USS Hanford (PC-1142)

USS "PC-1142" was laid down at the Defoe Shipbuilding Company in Bay City, Michigan, on 31 March 1943 and launched on 20 August 1943. "PC-1142" was commissioned on 3 June 1944, with Lieutenant (junior grade) Francis A. Mulhern in command.

After shakedown off Florida, "PC-1142" was assigned to the Naval Training Center, Miami, Florida, operating there for 2 months. She sailed on 22 September to escort a convoy to Cuba, then for the next 10 months continued escort and patrol duty between Florida and Cuba. "PC-1142" departed Key West, Florida, on 22 June 1945 en route to the Pacific, arriving at San Diego, California, on 10 July.

Two weeks later, she steamed for Hawaii; then after a brief stay at Pearl Harbor arrived at Eniwetok on 24 August. For the rest of the year "PC-1142" performed patrol and escort operations in the Western Pacific. On 7 January 1946 she arrived at Ponape, Caroline Islands, for assignment as a station ship. She continued these services out of Ponape and Eniwetok until 24 May when she was taken in tow by USS|APL-44. "PC-1142" arrived at San Diego on 30 July, remaining there for the next three months. In late October she sailed to Astoria, Oregon, and was decommissioned at Vancouver, Washington.

While berthed with the Pacific Reserve Fleet, Columbia River Group, "PC-1142" was named "Hanford" on 15 February 1956. She was loaned to the Republic of China under the Military Assistance Program in July 1957, and served the Chinese Navy as "Pei Chang" (PC-122).

References

*DANFS|http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/h2/hanford.htm