Rockford painted in dazzle camouflage Measure 32, Design 16d, at Adak, Alaska on 30 January 1945 |
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| Career (United States) | |
|---|---|
| Name: | USS Rockford (PG-156) |
| Namesake: | Rockford, Illinois |
| Reclassified: | PF-48, 15 April 1943 |
| Builder: | Consolidated Steel Corporation, Wilmington, California |
| Yard number: | 533 |
| Laid down: | 28 August 1943 |
| Launched: | 27 September 1943 |
| Sponsored by: | Mrs. Harry L. Crotzer |
| Commissioned: | 6 March 1944 |
| Decommissioned: | 27 August 1945 |
| Honors and awards: |
2 battle stars, World War II |
| Fate: | transferred to the Soviet Navy, 27 August 1945 |
| Acquired: | returned from Soviet Navy, 1 November 1949 |
| Fate: | transferred to the Republic of Korea Navy, 23 October 1950 |
| Acquired: | returned from Republic of Korea Navy, 3 September 1952 |
| Struck: | 26 May 1953 |
| Fate: | sunk as target, 30 September 1953 |
| Career (Soviet Union) | |
| Name: | EK-20 |
| Acquired: | 27 August 1945 |
| Fate: | Returned to United States, 1 November 1949 |
| Career (South Korea) | |
| Name: | ROKS Apnokkang (62) |
| Acquired: | 23 October 1950 |
| Fate: | Returned to United States, 3 September 1952 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Tacoma-class frigate |
| Displacement: | 1,430 long tons (1,453 t) light 2,415 long tons (2,454 t) full |
| Length: | 303 ft 11 in (92.63 m) |
| Beam: | 37 ft 6 in (11.43 m) |
| Draft: | 13 ft 8 in (4.17 m) |
| Propulsion: | 2 × 5,500 shp (4,101 kW) turbines 3 boilers 2 shafts |
| Speed: | 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) |
| Complement: | 190 |
| Armament: | • 3 × 3"/50 caliber guns (3×1) • 4 × 40 mm guns (2×2) • 9 × 20 mm guns (9×1) • 1 × Hedgehog anti-submarine mortar • 8 × Y-gun depth charge projectors • 2 × depth charge tracks |
USS Rockford (PF-48), a Tacoma-class frigate, was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for Rockford, Illinois.
Rockford, projected as PG-156, was laid down on 28 August 1943 as PF-48 by Consolidated Steel Corporation, Los Angeles, California; launched on 27 September 1943, sponsored by Mrs. Harry L. Crotzer; and commissioned on 6 March 1944, Commander D. H. Bartlett, USCG, in command.
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Following shakedown off Los Angeles, she reported to the Pacific Fleet and got underway on 25 June 1944 for the southwest Pacific. On 2 July she attacked an enemy submarine with depth charges, doing some damage. She made a second antisubmarine attack with "hedgehogs" on 7 July and proceeded via Espiritu Santo to Australia arriving at Cairns on 23 July.
On 2 August Rockford moored in Milne Bay and operated on convoy escort duty and antisubmarine patrol off the New Guinea coast until 23 September when she made a brief run to Manus Island, Admiralties.
She then returned to New Guinea until 15 October when she steamed via Manus Island and Pearl Harbor. 13 Nov 1944 The Coast Guard manned USS Rockford, in concert with the Navy minesweeper Ardent (AM-340), attacked and sank the Japanese submarine I-12 mid-way between Hawaii and California. There were no survivors. In sinking I-12, Ardent and Rockford unwittingly avenged the atrocity I-12 had perpetrated on 30 October 1944 when, after sinking the Liberty Ship John A. Johnson, the submarine had rammed and sunk the lifeboats, rafts and then machine-gunned the 70 survivors killing 10. 17 November the Rockford arrived on the west coast for scheduled repairs.
Rockford then reported to Commander, Alaskan Sea Frontier for duty, on 4 January 1945, and operated until August at Dutch Harbor, Cold Bay, and Adak as pilot vessel for the AM-222 group.
Rockford was leased to the Soviet Union as EK-20 on 27 August 1945, and returned to the United States at Yokosuka, Japan, on 1 November 1949.
She was then loaned to South Korea on 23 October 1950 to enforce the blockade against North Korea and harass the enemy. She served the Republic of Korea Navy as Apnokkang (62) until returned to the U.S. Navy on 3 September 1952.
Assigned a status of inactive out of commission in reserve. Rockford was struck from the Navy list on 26 May 1953, and sunk as a torpedo target on 30 September 1953.
Rockford earned two battle stars for World War II service.
This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.