USS Tacoma (PF-3)

USS Tacoma (PF-3), off San Francisco, 11 December 1943
History
United States
Name:	Tacoma
Namesake:	City of Tacoma, Washington
Ordered:	as a Type S2-S2-AQ1 hull, MCE hull 1421
Builder:	Permanente Metals Corporation, Richmond, California
Yard number:	46
Laid down:	10 March 1943
Reclassified:	PF-3, 15 April 1943
Launched:	7 July 1943
Sponsored by:	Mrs. A. R. Bergersen
Commissioned:	6 November 1943
Decommissioned:	16 August 1945
Identification:	Hull symbol: PG-111 Hull symbol: PF-3 Code letters: NXWC
Fate:	transferred to Soviet Navy, 16 August 1945
Soviet Union
Name:	EK-11
Acquired:	16 August 1945
Commissioned:	16 August 1945
Decommissioned:	16 October 1949
Fate:	returned to United States, 16 October 1949
United States
Name:	Tacoma
Acquired:	16 October 1949
Recommissioned:	1 December 1950
Decommissioned:	October 1951
Honors and awards:	3 × battle stars for Korean War service
Fate:	transferred to Republic of Korea Navy, 9 October 1951
South Korea
Name:	Taedong
Namesake:	Taedong County, South Pyongan Province
Acquired:	9 October 1951
Decommissioned:	28 February 1973
Identification:	Hull symbol: F-63
Fate:	returned to United States, 28 February 1973
United States
Name:	Tacoma
Acquired:	28 February 1973
Struck:	20 April 1973
Fate:	donated to Republic of Korea Navy, 1 June 1973
South Korea
Acquired:	1 June 1973
Fate:	Preserved
Status:	Museum ship
General characteristics
Class and type:	Tacoma-class frigate
Displacement:	1,430 long tons (1,450 t) (light) 2,415 long tons (2,454 t) (full load))
Length:	303 ft 11 in (92.63 m)
Beam:	37 ft 6 in (11.43 m)
Draft:	13 ft 8 in (4.17 m)
Installed power:	2 × Three-drum express boilers, 240 psi (1,700 kPa) 11,000 ihp (8,200 kW)
Propulsion:	2 × triple expansion steam engines 2 × Propellers
Speed:	20.3 kn (37.6 km/h; 23.4 mph)
Complement:	190
Armament:	3 × 3-inch (76 mm)/50 caliber dual-purpose gun 2 × twin 40 millimetres (1.57 in) Bofors anti-aircraft (AA) guns 9 × 20 millimetres (0.79 in) Oelikon AA cannons 1 × Hedgehog anti-submarine mortar 8 × Y-gun depth charge projectors 2 × Depth charge tracks

USS Tacoma (PG-111/PF-3), the lead ship of the Tacoma-class frigate patrol frigates. The third ship of the United States Navy to be named for Tacoma, Washington, she was in commission from 1943 to 1945, and from 1949 to 1951. She also served in the Soviet Navy as EK-11 and in the Republic of Korea Navy as ROKS Taedong (PF-63).

Tacoma was laid down on 10 March 1943, under a Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MC hull No. 1421, as a patrol gunboat, PG-111, at the Kaiser Cargo, Inc. shipyard in Richmond, California; she was redesignated a patrol frigate, PF-3, on 15 April 1943, and named Tacoma on 5 May 1943. Tacoma was launched on 7 July 1943; sponsored by Mrs. A. R. Bergersen; and commissioned on 6 November 1943, with Lieutenant Commander Adrian F. Werner, USCG, in command.

After completing shakedown training off the California coast in December 1943, Tacoma reported for duty as a training ship in January 1944. She trained patrol frigate crews until 27 June 1944, when she was ordered to proceed to the Alaskan waters upon completion of sea trials. However, she was plagued by unsuccessful trials and a boiler room fire and, consequently, did not report for duty at Kodiak, Alaska, until 21 October 1944. For the next four months, she conducted anti-submarine patrols and escorted supply ships and transports along the Alaskan coast and between the islands of the Aleutians chain, visiting Attu, Adak, Dutch Harbor, and other smaller Alaskan ports.