Bisbee off Coco Solo, Canal Zone, on 24 April 1944 |
|
| Career (United States) | |
|---|---|
| Name: | USS Bisbee (PG-154) |
| Namesake: | Bisbee, Arizona |
| Reclassified: | PF-46, 15 April 1943 |
| Builder: | Consolidated Steel Corporation, Wilmington, California |
| Yard number: | 531 |
| Laid down: | 7 August 1943 |
| Launched: | 7 September 1943 |
| Sponsored by: | Mrs. Richard Murphy |
| Commissioned: | 15 February 1944 |
| Decommissioned: | 26 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 |
| Recommissioned: | 18 October 1950 |
| Decommissioned: | 20 October 1951 |
| Honors and awards: |
3 battle stars, Korean War |
| Fate: | transferred to the Colombian National Armada, 13 February 1952 |
| Career (Soviet Union) | |
| Name: | EK-18 |
| Acquired: | 27 August 1945 |
| Fate: | Returned to United States, 1 November 1949 |
| Career (Colombia) | |
| Name: | ARC Capitán Tono |
| Acquired: | 13 February 1952 |
| Fate: | Scrapped, 1963 |
| 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 Bisbee (PF-46) was a Tacoma-class frigate manned by the United States Coast Guard, launched in 1943, that received two battle stars for World War II service and three for Korean War service.
Bisbee (PF-46) was launched on 7 September 1943 at the Consolidated Steel Corporation shipyard in Los Angeles, California, sponsored by Mrs. Richard Murphy; and commissioned on 15 February 1944, with Commander J. P. German, USCG, in command.
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Assigned to the Pacific Fleet, the Coast Guard manned Bisbee joined the 7th Fleet at Noumea, New Caledonia, on 27 June 1944. She took part in the landings on Biak Island (12–31 August), and then patrolled off the New Guinea coast until October 1944. During the invasion of Leyte she served as a patrol and harbor control vessel until detached for escort duty on 22 November. Bisbee returned to Pearl Harbor on 15 December.
After undergoing repairs, Bisbee departed Pearl Harbor on 6 January 1945 for Dutch Harbor, Alaska, arriving there on the 13th. From January to July, she escorted merchant vessels and Army transports between Dutch Harbor, Adak, Amchitka, and Attu, and acted as guardship for Fleet Air Wing 4 in the North Pacific Ocean.
On 6 July 1945, Bisbee, with Escort Division 43, departed Adak for Seattle, Washington, arriving there on 12 July. After undergoing repairs and conversion, the ship returned to Alaskan waters, arriving at Cold Bay, Alaska, on 13 August.
On 26 August 1945, Bisbee was placed out of commission at Cold Bay and loaned to the Soviet Union the next day, where she served under the designation EK-17, until returned by the Russians on 1 November 1949.
She lay at Yokosuka Navy Yard, Japan, until being recommissioned on 18 October 1950. Bisbee got underway for Korea on 23 November 1950, and served on patrol, escort, and bombardment duty until 20 October 1951, with occasional voyages to the Philippines, Hong Kong, and the Pescadores.
After repairs at Yokosuka, she was transferred to Colombia on 13 February 1952 under the Mutual Defense Assistance Program, serving as the ARC Capitan Tono. She relieved her sister-ship the Almirante Padilla and served on patrol off the East coast of Korea. Exchanges of fire with shore batteries were a frequent occurrence, and some casualties were incurred. On 13 January 1953 the Tono ended her tour of duty and was replaced by the Almirante Brión.[1] The ship was scrapped in 1963.
Bisbee received two battle stars for her World War II service and three for Korean War service.
This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.