PC-461 class
 USS PC-1264 in New York, circa April 1944 |
|
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Type | Submarine |
| units | 362 planned, 345 built |
| period of service |
from 1941 |
| Technical specifications | |
| displacement |
450 ts (standard) |
| length |
approx. 53 meters (173 '8 ") |
| width |
approx. 7 meters (23 ') |
| Draft |
approx. 3.3 meters (10 '10 ") |
| crew |
65 |
| drive |
2 diesel engines , 2880 bhp, 2 shafts |
| speed |
formal: 20.2 knots (37.4 km / h) |
| Armament |
3 "/ 50 gun, |
The PC-461 class was one of 1,941 built by 1944 and in World War II used class of anti-submarine boats of the United States Navy . The boats were essentially based on the two prototypes PC-451 and PC-452 developed from 1938 , had a metallic shell and were about 53 meters long.
The class is named after the type ship PC-461. The name comes from the fact that the submarines were simply numbered and the 461st was the first of the new class. The identifier PC instead of actually SC ( S ubmarine C Haser therefore) comes that since 1920 all patrol boats (which were counted, the anti-submarine boats) one beginning with P designation have had. In 1943, however, the old identifier SC was reintroduced for the wooden and only 110 foot long SC-497 class in order to better distinguish the two classes from each other. The PC-461 class, together with the SC-497 class, made up the majority of the American submarines of the Second World War.
In total, the PC-461 class comprised 345 boats (originally 362 planned), which were built in several series and the IDs PC-461 to PC-496 (36), PC-542 to PC-627 (86), PC-776 through PC-826 (51) and PC-1077 through PC-1265 (189). Numerous boats were later converted and reclassified as Patrol Gunboat, Motor ( PGM ) or Amphibious Control Vessel ( PCC ). As part of the lend lease program , a large number of the boats were given to European allies, mainly France. Nine ships were lost during the war.
With a displacement of 450 tons and a crew of 65, the boats of the class were among the largest submarine hunters and were considered to be relatively nimble and extremely maneuverable for their size, but had problems in rough seas and were prone to magnetic mines due to the metal shell .
Web links
- NavSource : Submarine Chaser
- The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia : PC-461 Class, US Submarine Chasers