Pathan 1939
| Name | No | Yaard No | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Comp | Fate |
| PC55, 5.1922- Baluchi | Barclay Curle, Glasgow, UK | 1916 | 5.5.1917 | 1917 // 2.1922 | sold 1935 | ||
| PC69, 5.1922- Pathan | Workman Clark, Belfast, UK | 1917 | 11.3.1918 | 1918 // 8.1921 | internal explosion 23.6.1940 |
|
Displacement normal, t |
694 |
|
Displacement full, t |
780 |
|
Length, m |
75.3 |
|
Breadth, m |
8.20 |
|
Draught, m |
2.44 |
|
No of shafts |
2 |
|
Machinery |
2 Parsons or Brown-Curtis steam turbines, 2 Yarrow boilers |
|
Power, h. p. |
3500 |
|
Max speed, kts |
20 |
|
Fuel, t |
oil 164 |
| Endurance, nm(kts) | |
|
Armament |
1 x 1 - 102/40 QF Mk IV, 2 x 1 - 76/40 12pdr 12cwt QF Mk I/II, 2 x 1 - 356 TT, 2 DCR (30) |
|
Complement |
50 - 55 |
Project history: The belief that Q-ships or decoys were the best counter to the U-boat threat led to an Admiralty order in December 1916 to complete 10 P-boats with a mercantile appearance, like the 'Flower-Q's. Although known for a while as PQ-boats the term PC-boat was finally chosen, and a further 10 were ordered, PC65-70 in January 1917 and PC71-74 in June. They were fully integrated in to the Q-ship system and used false names (as shown in the table). There were severe topweight problems in fitting false upperworks and derricks etc to such a small hull, and many had wooden girdling added to improve stability.
Modernizations: 1930s, both: - 1 x 1 - 76/40, 2 x 1 - 356 TT, 2 DCR
Naval service: PC55 was transferred to Royal Indian Marine and commissioned in March 1922 (renamed Baluchi May 1922). PC69 transferred to Royal Indian Marine in August 1921 and renamed Pathan in May 1922; sunk off Bombay by internal explosion 23.6.1940, by another version, she was sunk by Italian submarine Galvani on the approach to Persian gulf.
© Ivan Gogin, 2015