PGH
Flagstaff -1 & Tucumcari -2
USS FLAGSTAFF (PGH-1)
USCG FLAGSTAFF (WPGH-1)
Displacement: 57 tons
Length: 74.5 feet
Beam: 21.5 feet
Draft: 4.5 feet (hull), 12.5 (foils) Propulsion: 1 Rolls-Royce gas turbine at 3,620 hp, controllable-pitch prop (foils), 2 diesels at 300 hp, water jets (hull)
water jets Speed: 50+ kts
Range: Crew: 1 officer + 12 enlisted Weapons: 1 40mm L/60 Bofors, 2 twin .50 AN/M-2HB mg,
1 81mm mortar Mk 2 Mod 0 (1969-1970); Bofors replaced by 152mm gun/missile launcher (1971).
Disarmed as WPGH-1 (1977-1978).
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Photo: USCG
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| USS TUCUMCARI (PGH-2)
Displacement: 58 tons
Length: 72 feet
Beam: 19.5 feet
Draft: 4.5 feet (hull), 14 (foils)
Propulsion: 1 Bristol Proteus gas turbine at 3,040 hp, water jets (foils), 1 diesels at 150 hp, water jets (hull)
Speed: 50+ kts
Range:
Crew: 1 officer + 12 enlisted
Weapons: 1 40mm L/60 Bofors, 2 twin .50 AN/M-2HB mg,
1 81mm mortar Mk 2 Mod 0 (1969-1970)
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| This series
of photos shows the PGH coming up on its foils.
I found some pictures that were taken during some
seatrials of a PTF, PGH and one other boat ( I forget what kind). Testing
performance in various sea states, etc. Thanks, Howard Lorton |
HISTORY: Can you help with this answer?
'G'day, Dan and Jim.
I've got another mystery for you and our old BSU-1 contacts.
Here's the background.
In 1968, the navy received two new hydrofoil gunboats, USS
FLAGSTAFF (PGH-1) and USS TUCUMCARI (PGH-2). They were assigned to
BSU-1. In late 1969 (probably October-November) both of them
commenced operations in Viet Nam. Apparently, the specialized
nature of the craft and their unique logistics structure led to a
less than successful tour. Somewhere around March-April 1970 they
were returned to the U.S. FLAGSTAFF went to BSU-1/CRS-1 and
TUCUMCARI went to BSU-2/CRS-2.
The problem is that the source I have says that PGH-1 and PGH-2
were under the control of Coastal Squadron THREE, Division 32.
This means they would have been attached to the PGs. Dave
Donaldson of the PG Association (and former ops officer for
CosRon3) says that they were never in CosRonTHREE's
chain-of-command. He thinks they may have been part of the Coastal
Surveillence Force.
Would they have been assigned to MST-1 at Da Nang (that is,
with the PTFs)? I've asked Dave Donaldson to see what he could
turn up and also Jim Gray who was the
"unofficial/official" BSU/CRS/SBU historian at Coronado.
I will also e-mail Don Crawford to see if he can shed some light
here.
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(09-04-02) Jim,
Got back from the (OREGON) coast. The hull is still
there and I got a couple of pictures of it. It is on
private property, but I snuck through the bush's and snapped a
picture of the stern.
Checking an old copy of Jane's book
of Warships, at first I thought it was the TUCUMCARI, as
it was the only one with a stern foil. However this hull
was longer. So scratched my head for awhile, and then
flipped through the Jane's and found it. It was the
PLAINVIEW. It was never put in commission, just in
service. I high lighted the picture of the stern in Photoshop,
and could make out the letters. LAIN.
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| Have no idea what it is doing there, it has just been drug up stern first on the beach, and it looks like there is a cable tying it to an old rotted piling to hold the bow from swinging. I first seen it last Feb. when I went to the beach. Al Berg - Vancouver, WA |
| Note - this hull is near
Astoria, Oregon. Other rumors indicate it belongs to a woman
in Astoria. |
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Links: Dan: Back at you with another "we wanna restore our old
ship" story. - Chip
http://www.foils.org/restore.htm
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