- USS Natchez (PG-102)
USS "Natchez" (PG-102) was a Asheville class
patrol frigate acquired by theU.S. Navy duringWorld War II . She was designed for patrol andconvoy duty, and served her country in the Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Oceans. [Log of USS Denver http://www.hazegray.org/navhist/denver/logoct44.htm]"Natchez" was laid down
16 March 1942 byCanadian Vickers Ltd.,Montreal, Canada as HMS|Annan|K297|6, later designated as HMCS "Annan"; acquired by the U.S. Navy20 July 1942 and classified as "Natchez" (PG-102) on8 October 1942 ; launched12 September 1942 , and commissioned atOttawa, Canada 16 December 1942 .World War II North Atlantic operations
"Natchez" sailed under escort to
Boston, Massachusetts , arriving at theBoston Navy Yard 16 January 1943 for fitting out. On1 March she reported for duty to CommanderEastern Sea Frontier and was assigned escort duty for merchant convoys betweenCuba andNew York . "Natchez" was reclassified as PF-2 on15 April 1943 .Rescuing survivors in the water
On
4 December , Cuban freighter SS|Libertad was reported missing from her convoy off the southern Atlantic coast. "Natchez" with several other patrol vessels, was dispatched to the scene, guided by homing signals from Navyblimps . "Natchez" found only three survivors who related that their ship had beentorpedo ed and sank before they could notify the convoy commander.inking of German U-boat "U-548"
Through 1944, "Natchez" escorted convoys and performed ASW patrol duties. While on convoy duty
29 April 1943 , she simultaneously received asonar contact and sighted the snorkel of a GermanU-boat , 98 miles east ofCape Henry, Virginia . Launching an immediate attack, she was quickly joined by three destroyer escorts: USS|Coffman|DE-191|2, USS|Bostwick|DE-103|2 and USS|Thomas|DE-102|2. Hedgehogs anddepth charges erupted large areas of the ocean bottom as the four vessels sought to trap the enemysubmarine . Finally contact was lost and a large quantity of oil was seen to rise to the surface, indicating destruction of the U-boat. German sources, at the end of the war, substantiated that "U-548 " had been lost as a result of this attack.End-of-war activity
At the end of the war, "Natchez" was still patrolling in the Atlantic. She returned to
Charleston, South Carolina ,29 June 1945 for inactivation and disposal.Decommissioning
She was delivered to the
Maritime Commission ,19 November 1945 for disposal; Sold,29 July 1947 to Louis Moore ofMiami, Florida ; Resold,19 March 1948 to theDominican Republic as "Juan Pablo Duarte"; Ran aground atPuerto Plata , Dominican Republic in November 1949 and taken out of service due to damage; She was then sold toFélix Benítez , a Puerto Rican engineer, who repaired her and converted her to his personalyacht , the "Moineau". Her ultimate fate is unknown.References
See also
*
List of United States Navy ships
*Natchez (boat)
*Patrol boat External links
* [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/#Anchor-Editoria-14954 Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships]
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/12/08002.htm NavSource Online Patrol Frigate Photo Archive - Natchez (PF 2)]References
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