercial interest, 1945; fate unknown
Rexburg PCE-855  United States Navy 1 November 1944 2 March 1970 Sold to a commercial interest, 28 October 1970; last documented, 2009; fate unknown
Whitehall PCE-856  United States Navy 11 November 1944 1 July 1970 Transferred to United States Navy Reserve as Naval Reserve Training Ship for 4th Naval District (Philadelphia) July 1946. Decommissioned 1 July 1970 and sold to Eastern Seaboard Pile-Driving of Montvale and renamed Donna Marie. Converted to a tug in 1974. Sold to Standard Products Co. Inc. of Reedsville, VA and renamed Atlantic Surf in 1980. Sold to Omega Protein Inc. of Hammond, LA and renamed Atlantic Shore. Fate unknown.
Marysville PCE-857  United States Navy 26 April 1945 July 1970 Sold to a commercial interest, 1975; last documented, 1995; fate unknown
n/a PCE-858  United States Navy 16 May 1945 24 July 1947 Sold to a commercial interest, 23 December 1947; fate unknown
n/a PCE-859  United States Navy 10 March 1945 1947 Fate unknown
n/a PCE-867  United States Navy 20 June 1943 Unknown Transferred to the Republic of China, 7 February 1948; damaged in action with Communist Chinese forces 14 November 1965 and later scrapped
n/a PCE-868  United States Navy 31 August 1943 29 October 1947 Transferred to Mexico, 8 November 1947; sold for scrap, 1995
n/a PCE-869  United States Navy 19 September 1943 1 July 1971 Sold for scrap, 28 August 1971
Dania PCE-870  United States Navy 5 October 1943 18 October 1946 Transferred to South Korea, 9 December 1961; fate unknown[12]
n/a PCE-871  United States Navy 29 October 1943 24 November 1947 Transferred to Mexico, 24 November 1947; sold for scrap, 1965
n/a PCE-872  United States Navy 29 November 1943 Unknown Transferred to Cuba, 1 October 1947; fate unknown
n/a PCE-873  United States Navy 15 December 1943 1947 Transferred to South Korea, 1 November 1974; fate unknown[13]
Pascagoula PCE-874  United States Navy 31 December 1943 1 May 1959 Transferred to Ecuador, 5 December 1960; fate unknown
n/a PCE-875  United States Navy 19 January 1944 Unknown Transferred to Mexico, November 1947; fate unknown
Lodestone PCE-876  United States Navy 10 June 1944 21 February 1975 Sold for scrap, 1 May 1976
Havre PCE-877  United States Navy 14 February 1944 1 July 1970 Transferred to United States Navy Reserve as Naval Reserve Training Ship for 9th Naval District (Chicago) in April 1954 and served on the Great Lakes until struck from Navy list 1 July 1970. Fate unknown.
Buttress PCE-878  United States Navy 13 March 1944 24 February 1947 Sold to a commercial interest, 1952; sunk as a target, 1990s
Magnet PCE-879  United States Navy 10 July 1944 1975 Sunk as a target 4 March 1976
Ely PCE-880  United States Navy 29 April 1944 1 July 1970 Transferred to United States Navy Reserve as Naval Reserve Training Ship for 9th Naval District (Chicago) in August 1947 and served on the Great Lakes. Transferred 3 September 1970 to the State of Maine (Southern Maine Vocational Technical Institute) South Portland, ME and renamed R/V Aqualab II. Sold in 1972 to Kirks Marine Enterprise, Inc. of Dover, DE. Sold in 1975 to Norman Industries, Inc. of Lafayette, LA. Acquired in 1978 by Standard Products Co., Inc. of Kilmarnock, VA and renamed Atlantic Mist. Acquired in 1989 by Ampro Fisheries, Inc. of Burgess, VA. Acquired by Omega Protein, Inc. of Moss Point, MS. Sunk 16 January 2010 as part of an artificial reef approximately 26 miles southeast of Indian River Inlet, DE
n/a PCE-881  United States Navy 31 July 1944 Unknown Transferred to the Philippines, July 1948; active as of 2019
n/a PCE-882  United States Navy 23 February 1945 Unknown Transferred to South Korea, 1 November 1974; fate unknown[14]
Deperm PCE-883  United States Navy 1945 21 February 1975 Sunk as a target, 22 September 1982
n/a PCE-884  United States Navy 30 March 1945 Unknown Transferred to the Philippines, in June 1948; decommissioned in 2010, awaiting disposal
n/a PCE-885  United States Navy 30 April 1945 Unknown Transferred to the Philippines, 1 June 1948; ran aground and sank, 1979
Banning PCE-886  United States Navy 31 May 1945 1 May 1961 Became a museum ship, July 1961; sold to a commercial interest, 1972; sank, 1 October 1973
n/a PCE-891  United States Navy 15 June 1944 Unknown Transferred to the Philippines, 1 June 1948; active as of 2019
Somerset PCE-892  United States Navy 8 July 1944 March 1955 Transferred to South Korea, 13 December 1961; fate unknown[15]
n/a PCE-893  United States Navy 25 July 1944 20 November 1947 Transferred to Cuba, 20 November 1947; fate unknown
Farmington PCE-894  United States Navy 10 August 1944 19 December 1947 Transferred to United States Navy Reserve as Naval Reserve Training Ship for 9th Naval District (Chicago) in 1948 and served on the Great Lakes. Removed from Navy List on December 1, 1964. Transferred to Burma, 31 May 1965; sold for scrap, 2000
Crestview PCE-895  United States Navy 30 October 1944 Unknown Transferred to South Vietnam 29 November 1961; escaped to the Philippines, 1975; fate unknown
n/a PCE-896  United States Navy 27 November 1944 Unknown Transferred to South Korea, 1 November 1974; fate unknown[16]
n/a PCE-897  United States Navy 6 January 1945 Unknown Transferred to the Philippines in April 1948; decommissioned, awaiting disposal
n/a PCE-898  United States Navy 24 January 1945 Unknown Transferred to South Korea 1 November 1974; fate unknown[17]
Lamar PCE-899  United States Navy 17 March 1945 30 September 1969 Transferred to United States Navy Reserve as Naval Reserve Training Ship for 9th Naval District (Milwaukee) on 13 December 1950 and served on the Great Lakes. Transferred to U.S. Coast Guard 29 July 1964. Arrived Monterey, California 14 December 1965 as training vessel. Decommissioned 30 September 1969. Sold as scrap to Foison Industries Corporation in Taiwan 8 November 1971.
Groton PCE-900  United States Navy 12 April 1944 19 August 1955 Sold to a commercial interest, 1975; abandoned near Reedville, Virginia
Parris Island PCE-901  United States Navy 30 October 1944 19 June 1947 Sold to a commercial interest, 20 January 1948; sold for scrap, 1990[18]
Portage PCE-902  United States Navy 30 April 1945 1949 Transferred to United States Navy Reserve as Naval Reserve Training Ship for 9th Naval District (Milwaukee) 7 May 1950 and served on the Great Lakes until struck from Navy list 1 July 1970. Sold to Standard Products Co., Inc. of Kilmarnock, VA and renamed Atlantic Venture. Acquired in 1989 by Ampro Fisheries, Inc. of Burgess, VA. Fate unknown.
Batesburg PCE-903  United States Navy 16 May 1945 6 September 1955 Transferred to South Korea, 13 December 1961; fate unknown[19]
Gettysburg PCE-904  United States Navy 31 May 1945 2 September 1955 Sold for scrap 23 June 1960

Citations
  1. Gardiner & Chesneau 1980, p. 151
  2. Friedman 1987, pp. 83, 85
  3. Elliott 1977, p. 439
  4. Elliott 1977, pp. 437, 439
  5. Friedman 1987, p. 85
  6. Lenton 1974, p. 58
  7. Friedman 1987, p. 481
  8. Radigan, Joseph M. "HMS Kilbernie (BEC 1) ex-PCE-827 ex-PC-827". Navsource Naval History. Retrieved 26 April 2014.
  9. Radigan, Joseph M. "HMS Kilbride (BEC 2) ex-PCE-828 ex-PC-828". Navsource Naval History. Retrieved 26 April 2014.
  10. Radigan, Joseph M. "HMS Kilchatten (BEC 3) ex-PCE-829 ex-PC-829". Navsource Naval History. Retrieved 2 May 2014.
  11. "Noryang Patrol ships (1943-1946/1955-1961) South Korean Navy". Navypedia. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
  12. "Noryang Patrol ships (1943-1946/1955-1961) South Korean Navy". Navypedia. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  13. "Noryang Patrol ships (1943-1946/1955-1961) South Korean Navy". Navypedia. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  14. "Noryang Patrol ships (1943-1946/1955-1961) South Korean Navy". Navypedia. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  15. "Noryang Patrol ships (1943-1946/1955-1961) South Korean Navy". Navypedia. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  16. "Noryang Patrol ships (1943-1946/1955-1961) South Korean Navy". Navypedia. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  17. "Noryang Patrol ships (1943-1946/1955-1961) South Korean Navy". Navypedia. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  18. Radigan, Joseph M. "Parris Island (AG 72) ex-PCE-901". Navsource Naval History. Retrieved 2 May 2014.
  19. "Noryang Patrol ships (1943-1946/1955-1961) South Korean Navy". Navypedia. Retrieved 25 January 2018.

Sources
  • Friedman, Norman (1987). U.S. Small Combatants: Including PT-Boats, Subchasers and the Brown-Water Navy: An Illustrated Design History. Annapolis, Maryland, USA: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-713-5.
  • Elliott, Peter (1977). Allied Escort Ships of World War II: A complete survey. London: Macdonald and Jane's. ISBN 0-356-08401-9.
  • Gardiner, Robert; Chesneau, Roger (1980). Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-146-7.
  • Lenton, H. T. (1974). American Gunboats and Minesweepers. WW2 Fact Files. London: Macdonald and Jane's. ISBN 0-356-08064-1.
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