PCE-842-class patrol craft

PCEC-872
Class overview
Builders:

Pullman Standard Car, Chicago
Albina, Portland

Willamette Iron & Steel
Operators:  United States Navy
 United States Coast Guard
 Royal Navy
 Republic of Korea Navy
 Mexican Navy
 Ecuadorian Navy
 Colombian Navy
 Republic of Vietnam Navy
 Republic of China Navy
 Cuban Navy
 Philippine Navy
 Myanmar Navy
Built: 1942–1945
Completed: 68
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:1 × 3″/50 caliber gun
6 × Bofors 40 mm guns (3 twin mounts)
4 × 20 mm guns
Hedgehog anti-submarine projector
Depth charges

The Patrol Craft Escort was a World War II naval ship that was intended as a coastal and convoy escort. It was derived from the 180 foot Admirable-class minesweeper as a substitute for the 173 foot PC-461-class submarine chaser that was 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.

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 US Navy realized that a shortage of engines might prevent it from receiving additional PC-461-class submarine chaser beyond those already on order, it was decided to build the escort variant, designated as PCEs (Patrol Craft Escort) for both the US Navy and Royal Navy.[1][2]

Engines

The PCE has two 1,000 HP diesel engines driving two shafts and two propellers giving it a 16 knots maximum sustained speed and a range of 8,000 miles at cruising speed of 13 knots.

Armaments

The usual PCE armaments are a dual-purpose 3"/50 cannon, three 40mm Anti-Aircraft guns, four 20mm guns, and two depth charge tracks. Some were later fitted with torpedoes, rockets, hedge hogs, and Heavy Machine Guns.

Detection equipment

The PCE was fitted with radar, and sonar and other detection equipment for Anti-Submarine Warfare (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 specially Leyte Gulf and Normandy.

Production

Sixty Eight (68) Patrol Craft Escorts were built for the US Navy, and seventeen (17) 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 DD's and DE's in convoy escort work.

Philippine Navy

In 2014, the Philippine Navy still operates the Malvar class with six PCE's 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

Hull Number Name Builder[3] Laid Down[3] Launched[3] Completed[3] Notes
PCE-827 HMS Kilbirnie Pullman Standard Car 14 October 1942 2 May 1943 14 July 1943 Sold commercially 1947
Norwegian Passenger ship Haugesund
Sold Italy 1973, Sicilia Ponte
Sold 1982, Tucalif
Scrapped 1997[4][5]
PCE-828 HMS Kilbride Pullman Standard Car 17 November 1942 15 May 1943 31 July 1943 Sold commercially 1947
Norwegian Passenger ship MS Jylland
Sold Turkey 1984, Kibris
Sold Greece 1986, Princess Lydia
Scrapped 1988[6]
PCE-829 HMS Kilchatten Pullman Standard Car 7 December 1942 27 May 1943 16 August 1943 Sold commercially 1947
Norwegian Passenger ship Stavanger
Sold Finland, Kong Sverre[7]
PCE-830 HMS Kilchrenan Pullman Standard Car 24 December 1942 13 June 1943 31 August 1943
PCE-831 HMS Kildary Pullman Standard Car 16 January 1943 26 June 1943 14 September 1943
PCE-832 HMS Kildwick Pullman Standard Car 5 February 1943 10 July 1943 27 September 1943
PCE-833 HMS Kilham Pullman Standard Car 26 February 1943 2 August 1943 9 October 1943
PCE-834 HMS Kilkenzie Pullman Standard Car 12 March 1943 19 August 1943 20 October 1943
PCE-835 HMS Kilhampton Pullman Standard Car 30 March 1943 3 September 1943 30 October 1943
PCE-836 HMS Kilmalcolm Pullman Standard Car 12 April 1943 17 September 1943 6 November 1943
PCE-837 HMS Kilmarnock Pullman Standard Car 23 April 1943 1 October 1943 13 November 1943
PCE-838 HMS Kilmartin Pullman Standard Car 4 May 1943 13 October 1943 20 November 1943
PCE-839 HMS Kilmelford Pullman Standard Car 13 May 1943 23 October 1943 8 December 1943
PCE-840 HMS Kilmington Pullman Standard Car 24 May 1943 2 November 1943 11 December 1943
PCE-841 HMS Kilmore Pullman Standard Car 3 June 1943 9 November 1943 24 December 1943
PCE-842 USS Marfa Pullman Standard Car 12 June 1943 14 November 1943 12 January 1944
PCE-843 USS Skowhegan Pullman Standard Car 25 June 1943 24 November 1943 15 January 1944
PCE-844
-
Pullman Standard Car 8 July 1943 1 December 1943 29 January 1944
PCE-845 USS Worland Pullman Standard Car 24 July 1943 13 December 1943 12 February 1944
PCE-846 USS Eunice Pullman Standard Car 10 August 1943 20 December 1943 19 February 1944
PCE-847
-
Pullman Standard Car 24 August 1943 27 December 1943 4 March 1944
PCER-848
-
Pullman Standard Car 7 September 1943 21 January 1944 18 March 1944
PCE(R)-849 USS Somersworth Pullman Standard Car 24 September 1943 31 January 1944 29 March 1944
PCE(R)-850 USS Somersworth Pullman Standard Car 6 October 1943 8 February 1944 6 April 1944
EPCE-851 USS Rockville Pullman Standard Car 18 October 1943 22 February 1944 23 April 1944
EPCE(R)-852 USS Brattleboro Pullman Standard Car 28 October 1943 1 March 1944 13 May 1944
PCE(R)-853 USS Amherst Pullman Standard Car 16 November 1943 18 March 1944 31 May 1944
PCER-854
-
Pullman Standard Car 24 November 1943 27 March 1944 7 December 1944
EPCE(R)-855 USS Rexburg Pullman Standard Car 8 December 1943 10 April 1944 13 October 1944
PCE-856 USS Whitehall Pullman Standard Car 17 December 1943 21 April 1944 10 November 1944
EPCE(R)-857 USS Marysville Pullman Standard Car 21 December 1943 4 May 1944 30 March 1945
PCE-858
-
Pullman Standard Car 3 January 1944 13 May 1944 23 April 1945
PCE(R)-859
-
Pullman Standard Car 14 January 1944 28 November 1944 26 January 1945
PCE(R)-859
-
Pullman Standard Car 25 January 1944 30 January 1945 3 March 1945
PCE-867
-
Albina Engine and Machinery 8 July 1942 3 December 1942 20 June 1943
PCE-868
-
Albina Engine and Machinery 11 August 1942 29 January 1943 31 August 1943
PCE-869
-
Albina Engine and Machinery 2 September 1942 6 February 1943 19 September 1943
PCE-870 USS Dania Albina Engine and Machinery 30 November 1942 27 February 1943 5 October 1943
PCE-871
-
Albina Engine and Machinery 3 December 1942 10 March 1943 29 October 1943
PCE-872
-
Albina Engine and Machinery 30 January 1943 24 March 1943 29 November 1943
PCE(C)-873
-
Albina Engine and Machinery 6 February 1943 5 May 1943 15 December 1943
PCE-874 USS Pascagoula Albina Engine and Machinery 1 March 1943 11 May 1943 31 December 1943
PCE-875
-
Albina Engine and Machinery 10 March 1943 27 May 1943 19 January 1944
PCE-876
-
Albina Engine and Machinery 24 March 1943 16 July 1943 10 June 1944
PCE(C)-877 USS Havre Albina Engine and Machinery 6 May 1943 11 August 1943 14 February 1944
PCE-878 USS Buttress Albina Engine and Machinery 11 May 1943 26 August 1943 13 March 1944
PCE-879 USS Magnet Albina Engine and Machinery 27 May 1943 30 September 1943 10 July 1944
PCE-880 USS Ely Albina Engine and Machinery 12 August 1943 27 October 1943 29 April 1944
PCE-881
-
Albina Engine and Machinery 11 August 1943 10 November 1943 31 July 1944
PCE-882
-
Albina Engine and Machinery 26 August 1943 3 December 1943 23 February 1945
PCE-883
-
Albina Engine and Machinery 30 September 1943 14 January 1944 13 November 1944
PCE-884
-
Albina Engine and Machinery 27 October 1943 24 February 1944 30 March 1944
PCE-885
-
Albina Engine and Machinery 25 February 1944 20 June 1944 30 April 1944
PCEC-886
-
Albina Engine and Machinery 29 March 1944 10 July 1944 31 May 1945
PCE-891
-
Willamette Iron and Steel Works 28 October 1942 24 April 1943 15 June 1944
PCE-892 USS Somerset Willamette Iron and Steel Works 28 October 1942 1 May 1943 8 July 1944
PCE-893
-
Willamette Iron and Steel Works 27 October 1942 10 July 1943 25 July 1944
PCE-894 USS Farmington Willamette Iron and Steel Works 7 December 1942 15 May 1943 10 August 1944
PCE-895 USS Crestview Willamette Iron and Steel Works 2 December 1942 18 May 1943 30 August 1944
PCE(C)-896
-
Willamette Iron and Steel Works 2 December 1942 22 May 1943 27 November 1944
PCE-897
-
Willamette Iron and Steel Works 16 December 1942 3 August 1943 6 January 1945
PCE-898
-
Willamette Iron and Steel Works 16 December 1942 3 August 1943 24 January 1945
PCE-899 USS Lamar Willamette Iron and Steel Works 11 January 1943 11 August 1943 17 March 1945
PCE-900 USS Groton Willamette Iron and Steel Works 11 January 1943 11 August 1943 12 April 1945
PCE-901USS Parris Island Willamette Iron and Steel Works 10 May 1943 8 July 1943 30 October 1944 Completed as Auxiliary USS Parris Island (AG-72). Decommissioned 1947, sold commercially M/V Parris Island[8]
PCE-902USS PortageWillamette Iron and Steel Works 29 January 1943 28 August 1943 30 April 1945
PCE-903USS BatesburgWillamette Iron and Steel Works 18 February 1943 6 September 1943 16 May 1945
PCE-904USS GettysburgWillamette Iron and Steel Works 18 February 1943 9 September 1943 31 May 1945

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Gardiner and Chesneau 1980, p. 151.
  2. Friedman 1987, pp. 83, 85.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Friedman 1987, pp. 481–482.
  4. Friedman 1987, p. 481.
  5. Radigan, Joseph M. "HMS Kilbernie (BEC 1) ex-PCE-827 ex-PC-827". Navsource Naval History. Retrieved 26 April 2014.
  6. Radigan, Joseph M. "HMS Kilbride (BEC 2) ex-PCE-828 ex-PC-828". Navsource Naval History. Retrieved 26 April 2014.
  7. Radigan, Joseph M. "HMS Kilchatten (BEC 3) ex-PCE-829 ex-PC-829". Navsource Naval History. Retrieved 2 May 2014.
  8. Radigan, Joseph M. "Parris Island (AG 72) ex-PCE-901". Navsource Naval History. Retrieved 2 May 2014.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to PCE-827 class.