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Submarine Chaser Photo Archive

USCGC Air Sheldrake (WAVR 461)
ex-USS SC-1055



Call sign:
Nan - Dog - Jig - Fox

ex-PC-1055

SC-1055 served both the U. S. Navy and Coast Guard.

SC-497 Class Submarine Chaser:

  • Laid down 2 May 1942 as PC-1055 by the Wilmington Boat Works Inc., Wilmington, CA
  • Launched 10 October 1942
  • Reclassified SC-1055 in April 1943
  • Delivered and commissioned USS SC-1055, 10 May 1943
  • Scheduled for transfer to the Soviet Union at Cold Bay, AK in September 1945
  • Undergoing repairs at Dutch Harbor, AK in September and transfer was canceled upon surrender of Japan
  • Decommissioned 27 November 1945, transferred to the Coast Guard and commissioned USCGC Air Sheldrake (WAVR 461) the same day
  • Sold 15 June 1948
  • Acquired in 1949 by Kenneth E. Rodgers of Portland, OR for use as a yacht and renamed DeEtta
  • Acquired in 1967 by James E. Papworth of Portland and renamed Decatur
  • Out of documentation in 1980
  • Fate unknown.

    Specifications:

  • Displacement 106 t.
    1950 - 150 t.
  • Length 110' 10"
  • Beam 17'
  • Draft 6' 6" (fl)
  • Speed 21 kts.
  • Complement 28
  • Armament: One 40mm gun mount, one/two twin .50 cal. machine guns, two/three depth charge projector "K Guns", 14 depth charges with six single release chocks and two sets Mk 20 Mousetrap rails
    with four 7.2 projectiles
  • Propulsion: Two 770bhp General Motors (Electro-Motive Div.) 16-184A diesel engines, two shafts.
    Click on thumbnail
    for full size image    		 Size Image Description Source
    SC-1055 93k Photo by Kent Hitchcock, Marine and Commercial Photographer, Balboa, CA Lynda Cannon
    SC-1055 91k .
    SC-1055 122k
    SC-1055 148k Drying out signal flags
    SC-1055 45k .
    SC-1055 122k
    SC-1055 28k Firing a 20mm mount
    SC-1055 102k General Motors 16-184A main engines
    Commanding Officers
    01LTJG Dimmick D. Drake, USNR10 May 1943 - 10 May 1944
    02LTJG Robert A. Wilks, USNR10 May 1944
    03LTJG Keller, USNR1945
    Courtesy of Ron Reeves, Lynda Cannon and Joe Carter

    Photos from the collection of Therold Nathaniel Heiselman, Crewmember USS SC-1055

    Contributed by his daughter Lynda Cannon

    (If you know the identity of any of these crew members, please send an email with their names)

    Click on thumbnail for full size photo


    1. MoMM3c Therold Heiselman

    2. Abbott and Therold Heiselman

    3. Abbott

    4. Abbott

    5. Unknown and Guthrie

    6. Aumend

    7. Aumend and Lutey

    8. The beach at Hilo, HI

    9. Brown

    10. Brown and Doc

    11. Captain Keller

    12. Captain Keller and Horton

    13. Combust and Guthrie

    14. Combust and Lutey

    15. Crocker and Therold Heiselman

    16. Crocker

    17. Mr. Crookshank

    18. Mr. Crookshank and Captain Keller

    19. Doc

    20. Doc

    21. The Hanroy brothers

    22. Mr. Horton

    23. Mr. Horton and Captain Keller

    24. Knight

    25. Knight and Therold Heiselman

    26. Knight

    27. Lancaster

    28. Lancaster and Hanroy

    29. Lancaster and Meadows
    Working on a P-60 "Handy Billy" firepump

    30. Lancaster

    31. Lancaster

    32. Lancaster

    33. Lewis

    34. Lewis and Therold Heiselman

    35. Lutey

    36. Lutey and Aumend

    37. Lutey and Aumend

    38. Lutey and Guthrie

    39. Lutey and Muna

    40. Lutey, Welch and Muna

    41. "Starboard"
    Ships mascot

    42. "Starboard"

    43. Maui, HI

    44.

    45. Captain Keller

    46. Unknown and Meadows holding fish

    47. Mitchell

    48. Roy Molsbee

    49. Roy Molsbee

    50. Roy Molsbee and unknown

    51. Roy Molsbee, unknown and unknown

    52. Muna

    53. Muna

    54. Muna, unknown and Guthrie

    55. Muna and Richards

    56. Muna

    57. Oahu, HI

    58.

    59. Richards

    60. Richards and Guthrie

    61. Richards

    62. Richardson

    63. Richardson

    64. Roush

    65. Ruddle

    66. Savickas

    67. Savickas and Brown

    68. Savickas

    69. Swim call

    70.

    71.

    72.

    73.

    74. Crocker

    75.

    76.

    77.

    78.

    79.

    80.

    81.

    82.

    83.

    84.

    85.

    86.

    87.

    88.

    89.

    90. Crocker and Mr. Horton

    91. Welch

    92. Captain Keller

    93.

    94.

    95.

    96.

    97.

    98. Unknown, Washko and Savickas

    99. Washko

    100. Washko and Aumend

    101. Washko

    102. Washko

    103. Welch

    104. Crew photo c. 1945
    Shown holding their "Homeward Bound Pennant"
    Left to right, Top row: Meadows, Richardson, Therold Heiselman, Lewis, Ricker,
    unknown, unknown
    Second row: Aumend, Ruddle, Muna, Captain Keller, Lancaster, unknown,
    unknown, unknown
    First Row: Crocker, unknown, unknown, unknown, unknown, unknown
    and unknown
    There is no DANFS history available for SC-1055
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    Patrol Craft Sailors Association
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    This page created and maintained by Joseph M. Radigan
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