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USS Tacoma (PF-3)
Encyclopedia
USS Tacoma (PF-3), was the lead ship
Lead ship
The lead ship or class leader is the first of a series or class of ships all constructed according to the same general design. The term is applicable military ships and larger civilian craft.-Overview:...
of the Tacoma-class
Tacoma class frigate
The Tacoma class of patrol frigates served in the US Navy during World War II. Named for Tacoma, Washington, the Tacoma class design was based on the British River class frigates, primarily distinguished by the pole foremast and lighter main guns...
frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
s. It was the third ship of the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
to be named for Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...
, a city and port on the coast of Puget Sound
Puget Sound
Puget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...
in the west central part of the state of Washington.
The third Tacoma was laid down at the Kaiser Cargo, Inc. shipyard in Richmond, California
Richmond, California
Richmond is a city in western Contra Costa County, California, United States. The city was incorporated on August 7, 1905. It is located in the East Bay, part of the San Francisco Bay Area. It is a residential inner suburb of San Francisco, as well as the site of heavy industry, which has been...
, on 10 March 1943, under a Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1421) as PG-111; redesignated PF-3 on 15 April 1943; 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
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander...
Adrian F. Werner, USCG
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
, in command.
Initial operations
After completing shakedown training off the California coast in December, Tacoma reported for duty as a training ship in January 1944. She trained prospective frigate crews until 27 June, when she was ordered to proceed to AlaskaAlaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
n 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
Kodiak, Alaska
Kodiak is one of 7 communities and the main city on Kodiak Island, Kodiak Island Borough, in the U.S. state of Alaska. All commercial transportation between the entire island and the outside world goes through this city either via ferryboat or airline...
, until 21 October. For the next four months, Tacoma conducted anti-submarine patrols and escorted supply ships and transport
Transport
Transport or transportation is the movement of people, cattle, animals and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, rail, road, water, cable, pipeline, and space. The field can be divided into infrastructure, vehicles, and operations...
s along the Alaskan coast and between the various islands of the Aleutians chain, visiting Attu
Attu Island
Attu is the westernmost and largest island in the Near Islands group of the Aleutian Islands of Alaska, making it the westernmost point of land relative to Alaska and the United States. It was the site of the only World War II land battle fought on the incorporated territory of the United States ,...
, Adak
Adak Island
Adak Island is an island near the western extent of the Andreanof Islands group of the Aleutian Islands in Alaska. Alaska's southernmost town, Adak, is located on the island...
, Dutch Harbor, and other smaller Alaskan ports.
Russian transfer
On 23 February 1945, she departed Dutch Harbor and sailed south for an extensive overhaul, first at San Francisco, then at Bremerton, WashingtonBremerton, Washington
Bremerton is a city in Kitsap County, Washington, United States. The population was 38,790 at the 2011 State Estimate, making it the largest city on the Olympic Peninsula. Bremerton is home to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and the Bremerton Annex of Naval Base Kitsap...
, to prepare her for transfer to the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. On 10 July, the frigate returned to Alaska, at Cold Bay, and began familiarization training with her prospective Russian crew. She was decommissioned at Cold Bay on 16 August and transferred to the Soviet Navy
Soviet Navy
The Soviet Navy was the naval arm of the Soviet Armed Forces. Often referred to as the Red Fleet, the Soviet Navy would have played an instrumental role in a Warsaw Pact war with NATO, where it would have attempted to prevent naval convoys from bringing reinforcements across the Atlantic Ocean...
, in which she served over four years as EK-12.
The frigate was returned to the United States on 16 October 1949 at Yokosuka, Japan. She remained there out of commission, in a caretaker status, until the outbreak of hostilities in Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
late in June 1950. She began preparations for activation in August and went back into commission on 1 December at Yokosuka. The next day, she began 15 days of shakedown training out of Yokosuka in Sagami Wan and Tokyo Bay
Tokyo Bay
is a bay in the southern Kantō region of Japan. Its old name was .-Geography:Tokyo Bay is surrounded by the Bōsō Peninsula to the east and the Miura Peninsula to the west. In a narrow sense, Tokyo Bay is the area north of the straight line formed by the on the Miura Peninsula on one end and on...
. From the 18th to the 25th, she underwent post-shakedown availability at Yokosuka and put to sea the following day bound for Sasebo, Japan. On the 28th, Tacoma headed for the east coast of Korea.
Korean War
For the next few months, the frigate operated with the UNUnited Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Blockading and Escort Squadron, Task Force (TF) 95. On 30 January 1951, she joined in the bombardment phase of the amphibious feint at Kansong; and, the following afternoon, she performed the same duty at Kosong
Kosong
Kosong is a kun, or county, in Kangwon province, North Korea. It lies in the southeasternmost corner of North Korea, immediately north of the Korean Demilitarized Zone. Prior to the end of the Korean War in 1953, it made up a single county, together with what is now the South Korean county of the...
. She put in at Pusan on 1 February, then headed for Sasebo two days later. By 5 February, she was back off Korea's eastern coast at Kangnung for a two-day bombardment mission there. On the 7th and 8th, her gunners trained their sights on Yangyang, and then on Hwangpo on the 9th and 10th. When not pounding Hwangpo, Tacoma patrolled off Chikute Island. She returned to Sasebo on 13 February and remained there until the 19th, when she headed for Wonsan
Wonsan
Wŏnsan is a port city and naval base in southeastern North Korea. It is the capital of Kangwŏn Province. The population of the city is estimated to have been 331,000 in 2000. Notable people from Wŏnsan include Kim Ki Nam, diplomat and Secretary of the Workers' Party.- History :The original name of...
harbor in North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
. She arrived off Wonsan on 22 February and, for the next four days, joined in the operations which resulted in the successful landing of 110 Republic of Korea marines on Sin Do on the 24th. The following day, Tacoma cleared Wonsan channel to return to Sasebo. She arrived at Sasebo on 27 February and remained there until 10 March, when she got underway for Yokosuka and a restricted availability which lasted until 23 April.
On 3 April 1951, the United States Naval Forces, Far East (NavFE) organization was restructured. As a result, the Service Forces, previously fragmented among separate U.S. 7th Fleet
United States Seventh Fleet
The Seventh Fleet is the United States Navy's permanent forward projection force based in Yokosuka, Japan, with units positioned near Japan and South Korea. It is a component fleet force under the United States Pacific Fleet. At present, it is the largest of the forward-deployed U.S. fleets, with...
and NavFE groups, were consolidated into a new Logistics Group, designated Task Force 92. When Tacoma emerged from the yard at Yokosuka in late April, she was assigned to the new task organization as an escort; and she served in that capacity for the remainder of her United States naval career
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
. From then until September, the frigate escorted supply ships between Japanese and Korean ports and to stations along the Korean coast where she replenished Allied warships. She also conducted anti-submarine patrols and participated in occasional shore bombardments.
Korean transfer
On 9 October 1951, Tacoma was transferred to the Republic of Korea (ROK). She served in the ROK Navy as Taedong (PF-63) until 28 February 1973, when she was decommissioned and returned to the United States NavyUnited States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
. Her name was struck from the Navy list
Navy List
A Navy List or Naval Register is an official list of naval officers, their ranks and seniority, the ships which they command or to which they are appointed, etc., that is published by the government or naval authorities of a country....
on 2 April 1973, and she was subsequently donated to the ROK Navy as a museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
and training ship.
Tacoma earned three battle stars during the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
.