USS Ogden (PF-39)

USS "Ogden" (PF-39), a "Tacoma"-class frigate, originally classified as PG-137, was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for Ogden, Utah.

The first "Ogden" (PF-39) was laid down at the Consolidated Steel Corporation shipyard in Los Angeles, California, on 21 May 1943; launched on 23 June 1943, sponsored by Miss Margaret S. Shelton; and commissioned at San Diego, California, on 20 December 1943, with Lieutenant K. C. Tharp, USNR, in command.

After shakedown out of San Diego, "Ogden" sailed from San Pedro, California, on 9 March 1944 escorting a convoy via Samoa to Milne Bay, New Guinea, which she reached on 2 April 1944. During this time, she sailed in company with sister ship "Van Buren" (PF-42) and escorted the merchant tanker SS "Fort Erie" to Espiritu Santo from 23 to 29 March. Through July she took part in the operations leap-frogging westward in New Guinea, escorting landing ships and merchant vessels, conducting anti-submarine patrols, and serving as harbor entrance control ship at Humboldt Bay.

Following repairs and training at Brisbane, Australia, in August and September, the patrol frigate supported the buildup of men and shipping for the forthcoming return to the Philippines, twice escorting convoys from Manus in the Admiralties to New Guinea staging bases. She herself arrived at Leyte on 2 November, bringing up a convoy which included a Navy tanker, an Australian merchantman, and ten tugs pulling a variety of tows. When enemy planes attacked her convoy that night, one bomb missed her by only 50 yards.

She returned to New Guinea twice to bring reinforcement convoys to Leyte, and on 12 November, shot down three Japanese suicide planes attacking merchant shipping off Leyte. Her gunners scored again off New Guinea on 29 November, assisting in the destruction of two of the torpedo planes which attacked her Leyte-bound convoy.

"Ogden" left Humboldt Bay on 14 December, bound for Manus, Bora Bora, the Panama Canal, Charleston, South Carolina, and Boston, Massachusetts, where she arrived on 24 January 1945. After repairs and training in Casco Bay, Maine, "Ogden" was westward bound once more, via the Panama Canal to Seattle, Washington, where she completed repairs.

On 27 June "Ogden" arrived in Cold Bay, Alaska, where she trained Russian sailors. She decommissioned on 12 July 1945 and was transferred to Russia under lend-lease. In the Russian Navy she served as EK-7. The ship was returned to the United States at Yokosuka, Japan, on 15 October 1949, and was transferred to Japan 14 January 1953, where she served as "Kusu" (PF–281). The ship was reclassified as an Auxiliary Service Craft, YAS-50, on 31 March 1970; reclassified as an Auxiliary Stock Craft, YAC-22, on 31 March 1971; and decommissioned on 1 April 1976. She was returned to U.S. custody on 28 June 1977. Fate unknown.

"Ogden" received three battle stars for World War II service.

See also

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

References

External links

* [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/o2/ogden-i.htm history.navy.mil: USS "Ogden"]
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/12/08039.htm navsource.org: USS "Ogden"]
* [http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/patrol/pf39.htm hazegray.org: USS "Ogden"]