USS Uniontown (PF-65)

USS "Uniontown" (PF-65), a "Tacoma"-class frigate, was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for Uniontown, Pennsylvania.

"Uniontown" (PF-65) was laid down under a Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1489) as "Chattanooga" on 21 April 1943 at Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, by the Leathern D. Smith Shipbuilding Company; launched on 7 August 1943, sponsored by Mrs. Cecilia Daniel; brought to New Orleans, Louisiana, for completion on 4 April 1944; renamed "Uniontown" on 16 August 1944 to free the name "Chattanooga" for CL-118; and commissioned on 6 October 1944, with Commander Richard E. Morell, USCG, in command.

Following shakedown in the Caribbean and a brief visit to Charleston, South Carolina, "Uniontown" joined Task Force 61 at Hampton Roads, Virginia, on 27 December 1944 for duty as a convoy escort. Two days later, the Coast Guard-manned escort vessel got underway for the first of three round-trip voyages across the Atlantic, escorting convoys to Oran, Algeria, and back. Her first round trip lasted from 29 December 1944 to 11 February 1945; the second round trip commenced on 15 March and ended with the ship's return to New York on 9 April. On 28 April, "Uniontown" got underway for North Africa and her last wartime convoy escort run.

While en route to Algeria, "Uniontown" received word that German forces had surrendered at Rheims on 7 May, ending the long European war. Arriving at Oran on the 13th, "Uniontown" soon got underway for the United States and reached Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on 8 June for conversion to a weather ship. On 3 July, outfitted for weather patrol duties, she set out for Newfoundland, and arrived at NS Argentia two days later.

On 13 July, "Uniontown" commenced operations at Weather Station No. 3 and remained on station until 2 August. The ship returned to Grondal, Greenland, from 3 to 20 August in between deployments on weather patrol. The frigate served on Weather Station No. 1 from 22 August to 11 September, and subsequently at Weather Station No. 3 from 2 to 20 October before she returned to the Boston Navy Yard. A month later, "Uniontown" headed for Hampton Roads and arrived at Norfolk, Virginia, on 30 November 1945.

On 20 December 1945, the warship was decommissioned at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, Virginia, and was struck from the Navy list on 8 January 1946.

She was then sold to the Argentine government in July 1947, in whose service she was renamed "Sarandi".

See also

See USS "Chattanooga" for other ships of this name.

References

External links

* [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/u1/uniontown.htm history.navy.mil: USS "Uniontown"]
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/12/08065.htm navsource.org: USS "Uniontown"]
* [http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/patrol/pf65.htm hazegray.org: USS "Uniontown"]