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fighting ships of the world

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

 

COASTAL FORCES

 

ASHEVILLE gunboats (1966 - 1971)

Asheville 1968

 

Asheville 1970

Beacon 1970

 

No Name Yard No Builder Laid down Launched Comm Fate
PGM84, 4.1967- PG84 Asheville   Tacoma BB 4.1964 1.5.1965 8.1966 stricken 1.1977
PGM85, 4.1967- PG85 Gallup   Tacoma BB 4.1964 15.6.1965 10.1966 stricken 10.1984
PG86 Antelope   Tacoma BB 6.1965 18.6.1966 11.1967 stricken 10.1977
PG87 Ready   Tacoma BB 6.1965 12.5.1967 1.1968 stricken 10.1977
PG88 Crockett   Tacoma BB 1965 4.6.1966 6.1967 stricken 12.1976
PG89 Marathon   Tacoma BB 6.1966 22.4.1967 5.1968 stricken 12.1976
PG90 Canon   Tacoma BB 6.1966 10.6.1967 7.1968 stricken 10.1984
PG92 Tacoma   Tacoma BB 7.1967 13.4.1968 7.1969 stricken 12.1995, to Colombia (Quitasueño)
PG93 Welch   Peterson, Sturgeon Bay 5.1967 25.7.1968 9.1969 stricken 4.1995, to Colombia (Albuquerque)
PG94 Chehalis   Tacoma BB 1967 8.6.1968 11.1969 auxiliary 10.1977
PG95 Defiance   Peterson, Sturgeon Bay 10.1967 1968 9.1969 to Turkey 6.1973 (Yıldırım)
PG96 Benicia   Tacoma BB 4.1969 20.12.1969 4.1970 to South Korea 10.1971 (갈매기 11 [Paek Ku 11])
PG97 Surprise   Peterson, Sturgeon Bay 5.1968 7.12.1968 10.1969 to Turkey 2.1973 (Bora)
PG98 Grand Rapids   Tacoma BB 1969 4.4.1970 9.1970 auxiliary 10.1977
PG99 Beacon   Peterson, Sturgeon Bay 7.1968 17.5.1969 11.1969 to Greece 11.1989 (Ορμή [Ormi])
PG100 Douglas   Tacoma BB 1969 19.6.1970 2.1971 stricken 10.1977
PG101 Green Bay   Peterson, Sturgeon Bay 11.1968 14.6.1969 12.1969 stricken 10.1977, to Greece (Τόλμη [Tolmi])
 

Displacement standard, t

225

Displacement full, t

245

Length, m

46.9 pp 50.1 oa

Breadth, m

7.28

Draught, m

2.90

No of shafts

2

Machinery

CODOG: 2 Cummins 875V12 diesels / 1 General Electric LM-1500 Mk 7 gas turbine

Power, h. p.

1450 / 12500

Max speed, kts

16 / 40

Fuel, t

diesel / gas turbine oil 50

Endurance, nm(kts)

1700(16)

Armament

1 x 1 - 76/50 Mk 34, 1 x 1 - 40/60 Mk 3, 2 x 2 - 12.7/90

Electronic equipment

SPS-53, SPG-50 radars

Complement

28

Project history: These gas turbine 'motor gunboats' were a product of the Kennedy era, with its Presidential support for small craft and its preoccupation with Cuba. Originally a diesel design was proposed, a natural outgrowth of PGMs built for many US allies and suited for river and coastal operations. However, some within the Bureau of Ships noted that the advent of gas turbines for main propulsion made a much more advanced design possible, their high speed was a dubious advantage, but they did prove extremely useful in riverine warfare, in some cases sustaining considerable damage and in all cases displaying endurance well beyond design goals.

    The Asheville class were also used to test 'special warfare' coastal infiltration techniques, benefiting from their small radar cross-section and in many US and NATO exercises they simulated Soviet small missile craft (Osa and Komar types). In addition, after Vietnam, four units in the Mediterranean were assigned by the then CNO, Admiral Zumwalt, to a 'counter-tattletale' role, following Soviet warships to provide positive warning of any imminent Soviet missile attack on the Sixth Fleet. In this role they were armed with a surface-to-surface variant of the US Standard anti-aircraft missile, with two launchers aft and an additional pair of reloads forward of the launchers. Admiral Zumwalt later used this experience to justify the PHM programme.

    Cavitation generally limited their maximum speed to something less than the design figure always quoted, although at the time it was stated that the provision of new propellers would have allowed them to reach design speed. In service they had a bad reputation for discomfort in a seaway, although they were good sea boats and could ride out very severe storms. Thus proponents of the PHM could argue that the Ashevilles had demonstrated the utility of small fast surface-attack craft and that hydrofoil design could overcome their bad riding characteristics.

PG86 and 87 had the Dutch-developed Mk 87 fire control system, a close relative of the Mk 92 of the PHMs and FFGs, employing a computer and automatic aiming; the others all had the Second World War Mk 63 to control their 76mm guns. Although up to twenty-two were planned, rising costs and the absence of a clear mission (particularly in the context of the costs of the Vietnam War) cut short the programme, and the absence of a rationale shows in the quick disposal of most of the class.

Modernizations: 1971-75, PG86, 87, 96, 98, 100: - 1 x 1 - 40/60; + 2 x 1 Standard ARM SSM (2 AGM-78)

Naval service: No significant events.

Asheville 1974

© Ivan Gogin, 2015