USS Gallup (PF-47)

USS "Gallup" (PF-47), a "Tacoma"-class frigate, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for Gallup, New Mexico, a small city in the northwest corner of the state.

"Gallup" was launched on 17 September 1943 at the Consolidated Steel Corporation shipyard in Los Angeles, California; sponsored by Ensign Helen McMahon, NNRC; and commissioned on 29 February 1944 at San Pedro, California, with Lieutenant Commander Clayton M. Opp, USCG, in command.

Following conversion work at Newport Beach, California, and shakedown out of San Pedro and San Diego, she departed San Diego on 1 June 1944 for the Pacific war zone. Conducting anti-submarine patrol en route, she arrived at Noumea, New Caledonia, on 21 June, and continued her escort and patrol duty in the waters of New Caledonia, New Guinea, and Australia until 12 October with Escort Division 43. On 17 August she bombarded enemy strongholds to support landings on Biak Island at Blue Beach, north of Wardo River by units of the 41st Infantry Division. She continued to fire until the troops had completed their landing and secured the beach. Again, on 25 August, "Gallup" lent support to the conquest of Biak by shelling the beaches between Menoerar and Cape Warari as the Army and Navy continued the successful New Guinea offensive.

Departing Hollandia on 12 October 1944, "Gallup" was part of the screen for the vast task force which returned General Douglas MacArthur to the Philippines. On the 17 October she shelled the beach area of Dinagat, and the next day she swept the channel into Leyte Gulf, Philippines, as U.S. forces poised for the invasion. She then began anti-submarine and anti-mine patrol near Black Beach, screening vessels engaged in landing operations. Stationed most of the time off Desolation Point, she collected tide and hydro-graphic information, served as dispatch boat and as escort through the cleared channel in Leyte Gulf, guided incoming ships and convoys through the channel, and served as harbor entrance control vessel during landing operations. She performed these duties, most of the time in gusty, stormy weather, with "Bisbee" (PF-46), LCI(L)-343, and LCI(L)-344, before being sent on an escort mission to Humboldt Bay on 28 November, touching San Pedro Bay and Kossol Roads, Manus, en route. On 3 December she left for the West Coast stopping to drop men at Seeadler Harbor, Admiralty Islands, and Pearl Harbor. She arrived in San Francisco on Christmas Day 1944.

Departing San Francisco on 9 January 1945, "Gallup" steamed via Seattle to Dutch Harbor, Alaska, where she arrived on the 20 January. She patrolled the North Pacific until she decommissioned at Cold Bay, Alaska on 26 August. The next day, she was transferred to the Soviet Navy under Lend-lease, renamed EK-19, and patrolled the Far East.

Returned by Russia at Yokosuka, Japan on 14 November 1949, "Gallup" lay at Yokosuka Navy Yard until she recommissioned on 18 October 1950, with Lieutenant Commander William W. Boyd, Jr. in command. After shakedown off Sagami Wan, she got under way with "Bisbee" on 23 November for Hungnam, Korea. There she relieved "Hoquiam" (PF-5) as harbor entrance control vessel, escorting ships when directed, guarding the channel against unfriendly ships, preventing friendly vessels from entering mined areas, and performing search and rescue services to the many refugees flooding through there.

On 19 December, "Gallup" left for Pusan where she performed anti-submarine patrol on the approaches to the harbor, before leaving on 31 December for Sasebo, Japan. On 29 January 1951, she returned to Korea, this time to Kansang and Kosong, for the purpose of feinting an amphibious assault to divert Communist forces and conducting a pre-assault bombardment on the installation at these points.

"Gallup" continued to operate out of Sasebo, making screening escort, patrol, and guide tours to Pusan, Wonsan, Chonjin, Korea, and Sangley Point and Subic Bay, Philippine Islands. She helped in the bombardment of Wonsan from 23 through 25 February 1951 as U.N. forces seized the harbor islands, and then served as harbor entrance control vessel and flycatcher (anti-small-boat, anti-swimmer, anti-suicide-craft). Returning to Yokosuka on 14 March, she entered dry dock there for extensive hull repairs. She continued similar duty afterward until she returned to Yokosuka on 6 October.

"Gallup" decommissioned and was transferred under Military Defense Assistance Program to Thailand at Yokosuka on 29 October 1951, and served the Thailand Navy as "Prasae".

"Gallup" received two battle stars for World War II service and three battle stars for the Korean War.

References

*DANFS|http://history.navy.mil/danfs/index.html

External links

* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/12/08047.htm navsource.org: USS "Gallup"]