The Tacoma class was a class of 96 patrol frigates which served in the United States Navy during World War II and the Korean War. Originally classified as gunboats (PG), they were reclassified as patrol frigates (PF) on 15 April 1943. The class is named for its lead ship, Tacoma, a Maritime Commission (MARCOM) S2-S2-AQ1 design, which in turn was named for the city of Tacoma, Washington. Twenty-one ships were transferred to the British Royal Navy, in which they were known as Colony-class frigates, and twenty-eight ships were transferred under Lend-Lease to the Soviet Navy, where they were designated as storozhevoi korabl, during World War II. All Tacoma-class ships in US service during World War II were manned by United States Coast Guard crews. Tacoma-class ships were transferred to the United States Coast Guard and various navies post-World War II.
The fourth HMS Dominica (K507) was a Colony-class frigate of the United Kingdom which served in the Royal Navy during World War II. She originally was ordered by the United States Navy as the Tacoma-class patrol frigateUSS Harman (PF-79) and was transferred to the Royal Navy prior to completion.
HMS Smilax was originally launched as Tact (PG-98), an Action-class gunboat built for the United States Navy by Collingwood Shipyards, Ltd., Collingwood, Ontario, Canada
When the United States entered World War II at the end of 1941, the United States Navy found itself deficient in ocean escort-type vessels. A crash building program was instituted; but, to meet more immediate needs, the government contracted with shipbuilding firms in England and Canada to build Flower-class corvettes. Vim (PG-99) was one of those British-type escorts. She was launched on 1 April 1943 at the Collingwood Shipyard in Collingwood, Ontario. Nine days later, however, she was transferred to the Royal Navy under the terms of the lend-lease agreement in return for another Flower-class corvette then under construction in Canada. The British renamed her HMS Statice, and she served the Royal Navy under the name through World War II. On 21 June 1946, she was returned to the United States Navy. Though carried on the Navy list as PG-99, the corvette never saw active service with the United States Navy. She was sold on 7 May 1947. To whom she was sold and to what purpose she was put is unknown.
HMS Zanzibar (K596) was a Colony-class frigate of the United Kingdom that served during World War II. She was ordered by the United States Navy as the Tacoma-class patrol frigateUSS Prowse (PF-92) and was transferred to the Royal Navy prior to completion.
HMS Anguilla (K500) was a Colony-class frigate of the United Kingdom in commission from 1943 to 1946 that served during World War II. She originally was ordered by the United States Navy as the Tacoma-class patrol frigateUSS Hallowell (PF-72), later renamed USS Machias (PF-72), and was transferred prior to completion.
HMS Antigua (K501) was a Colony-class frigate of the United Kingdom in commission from 1943 to 1945 that served during World War II. She originally was ordered by the United States Navy as the Tacoma-class patrol frigateUSS Hamond (PF-73) and was transferred prior to completion.
HMS Bahamas (K503) was a Colony-class frigate of the United Kingdom that served during World War II. She originally was ordered by the United States Navy as the Tacoma-class frigateUSS Hotham (PF-75) and was transferred to the Royal Navy prior to completion.
HMS Barbados was a Colony-class frigate of the United Kingdom that served during World War II. She originally was ordered by the United States Navy as the Tacoma-class patrol frigateUSS Halsted (PF-76) – sometimes spelled Halstead – and was transferred to the Royal Navy prior to completion.
HMS Cayman (K506) was a Colony-class frigate of the United Kingdom that served during World War II. She originally was ordered by the United States Navy as the Tacoma-class patrol frigateUSS Harland (PF-78) and was transferred to the Royal Navy prior to completion.
HMS Labuan (K584), ex-Gold Coast, was a Colony-class frigate of the United Kingdom which served in the Royal Navy during World War II. She was originally ordered by the United States Navy as the Tacoma-class patrol frigateUSS Harvey (PF-80) and briefly renamed Gold Coast before she was transferred to the Royal Navy prior to completion.
HMS Montserrat (K586) was a Colony-class frigate of the United Kingdom that served during World War II. She originally was ordered by the United States Navy as the Tacoma-class patrol frigateUSS Hornby (PF-82) and was transferred to the Royal Navy prior to completion.
The fourth HMS Tobago (K585), ex-Hong Kong, was a Colony-class frigate of the United Kingdom which served in the Royal Navy during World War II. She originally was ordered by the United States Navy as the Tacoma-class patrol frigateUSS Holmes (PF-81) and was transferred to the Royal Navy prior to completion.
HMS Nyasaland (K587) was a Colony-class frigate of the United Kingdom that served during World War II. She originally was ordered by the United States Navy as the Tacoma-class patrol frigateUSS Hoste (PF-83) and was transferred to the Royal Navy prior to completion.
HMS Papua (K588) was a Colony-class frigate of the United Kingdom that served during World War II. She originally was ordered by the United States Navy as the Tacoma-class patrol frigateUSS Howett (PF-84) and was transferred to the Royal Navy prior to completion.
HMS Perim (K593), ex-Sierra Leone, was a Colony-class frigate of the United Kingdom that served during World War II. She originally was ordered by the United States Navy as the Tacoma-class patrol frigateUSS Phillimore (PF-89) and was transferred to the Royal Navy prior to completion.
HMS St. Helena (K590) was a Colony-class frigate of the United Kingdom that served during World War II. She originally was ordered by the United States Navy as the Tacoma-class patrol frigateUSS Pasley (PF-86) and was transferred to the Royal Navy prior to completion. After the British returned her to the United States in 1946, she briefly carried the name USS St. Helena (PF-86).
HMS Sarawak (K591) was a Colony-class frigate of the United Kingdom that served during World War II. She originally was ordered by the United States Navy as the Tacoma-class patrol frigateUSS Patton (PF-87) and was transferred to the Royal Navy prior to completion.
HMS Pitcairn (K589) was a Colony-class frigate of the United Kingdom that served during World War II. She originally was ordered by the United States Navy as the Tacoma-class patrol frigateUSS Pilford (PF-85) and was transferred to the Royal Navy prior to completion.
HMS Kingsmill (K484) was a British Captain-class frigate of the Royal Navy in commission during World War II. Originally constructed as the United States Navy Evarts-class destroyer escort DE-280, she served in the Royal Navy from 1943 to 1945 and then in the U.S. Navy as USS Kingsmill (DE-280) from August to October 1945.
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