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WW II PATROL CRAFT (PCs)

WW II PATROL GUNBOAT MOTOR (PGMs)

WW II PATROL CRAFT ESCORT(PCEs)

WW II PATROL CRAFT SWEEPER (PCSs)

WW II SUBCHASER (SCs)

CYCLONE CLASS PATROL COASTALS
(PCs and WPCs)

 

INFORMATION ON WWII SCs

SC Info.

110-FOOT, WOOD HULL SUBCHASER (SC)

Length 110 feet, 10 inches
Beam 17 feet, 11.5 inches
Displacement 98 Tons
Engines Two 1,200 (bhp) Straight 8s or Two GM Pancake Diesel
Speed 19 knots
Endurance 1,500 nautical miles @ 12 knots
Complement 3 Officers, 25 Enlisted
Armament: Main Battery 3-inch/23 Dual Purpose. Later changed to single
Bofors 40 mm
Secondary Two twin .50s. Later replaced with two or three single 20mm
Depth Charges Six, single release chocks 2 K-guns
Mousetrap Racks One layer,12 forward firing rockets

WORLD WAR II SUBCHASER PROGRAM

Ordered Cancelled Delivered
475 37 438

Cost each - $500,000

 

LEND-LEASE PROGRAM (142)

Mexico 3
Norway 3
Brazil 8
France 50
Russia 78

US NAVY CONVERSIONS (84)

Patrol Gunboat, Motor (PGM 8)

In late 1943, in response to requests by PT commanders in the southwest Pacific, eight SCs were converted to Patrol Gunboat, Motor (PGM). The superstructure was cut down and replaced with an open bridge and all ASW gear removed. The forward 40mm was replaced with a single 3-inch/23 gun, a single 40mm was added aft, along with four twin 50-caliber machine guns, a 60mm mortar and FM smoke generators. Radio and radar compatible with those on the PTs was also installed. The PGMs were well received but were much too slow to keep up with the PTs.

Coastal Mine Sweeper (AMC 18)

Six converted SCs were used for shallow-water mine sweeping in the Mediterranean in 1943. They were fitted with captured German sweep gear intended for R-Boats. An additional 12 SCs were converted in 1945 for the Pacific Fleet.

Beach Control Craft (SCC 70)

SCC conversion replaced the forward 40mm with a 20mm cannon, added two 50-caliber machine guns, and additional radio equipment. Crews quarters were modified to accomodate extra personnel during beach landings.


 

 

SC WORLD WAR II SERVICE

The 110-foot, wood-hulled, World War II Subchaser (SC), can trace its origin back to the World War I "Splinter Fleet." Like its predecessor, the SC was designed primarily for off-shore patrols and Anti-submarine warfare (ASW). Along with the 173-foot, steel-hulled, Patrol Craft (PC), the SC played a major role in suppressing the German U-Boat threat along the Atlantic seaboard.

Though small in size, the SC soon became the "work horse" of the Navy, performing a variety of assignments, often operating under extremely hazardous conditions. The SCs saw action in every combat theater world-wide.

The SC also proved to be an effective Beach Control Craft, (SCC), guiding the landing craft in amphibious landings in North Africa, Sicily, Italy and France. During D-Day operations, they performed air-sea rescue duties in the English channel, rescuing downed Allied airmen.

The SCCs were operational in the Asiatic-Pacific theater as well. Assigned to "MacArthur's Navy," they participated in every amphibious landing operation, often sailing within range of the Japanese shore batteries.

The end of hostilities saw the SCC crews trained and ready to lead the Allied invasion forces in the invasion of the Japanese homeland.


SC WAR RECORD

VICTORIES

SC 669 Sank Japanese submarine RO-107 05-29-43

SCs LOST OR DAMAGED

SC 709 Grounded off Nova Scotia 01-21-43
SC 1024 Sunk in collision off North Carolina 03-02-43
SC 740 Grounded in the New Hebrides 06-17-43
SC 751 Grounded off Australia 06-22-43
SC 694 Sunk by German dive-bombers off Sicily 08-23-43
SC 696 Sunk by German dive-bombers off Sicily 08-23-43
SC 666 Damaged in collision off Italy 09-13-43
SC 1067 Foundered and sunk in the Aleutians 11-19-43
SC 700 Sunk by shore gunfire, Vella Lavella 03-10-44
SC 984 Grounded in the New Hebrides 04-09-44
SC 699 Damaged by kamikaze, New Guinea 05-27-44
SC 1326 Damaged by Jap coastal gun, Marianas 07-21-44
SC 633 Grounded At Palau Islands 1944
SC 1029 Damaged in explosion, Southern France 08-15-44
SC 535 Damaged in storm, Southern France 09-03-44
SC 1059 Grounded in the Bahamas 12-11-44
SC 744 Sunk by kamikaze in Leyte Gulf, P.I. 11-27-44
SC 667 Grounded in Okinawa 04-10-45
SC 737 Grounded in the Sulu Sea 04-20-45
SC 1019 Grounded in the Yucatan channel 04-22-45
SC 521 Foundered and sunk in the Solomons 07-10-45

SC's Converted to PGMs - LOST OR DAMAGED

PGM 7 Sunk in collision in the Bismark Sea 07-18-44
PGM 1 Damaged by explosion, Luzon, P.I. 05-19-45

For a history of WWII SCs and their crews try Splinter Fleet - The Wooden Subchasers of World War II.


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