- USS Peoria (PF-67)
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For other ships of the same name, see USS Peoria.
Peoria off Charleston, South Carolina, following modification to a weather ship, circa June 1945Career (United States) 
Name: USS Peoria Builder: Leatham D. Smith Shipbuilding Company, Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin Launched: 2 October 1943 Completed: 25 May 1943 Commissioned: 2 January 1945 Decommissioned: 15 May 1946 Struck: 19 June 1946 Fate: Sold to Cuba, 16 June 1947 Career (Cuba) 
Name: Antonio Maceo (F302) Namesake: Antonio Maceo Grajales Acquired: 16 June 1947 Fate: Sunk as a target, 1975 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 11 in (11.56 m) Draft: 13 ft 8 in (4.17 m) Propulsion: 2 × 5,500 shp (4,101 kW) turbines
3 boilers
2 shaftsSpeed: 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) Complement: 190 Armament: • 3 × 3"/50 caliber guns (3×1)
• 4 × 40 mm guns (2×2)
• 9 × 20 mm guns (9×1)
• 1 × Hedgehog anti-submarine mortar
• 8 × Y-gun depth charge projectors
• 2 × depth charge tracksUSS Peoria (PF-67), a Tacoma-class frigate, was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named after Peoria, Illinois.
Contents
Construction
Peoria was constructed by the Leatham D. Smith Shipbuilding Company, and was completed in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin on 25 May 1943. Launched on 2 October 1943, sponsored by Agnes Reynolds, she was commissioned on 2 January 1945 at Houston, Texas, under the command of Commander George R. Leslie, USCG.
Service history
Peoria fitting out at Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, January 1944
Peoria's shakedown voyage (or sea trial) commenced on 12 January 1945, bound for the North Atlantic Ocean around Bermuda, and returned successfully to Norfolk, Virginia.
Peoria's first mission, begun on 4 March, was to sail with a convoy for the British Crown colony of Gibraltar. Peoria then continued on to Mers El Kébir, Algeria, concluding her journey on 19 March. She joined a returning convoy from Oran on 27 March, assigned with escorting it to the United States. Peoria then spent a brief amount of time at New York, until she was called out for use in anti-submarine training at Casco Bay, Maine. On 7 May, she departed Casco Bay bound for New London, Connecticut. Peoria arrived at New London in time for VE day, as World War II concluded. Peoria spent two weeks training submarine crews at New London.
On 21 May, Peoria left New London, assigned to Charleston, South Carolina, where she was to be fitted out for patrol duty in the Atlantic. Peoria was used for weather station work from 21 June, visiting stations in North Atlantic ports from Bermuda to Iceland for a further year.
Decommissioning and sale
On 15 May 1946, Peoria was officially decommissioned, and her name was removed from the Navy List four days later. Her sale to Cuba was overseen by the Foreign Liquidation Commission, part of the State Department.
Peoria was renamed Antonio Maceo (F-302) on 16 June 1947, and served in the Cuban Navy until 1975, when she was sunk.
References
This article includes text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
External links
- Photo gallery of USS Peoria at NavSource Naval History
- hazegray.org: USS Peoria
Categories:- Tacoma class frigates
- Ships built in Wisconsin
- 1943 ships
- World War II frigates and destroyer escorts of the United States
- United States Navy Illinois-related ships
- Tacoma class frigates of the Cuban Navy
- Weather ships
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