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.
USS Firm (AM-98) was an Adroit-class minesweeper of the United States Navy. Laid down on 21 October 1941 by the Penn-Jersey Corp., Camden, New Jersey, launched on 29 May 1942, and commissioned on 10 April 1943. The vessel was reclassified as a submarine chaser PC-1602 on 1 June 1944; it was later reclassified as a control submarine chaser PCC-1602 on 1 August 1945. Very little information is available about the activities of this vessel while operating as a submarine chaser. PC-1602 was transferred to the Maritime Commission for disposal on 15 June 1948, and sold to Walter H. Wilms. Fate unknown.
USS Adroit (AM-82/PC-1586) was an Adroit-class minesweeper acquired by the United States Navy for the task of removing mines that had been placed in the water to prevent the safe passage of ships.
USS Advent (AM-83) was an Adroit-class minesweeper of the United States Navy. The ship was laid down on 18 August 1941 at Portland, Oregon, by the Commercial Iron Works; launched on 12 March 1942; and commissioned on 19 August 1942.
USS Constant (AM-86) was an Adroit-class minesweeper of the United States Navy. Laid down on 21 February 1942 by the Commercial Iron Works, Portland, Oregon, and launched on 9 May 1942, the ship was commissioned on 21 September 1942.
USS Daring (AM-87) was an Adroit-class minesweeper of the United States Navy.
The first USS Dash (AM-88) was an Adroit class minesweeper of the United States Navy.
USS Despite (AM-89) was an Adroit-class minesweeper of the United States Navy. Laid down on 24 November 1941 by the Dravo Corporation, Neville Island, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, launched on 28 March 1942, and commissioned on 31 August 1942. The ship was reclassified as a submarine chaser PC-1593 on 1 June 1944.
USS Direct (AM-90) was an Adroit-class minesweeper of the United States Navy. It was laid down on 26 December 1941 by the Dravo Corporation, Neville Island, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, launched on 25 April 1942, and commissioned on 31 August 1942. The ship started conversion to a submarine chaser on 16 May 1944 at Norfolk, Virginia, and was reclassified PC-1594 on 1 June 1944.
USS Dynamic (AM-91) was an Adroit-class minesweeper of the United States Navy. It was laid down on January 16, 1942 by the Dravo Corporation, Neville Island, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, launched on May 26, 1942, and commissioned on 15 September 1942. The ship was reclassified as a submarine chaser PC-1595 on June 1, 1944.
USS Effective (AM-92) was an Adroit-class minesweeper of the United States Navy. Laid down on 9 February 1942 by the Dravo Corporation, Neville Island, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, launched on 12 June 1942, and commissioned on 1 October 1942. The ship was reclassified as a submarine chaser, PC-1596 on 1 June 1944.
USS Engage (AM-93) was an Adroit-class minesweeper of the United States Navy. Laid down on 26 February 1942 by the Dravo Corporation, Neville Island, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, launched on 11 July 1942, and commissioned on 22 October 1942. The ship was reclassified as a submarine chaser, PC-1597 on 1 June 1944.
USS Excel (AM-94) was an Adroit-class minesweeper of the United States Navy. Laid down on 19 December 1941 by the Jakobson Shipyard, Inc., Oyster Bay, Long Island, New York, launched on 10 May 1942, and commissioned on 11 December 1942. The ship was reclassified as a submarine chaser, PC-1598 on 1 June 1944.
USS Exploit (AM-95) was an Adroit-class minesweeper of the United States Navy. Laid down on 11 May 1942 by the Jakobson Shipyard, Inc., Oyster Bay, Long Island, New York, launched on 7 September 1942, and commissioned on 5 February 1943. The ship was reclassified as a submarine chaser, PC-1599, 1 June 1944, and reclassified again as a control submarine chaser, PCC-1599, 20 August 1945.
USS Fidelity (AM-96) was an Adroit-class minesweeper of the United States Navy. Laid down on 15 October 1941 by the Nashville Bridge Company of Nashville, Tennessee, launched on 28 February 1942, and commissioned on 9 September 1942. The ship was reclassified as a submarine chaser USS PC-1600 on 1 June 1944.
USS Fierce (AM-97) was an Adroit-class minesweeper of the United States Navy. Laid down on 18 October 1941 by the Nashville Bridge Co., Nashville, Tennessee; launched on 5 March 1942, and commissioned on 12 October 1942. The ship was reclassified as a submarine chaser, PC-1601 on 1 June 1944, and reclassified as a control submarine chaser PCC-1601 on 20 August 1945.
USS PC-1603 was a submarine chaser of the United States Navy during World War II. She was originally built and commissioned as USS Force (AM-99), an Adroit-class minesweeper. On 1 June, she was renamed PC-1603 and earned three battle stars for service in the Pacific during the war. The ship was damaged by a pair of kamikaze aircraft on 26 May 1945 and later scuttled.
The PC-461-class submarine chasers were a class of 343 submarine chasers constructed mainly for the US Navy and built from 1941 to 1944. The PC-461s were based primarily on two experimental submarine chasers, PC-451 and PC-452. While PC-461 began the series, the first of the class to enter service was PC-471. As part of the Lend-Lease program, 46 ships of this class were transferred to allies of the United States. Fifty-nine PC-461s were converted to other types of patrol vessels. Eight vessels of this class were lost, and one vessel was lost after conversion to a PGM-9-class motor gunboat. Only one of the class, USS PC-566 commanded by Lieutenant Commander Herbert G. Claudius, actually sank a submarine, U-166, during World War II; however, the website 'Patrol Craft Sailors Association' cites PC-461-class ships sinking or assisting sinking up to 6 German and Japanese subs.
US Navy Small Craft Training Centers(SCTC) were United States Navy training bases used to train sailors in the operation of the many small wooden crafts used in World War II. These crafts were given the nickname Splinter Fleet. There was a shortage of steel and steel shipyards during World War II, so there was a need for a vast wooden fleet of crafts. The Small Craft Training Centers had classrooms and crafts for training. The bases had barrack housing and mess halls. To get the men and crafts out into the field quickly, at many of the bases men trained on new ships. The new ships were at the center for about 4 weeks as part of the vessel's sea trial. Tugboats, Minesweepers, Net laying ships, Crash boats, PT boats and other crafts built near the center were taken to the Small Craft Training Centers for testing. Crafts built at Lynch Shipbuilding in San Diego, California were taken to the Small Craft Training Center at Terminal Island, San Pedro, California for their sea trial. Lynch Shipbuilding built tugboats, and minesweepers. Some of the craft at the Terminal Island school were: USS Density (AM-218), USS Waxsaw (AN-91), and USS Climax (AM-161), USS Wateree (ATF-117), USS Quest (AM-281), USS Snowbell (AN-52). The US Navy also had Small Craft Training Centers in Miami, Florida, Santa Barbara, California, New Orleans, Louisiana and other sites.
Naval Base Kossol Roads also called Naval Base Kossol Passage was major United States Navy base at Kossol Roads in northern Palau in the western Caroline Islands in the western Pacific Ocean during World War II. Kossol Roads lagoon is surrounded by fringing coral reef. The base was built to support the island hopping Pacific war efforts of the allied nations fighting the Empire of Japan. In terms of the number of ships at one base, Naval Base Kossol Roads was one of the largest Naval Base in the world in 1944 and 1945. Naval Base Kossol Roads was unique, as it was the only large US Naval base to have no shore facilities. Kossol Roads was part of US Naval Base Carolines.
