USS Davenport (PF-69)

USS "Davenport" (PF-69), a "Tacoma"-class frigate, was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for Davenport, Iowa.

"Davenport" (PF-69), originally classified as PG-177, was launched on 8 December 1943 by Leathem D. Smith Shipbuilding Company of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, under a Maritime Commission contract, sponsored by Mrs. E. Frick; transferred to the Navy on 1 June 1944 and placed in service the same day; placed out of service for additional work a week later; and commissioned in full on 15 February 1945, with Commander H. F. Stolfi, USCG, in command of a crew of 215 USCG officers and enlisted men.

Departing Norfolk, Virginia, on 17 April 1945, "Davenport" joined "Pert" (PG-95) and "Action" (PG-86) for an anti-submarine patrol off Casco Bay. She returned to New York on 24 April, and 3 days later got underway to escort a convoy to Mers-el-Kebir, Algeria, returning to Norfolk on 7 June. Two days later she entered the Navy Yard at Charleston, South Carolina, for conversion to a weather ship. This involved removing the number three 3-inch gun and installing in its place a hangar used to house meteorological equipment and to inflate and launch weather balloons.

"Davenport" stood out from Charleston on 26 June 1945, and on 1 July took station off NS Argentia, Newfoundland to report meteorological data. She remained on this duty until 21 October aside from the period August 6 to 21 during which she towed "SC-705" to Reykjavík, Iceland. Arriving at Boston Navy Yard 25 October, "Davenport" remained there until decommissioned on 4 February 1946. She was sold 6 June 1946.

References

External links

* [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/d2/davenport.htm history.navy.mil: USS "Davenport"]
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/12/08069.htm navsource.org: USS "Davenport"]
* [http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/patrol/pf69.htm hazegray.org: USS "Davenport"]
* [http://pf69.grobbel.org/ grobbel.org: USS "Davenport" (PF-69) - WW II Patrol Frigate]