USS Alacrity (PG-87)

Last updated

USS Alacrity (PG 87).jpg
History
US flag 48 stars.svgUnited States
NameUSS Alacrity
Launched4 September 1942
Acquired6 January 1942
Commissioned10 December 1942
Decommissioned4 October 1945
Stricken24 October 1945
HomeportCharleston, South Carolina
FateSold to Italy, 1947
General characteristics
Class and type Action class
Type Patrol boat
Displacement1,375 long tons (1,397 t)
Length205 ft (62 m)
Beam33 ft (10 m)
Draft14 ft 7 in (4.45 m)
Speed16.5  kn (19.0 mph; 30.6 km/h)
Complement90
Armamenttwo 3 in (76 mm) dual purpose gun mounts, two 20 mm gun mounts and two depth charge tracks

USS Alacrity (PG-87) was an Action-class patrol boat acquired by the United States Navy for the task of patrolling American coastal waters during World War II.

Contents

The gunboat was constructed in Collingwood, Ontario, Canada by the Collingwood Shipyard, Ltd. as the British Flower-class corvette HMS Cornel (K-278). It was transferred to the U. S. Navy on 6 January 1942; launched on 4 September 1942; and commissioned at Collingwood on 10 December 1942. She was the second ship to be named Alacrity by the U.S. Navy.

World War II

By 31 December, the gunboat had moved to Sorel, Quebec, where she remained into March 1943. On 3 March, she got underway to descend the St. Lawrence River, bound ultimately for Boston, Massachusetts. On 5 March, she stopped at Quebec, Canada, and remained there for two months. Alacrity resumed her voyage on 5 May and arrived at the Boston Navy Yard Annex on 12 May. She remained there until sometime in mid-July, when she sailed for Bermuda and shakedown training in the waters surrounding that island group. She completed shakedown on 15 August and arrived in New York City three days later. After a round-trip voyage apiece to Norfolk, Virginia, and Boston, Alacrity entered the navy yard at Boston for post-shakedown repairs on 21 September.

East Coast operations

She got underway again on 25 September and began escorting ships between New York City and the Caribbean. For the next eight months, the gunboat screened coastal merchant traffic on the New York-to-Guantánamo Bay, Cuba circuit. Early in May 1944, she added Key West, Florida, to her itinerary, but soon thereafter resumed her New York-Guantánamo Bay shuttles exclusively. In May 1945, she ceased voyages to Cuba when she was reassigned from the Atlantic Fleet to the Eastern Sea Frontier. For the remainder of the war, Alacrity served along the east coast—first at Staten Island, then at New York, and – by mid-July – at Charleston, South Carolina. By 1 August 1945, although still based at Charleston, she had been reassigned to the 6th Naval District.

Post-war decommissioning

She was still at Charleston when placed out of commission on 4 October 1945. Her name was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 24 October. She was transferred to the War Shipping Administration on 22 September 1947 for final disposition.

Related Research Articles

USS <i>Prudent</i> (PG-96) Gunboat of the United States Navy

USS Prudent (PG–96), originally ordered as HMS Privet, was an Action-class patrol gunboat in the United States Navy.

USS <i>Peterson</i> (DE-152)

USS Peterson (DE–152) was an Edsall class destroyer escort, the first United States Navy ship so named. This ship was named for Chief Water Tender Oscar V. Peterson (1899–1942), who was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously for his actions during the Battle of the Coral Sea.

USS <i>Alexandria</i> (PF-18) Tacoma-class patrol frigate

USS Alexandria (PF-18), originally classified PG-126, a Tacoma-class frigate, was the second ship of the United States Navy to hold that name, but it was the first to be named for the city of Alexandria, Virginia.

USS <i>Hayter</i> (DE-212) Buckley-class destroyer escort

USS Hayter (DE-212/APD-80) was a Buckley-class destroyer escort in service with the United States Navy from 1943 to 1946. In 1967, she was transferred to South Korea where she served as ROKS Jonnam until 1986.

USS <i>Alexander J. Luke</i> Buckley-class destroyer escort

USS Alexander J. Luke (DE/DER-577), a Buckley-class destroyer escort of the United States Navy, was named in honor of Sergeant Alexander J. Luke (1916–1942), who was killed in action during the attack on Tulagi on 6 August 1942. He was posthumously awarded the Silver Star.

USS <i>Fulton</i> (AS-1) Gunboat of the United States Navy

USS Fulton (AS-1) was constructed as a submarine tender in 1914, but later was converted into a gunboat and redesignated PG-49.

USS Cardinal was a YMS-1-class minesweeper of the YMS-135 subclass built for the United States Navy during World War II. She was the third ship in the U.S. Navy to be named for the cardinal.

USS <i>Topeka</i> (PG-35) Gunboat of the United States Navy

USS Topeka (PG-35) was a gunboat of the United States Navy.

USS Brambling (AMc-39) was an Accentor-class coastal minesweeper acquired by the U.S. Navy for the dangerous task of removing mines from minefields laid in the water to prevent ships from passing.

USS <i>Surprise</i> (PG-97) Gunboat of the United States Navy

The fourth USS Surprise and fifth American naval ship of the name was an Asheville-class patrol gunboat that served in the United States Navy from 1969 to 1973.

USS <i>PC-1181</i>

USS PC-1181 was a PC-461-class submarine chaser built for the United States Navy during World War II. She was later renamed Wildwood (PC-1181) but never saw active service under that name.

USS <i>Asheville</i> (PF-1)

USS Asheville (PF-1) was an Asheville-class patrol frigate of the United States Navy that served during World War II. She was laid down on 10 March 1942 by Canadian Vickers Ltd. in Montreal, Quebec, Canada as the River-class frigate HMS Adur (K296) to serve in the British Royal Navy. She was launched on 22 August 1942 but due to a lack of American vessels for convoy protection she was transferred to the United States Navy prior to completion. On 1 December 1942, she was commissioned in Montreal as USS Asheville (PG-101), a patrol gunboat. She was reclassified PF-1 on 15 April 1943.

USS <i>Greensboro</i> (PF-101)

USS Greensboro (PF-101) was a United States Navy Tacoma-class frigate in commission from 1945 to 1946.

USS <i>Beacon</i> (PG-99) Gunboat of the United States Navy

USS Beacon (PGM-99/PG-99) was an Asheville-class gunboat in the United States Navy during the Vietnam War. She was transferred to the Hellenic Navy where she serves as PG Hormi.

USS Action (PG-86) was the lead ship of the Action-class patrol boats acquired by the United States Navy for the task of patrolling American coastal waters during World War II. She is the only ship to bear this name.

HMS Flax, a modified Flower-class corvette, was laid down on 28 February 1942 at Kingston, Ontario, Canada, by War Supplies Ltd., for the Royal Navy. Launched on 15 June 1942 it was reallocated to the United States under the so-called "Reverse Lend-Lease" program and renamed and redesignated Brisk (PG-89) on 14 August 1942. Completed on 5 December 1942, the ship was commissioned on 6 December 1942.

USS Haste (PG-92), was one of a group of Canadian corvettes turned over to the United States Navy and manned by the Coast Guard. She was laid down as CN-310 by Morton Engineering & Dry Dock Co., Quebec, Canada, and launched on 22 August 1942 as HMS Mandrake. She was taken over by the US Navy, renamed Haste and commissioned on 6 April 1943.

USS <i>Might</i> (PG-94) Gunboat of the United States Navy

USS Might (PG-94) was laid down as Canadian corvette CN-312 by Morton Engineering and Drydock Co., Ltd., Quebec, Canada, on 28 November 1941 and launched as HMS Musk on 15 July 1942. The ship was transferred to the United States Navy on 20 July 1942, renamed Might on 14 August 1942, and commissioned at Quebec on 22 December 1942.

USS Pert (PG-95), the second United States Navy ship of that name, was one of eight Canadian-built corvettes turned over to the U.S. Navy for operation by the United States Coast Guard. She was laid down by Morton Engineering and Dry Dock Co., Ltd., Quebec, Canada, 22 July 1942; launched 27 November 1942; and commissioned at Quebec 23 July 1943.

HMS <i>Tortola</i> (K595) Colony-class frigate

HMS Tortola (K595) 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 Peyton (PF-91) and was transferred to the Royal Navy prior to completion.

References

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships .The entry can be found here.