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NavSource Online:
Submarine Chaser Photo Archive

PC-801



Call sign:
Nan - William - Queen - Able
PC-497 Class Submarine Chaser:

  • Laid down 21 August 1943 at Commercial Iron Works, Portland, OR
  • Launched 18 September 1943
  • Commissioned 20 December 1944
  • Decommissioned 17 April 1946 at San Pedro, CA
  • Transferred to the War Shipping Administration in July 1948
  • Fate unknown.

    Specifications:

  • Displacement 450 t.
  • Length 173' 8"
  • Beam 23'
  • Draft 10' 10"
  • Speed 20.2 kts.
  • Complement 65
  • Armament: One 3"/50 dual purpose gun mount, one 40mm gun mount, five 20mm guns, two rocket launchers, and two depth charge tracks
  • Propulsion: Two 1,440bhp Hooven-Owen-Rentschler R-99DA diesel engines (Serial No. 7711 and 7712), Westinghouse single reduction gear, two shafts.
    Click on thumbnail
    for full size image    		 Size Image Description Source
    PC-801 153k c. June 1945
    Kwajalein    		 Ted Majusick
    PC-801 80k
    PC-801 70k c. October 1945
    Sugar wharf in Hilo Ha, Hawaii
    PC-801 104k
    Commanding Officers
    01LTJG W. D. Wallace, USNR1945
    Courtesy Joe Radigan
    There is no DANFS History currently available for PC-801
    Recollections of the PC-801

    In the summer of 1944, some time in July a crew was formed and trained at SCTC Terminal Island, San Pedro, California. The latter part of August that year they were sent to Portland, Oregon to commission PC-801. There was some delay as to the availability of engines and the ship was finally put into service on December 20, 1944. January 1,1945 to Astoria, Oregon. Degaussing and ammunition. January 5th en route San Pedro, arrived January 7th, the various rates had schooling, such as maintaining the utilities, and gunnery school for ten days in San Diego. January 17th ship was dry-docked January 24th to repair a propeller. February 1st en route to San Diego arrived February 2nd at Sound School, and practiced ASW. February 10 departed San Diego for Pearl Harbor. Arrived Pearl Harbor February 17th. Operated from P.H. on convoy duty, many times to Eniwetok, Kwajalein, Majuro, Ulithi, Guam, Saipan, Tinian and Johnston Island for fuel and water. Did not see any hostilities, the ship stood up well to the tail end of a Typhoon, that was the most dangerous action. October 23,1945 to Hilo, Hawaii. October 27 visitors aboard for Navy Day. Departed 1630 for a rendezvous with a merchant ship delivering a doctor and a corpsman for an emergency appendectomy, returned October 30. November 15th returned to P.H. January 15th departed P.H. for San Diego arrived January 23. Departed San Diego arrived San Pedro January 25. Changed moorings several times, ammunition and other gear removed. Ship was decommissioned April 17, 1946 along with PC-804 and PC-807 at that time. What became of [the] ship is unknown. Ship was in pristine condition when I was transferred off November 28, 1945.

    Courtesy of Ted Majusick, MoMM3/C
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    Patrol Craft Sailors Association
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