- USS Key West (PF-17)
USS "Key West" (PF-17), a "Tacoma"-class
frigate , was the second ship of theUnited States Navy to be named forKey West, Florida .The second "Key West", PF-17, originally classified PG-125, was launched
29 December 1943 by theAmerican Ship Building Company inLorain, Ohio , sponsored by Mrs. Vernon Lowe; sister ofLieutenant Harold Felton, the first resident of Key West reported missing inWorld War II ; and commissioned atHouston, Texas , on7 November 1944 , withLieutenant Commander B. Papanek, USCGR, in command."Key West" stood out of
Galveston Bay on17 November 1944 for training exercises and escort duty out ofBermuda . The frigate operated there until sailing for Norfolk22 December . "Key West" departedHampton Roads on18 January 1945 escorting aconvoy toOran, Algeria , and returned toBoston, Massachusetts , on28 February .During the next 4 months, she made two cruises out of
Casco Bay, Maine . Upon her return to New York on14 June from her final cruise, "Key West" remained atBrooklyn until5 July when she sailed for Boston for conversion to aweather ship .She departed Boston on
31 July , and after transiting thePanama Canal , arrived atPearl Harbor on23 August . "Key West" was then assigned to duty of weather station patrol in the vicinity ofGuam , arriving there on10 September . She operated out ofApra Harbor reporting meteorological data and stood by to aid ships in distress until14 March 1946 when she arrived atSan Francisco, California . "Key West" departed San Francisco on9 April and served for 3 weeks on plane-guard station off theNorth California Coast. The weather ship arrived atSeattle, Washington , on1 May , and was decommissioned atBremerton, Washington , on14 June 1946. She was sold on18 April 1947 toCascade Enterprises ofOakland, California , and scrapped.References
*DANFS|http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/k3/key_west-ii.htm
External links
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/12/08017.htm navsource.org: USS "Key West"]
* [http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/patrol/pf17.htm hazegray.org: USS "Key West"]
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