PCE-842 class patrol craft

PCEC-872
Class overview
Builders:	Pullman Standard Car, Chicago Albina, Portland Willamette Iron & Steel
Operators:	United States Navy  United States Coast Guard  Royal Navy  Republic of Korea Navy  Mexican Navy  Ecuadorian Navy  Colombian National Navy  Republic of Vietnam Navy  Republic of China Navy  Cuban Navy  Philippine Navy  Myanmar Navy
Built:	1942–1945
Completed:	68
General characteristics
Displacement:	850 long tons (860 t)
Length:	180 ft (54.86 m) wl 184 ft 6 in (56.24 m) oa
Beam:	33 ft 1 in (10.08 m)
Draft:	9 ft (2.74 m)
Propulsion:	2 shaft diesel engines 2,000 bhp (1,500 kW)
Speed:	14.3 kn (26.5 km/h; 16.5 mph)
Range:	8,500 nmi (15,700 km; 9,800 mi) at 12 kn (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Complement:	96
Armament:	1 × 3"/50 caliber gun 6 × Bofors 40 mm guns (3 twin mounts) 4 × 20 mm guns 1× Hedgehog anti-submarine projector Depth charges

The Patrol Craft Escort was a World War II naval ship that was intended as a coastal and convoy escort. It was derived from the 180 foot Admirable-class minesweeper as a substitute for the 173 foot PC-461-class submarine chaser that was used for Anti-submarine warfare (ASW) in coastal areas. At 185 feet long and 640 tons, the PCE is more than twice the displacement of the PC. It has a crew complement of 99 officers and men.

The Admirable class had been developed as a smaller minesweeper than the Raven-class and Auk-class minesweepers, which would be cheaper and easier to build, while still having good seakeeping capabilities in high seas. An escort derivative of the new design was proposed for supply under the Lend-Lease scheme to Britain's Royal Navy (which had already rejected the Admirable -class as minesweepers), and when the US Navy realized that a shortage of engines might prevent it from receiving additional PC-461-class submarine chaser beyond those already on order, it was decided to build the escort variant, designated as PCEs (Patrol Craft Escort) for both the US Navy and Royal Navy.

The PCE has two 1,000 HP diesel engines driving two shafts and two propellers giving it a 16 knots maximum sustained speed and a range of 8,000 miles at cruising speed of 13 knots.

The usual PCE armaments are a dual-purpose 3 in (76 mm) cannon, three 40 mm Anti-Aircraft guns, four 20 mm guns, and two depth charge tracks. Some were later fitted with torpedoes, rockets, hedge hogs, and Heavy Machine Guns.

...
Wikipedia