USS Sandusky (PF-54) | |
History | |
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United States | |
Name | Sandusky |
Namesake | City of Sandusky, Ohio [1] |
Reclassified | PF-54, 15 April 1943 |
Builder | Froemming Brothers, Inc., Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
Laid down | 8 July 1943 |
Launched | 5 October 1943 |
Sponsored by | Miss Mabel Apel |
Commissioned | 18 April 1944 |
Decommissioned | 12 July 1945 |
Honors and awards | 2 × battle stars, World War II |
Fate | Transferred to the Soviet Navy, 12 July 1945 [2] |
Acquired | Returned by Soviet Navy, 15 October 1949 |
Fate | Transferred to the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, 26 February 1953 |
Stricken | 1 December 1961 |
Acquired | Returned by Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, 31 March 1970 |
Fate | Scrapped 1970 |
Soviet Union | |
Name | EK-7 [3] |
Acquired | 12 July 1945 [2] |
Commissioned | 12 July 1945 [4] |
Fate | Returned to United States, 15 October 1949 |
Japan | |
Name | Nire |
Acquired | 26 February 1953 |
Renamed | YAC-19, 1969 |
Reclassified | Auxiliary stock craft (YAC), 1969 |
Fate | Returned to United States 31 March 1970 for disposal |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Tacoma-class frigate |
Displacement | 1,264 long tons (1,284 t) |
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 |
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Speed | 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) |
Complement | 190 |
Armament |
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USS Sandusky (PF-54), a Tacoma-class frigate in commission from 1944 to 1945, was the second United States Navy ship of the name and the first to be named for Sandusky, Ohio. [1] She later served in the Soviet Navy as EK-7 and in the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force as JDS Nire (PF-7), Nire (PF-287) and as YAC-19.
Sandusky, originally classified as a "patrol gunboat," PG-162, was reclassified as a "patrol frigate," PF-54 on 15 April 1943. Laid down on 8 July 1943, under a Maritime Commission contract by Froemming Brothers, Inc., in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, she was launched on 5 October 1943, sponsored by Miss Mabel Apel, and commissioned on 18 April 1944 at New Orleans, Louisiana, with Lieutenant Commander Thomas R. Sargent III, USCG, in command.
After shakedown at Bermuda and overhaul at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Sandusky departed for the Pacific Ocean on 18 August 1944, escorting a convoy from New York City to Finschhafen and Hollandia, New Guinea. After completing the long convoy voyage on 2 October 1944, she proceeded to Morotai, conducting anti-submarine patrols there for the rest of the month. From November 1944 through February 1945, she escorted convoys between Hollandia and Leyte in the Philippine Islands in support of U.S. troops occupying the Philippines. After escorting a convoy to Lingayen Gulf at Luzon in the Philippines, she departed from Leyte on 8 March 1945 for Seattle, Washington.
Following overhaul, Machias proceeded to Kodiak in the Territory of Alaska. Earmarked for transfer to the Soviet Navy in Project Hula, a secret program for the transfer of U.S. Navy ships to the Soviet Navy in anticipation of the Soviet Union joining the war against Japan, Sandusky joined her sister ships USS Charlottesville (PF-25), USS Long Beach (PF-34), USS Belfast (PF-35), USS Glendale (PF-36), USS San Pedro (PF-37), USS Coronado (PF-38), USS Allentown (PF-52), and USS Machias (PF-53) in getting underway from Kodiak on 13 June 1945 bound for Cold Bay, Alaska, where they arrived on 14 June 1945 to enter Project Hula. Training of Sanduksy's new Soviet Navy crew soon began at Cold Bay. [5]
Sandusky was decommissioned on 12 July 1945 at Cold Bay and transferred to the Soviet Union under Lend-Lease immediately [2] along with nine of her sister ships, the first group of patrol frigates transferred to the Soviet Navy. Commissioned into the Soviet Navy immediately, [4] Sandusky was designated as a storozhevoi korabl ("escort ship") and renamed EK-7 [3] in Soviet service. On 15 July 1945, EK-7 departed Cold Bay in company with nine of her sister ships –EK-1 (ex-Charlottesville), EK-2 (ex-Long Beach), EK-3 (ex-Belfast), EK-4 (ex-Machias), EK-5 (ex-San Pedro), EK-6 (ex-Glendale), EK-8 (ex-Coronado), EK-9 (ex-Allentown), and EK-10 (ex-USS Ogden (PF-39)) – bound for Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky in the Soviet Union. EK-7 served as a patrol vessel in the Soviet Far East. [6]
In February 1946, the United States began negotiations for the return of ships loaned to the Soviet Union for use during World War II. On 8 May 1947, United States Secretary of the Navy James V. Forrestal informed the United States Department of State that the United States Department of the Navy wanted 480 of the 585 combatant ships it had transferred to the Soviet Union for World War II use returned, EK-7 among them. Negotiations for the return of the ships were protracted, but on 15 October 1949 the Soviet Union finally returned EK-7 to the U.S. Navy at Yokosuka, Japan. [7]
Reverting to her original name, Sandusky lay idle in the Pacific Reserve Fleet at Yokosuka until the United States loaned her to Japan on 26 February 1953 for service in the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force as JDS Nire (PF-7) (にれ (PF-7), "elm"). [8] Nire was redesignated PF-287 on 1 September 1957. [8] The United States struck her from the Navy list on 1 December 1961 and transferred her outright to Japan on 28 August 1962. In 1969, she was reclassified as an "auxiliary stock craft" (YAC) and renamed YAC-19. [8] Japan returned her to the United States on 31 March 1970 for disposal.
The U.S. Navy awarded Sandusky two battle stars for her World War II service.
USS Coronado (PG-146/PF-38), a Tacoma-class frigate, was the first ship of the United States Navy named for Coronado, California, a city adjacent to Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego. After World War II service in the U.S. Navy, she served in the Soviet Navy as EK-8 and later in the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force as Sugi (PF-5) and Sugi (PF-285).
USS San Pedro (PF-37), a Tacoma-class frigate in commission from 1943 to 1945, thus far has been the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for San Pedro, California. She later served in the Soviet Navy as EK-5 and in the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force as Kaya (PF-8), Kaya (PF-288) and as YAC-23.
The first USS Ogden (PF-39) was a Tacoma-class frigate in commission from 1943 to 1945. Originally classified as PG-147, she was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for Ogden, Utah. She later served in the Soviet Navy as EK-10 and in the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force as Kusu (PF-1), Kusu (PF-281), YAS-50 and YAC-22.
USS Poughkeepsie (PF-26), a Tacoma-class frigate in commission from 1944 to 1945, was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for Poughkeepsie, New York. She later served in the Soviet Navy as EK-27 and in the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force as JDS Momi (PF-4), JDS Momi (PF-284), and as YAC-13.
USS Allentown (PF-52), a United States Navy Tacoma-class frigate in commission from 1944 to 1945, has thus far been the only U.S. Navy ship to be named for Allentown, Pennsylvania. She later served in the Soviet Navy as EK-9 and in the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force as JDS Ume (PF-9), JDS Ume (PF-289) and as YAC-14.
USS Albuquerque (PG-115/PF-7), a Tacoma-class patrol frigate in commission from 1943 to 1945 and from 1950 to 1953, was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for Albuquerque, New Mexico. She also served in the Soviet Navy as EK-14 and in the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force as JDS Tochi (PF-16/PF-296) and as YAC-15.
USS Evansville (PF-70), a Tacoma-class frigate in commission from 1944 to 1945 and from 1950 to 1953, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for Evansville, Indiana. She also served in the Soviet Navy as EK-30 and in the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force as JDS Keyaki (PF-15), JDS Keyaki (PF-295) and YAC-21.
USS Pasco (PG-114/PF-6), a Tacoma-class patrol frigate in commission from 1944 to 1945, has thus far been the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for Pasco, Washington. She later served in the Soviet Navy as EK-12 and in the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force as JDS Kashi (PF-3/PF-283) and as YAC-12.
USS Everett (PG-116/PF-8), a Tacoma-class patrol frigate in commission from 1944 to 1945 and from 1950 to 1953, thus far has been the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for Everett, Washington. She also served in the Soviet Navy as EK-15 and in the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force as JDS Kiri (PF-11/PF-291/YAC-20).
USS Charlottesville (PF-25), a United States Navy Tacoma-class frigate in commission from 1944 to 1945, has been the only US Navy ship thus far to be named for Charlottesville, Virginia. She later served in the Soviet Navy as EK-1 and in the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force as JDS Matsu (PF-6), JDS Matsu (PF-286) and YAS-36.
USS Newport (PF-27), a Tacoma-class frigate in commission from 1944 to 1945, and from 1950 to 1952, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the city of Newport, Rhode Island. She later served in the Soviet Navy as EK-28 and in the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force as JDS Kaede (PF-13), JDS Kaede (PF-293) and as YAC-17.
The second USS Long Beach (PF-34) was a Tacoma-class frigate in commission from 1943 to 1945. She later served in the Soviet Navy as EK-2 and then in the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force as Shii (PF-17) and Shii (PF-297) and YAS-44.
The second USS Gallup (PF-47), a Tacoma-class frigate in commission from 1944 to 1945 and from 1950 to 1951, was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for Gallup, New Mexico. She also served in the Soviet Navy as EK-22 and in the Royal Thai Navy as HTMS Prasae.
USS Belfast (PF-35), the only ship of the name, was a United States Navy Tacoma-class frigate in commission from 1943 to 1945. She then served in the Soviet Navy as EK-3.
USS Rockford (PF-48), a Tacoma-class frigate in commission from 1944 to 1945, thus far has been the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for Rockford, Illinois. She later served in the Soviet Navy as EK-18 and in the Republic of Korea Navy as ROKS Apnokkang (62).
USS Muskogee (PF-49), a Tacoma-class frigate in commission from 1944 to 1945, thus far has been the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for Muskogee, Oklahoma. She later served in the Soviet Navy as EK-19 and in the Republic of Korea Navy as ROKS Dumon (PF-61).
USS Carson City (PF-50), a Tacoma-class frigate in commission from 1944 to 1945, thus far has been the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for Carson City, Nevada. She later served in the Soviet Navy as EK-20 and in the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force as JDS Sakura (PF-10), JDS Sakura (PF-290) and as YAC-16.
USS Captivate (AM-156) was an Admirable-class minesweeper built for the United States Navy during World War II and in commission from 1943 to 1945. In 1945, she was transferred to the Soviet Union and then served in the Soviet Navy as T-338.
The second USS Machias (PF-53) was a United States Navy Tacoma-class frigate in commission from 1944 to 1945 which later served in the Soviet Navy as EK-4 and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force as JDS Nara (PF-2), JDS Nara (PF-282) and YTE-8.
The second USS Bath (PF-55) was a United States Navy Tacoma-class frigate in commission from 1944 to 1945 which later served in the Soviet Navy as EK-29 and the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force, with her Japanese name reported by various sources as JDS Maki (PF-18) and JDS Maki (PF-298), and later as YTE-9.
This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships .The entry can be found here.