Asheville-class gunboat

Tolmi P-229 of the Hellenic Navy
Class overview
Name:	Asheville
Preceded by:	PGM-39 class gunboat
Succeeded by:	PSMM Mk5 multi-purpose patrol boat (PSMM)
Built:	1966-1971
Completed:	17 commissioned
General characteristics
Type:	PGM motor gunboat
Displacement:	240 long tons (244 t)
Length:	164 ft 6 in (50.1 m)
Beam:	24 ft (7.3 m)
Draft:	9 ft 6 in (2.9 m)
Propulsion:	CODOG 2 × Cummins VT12-875 diesel; 1,450 hp (1.08 MW); General Electric LM1500 marine gas turbine
Speed:	16 kn (30 km/h) max on diesels 42 kn (78 km/h) max on turbine
Range:	1,700 NM (3,100 km)
Complement:	24 crew (4 officers)
Sensors and processing systems:	Weapons control: Mk 63 GFCS. Radar: Sperry AN/SPS-53; I/J-band. Fire control: Western Electric AN/SPG-50; I/J-band.
Armament:	Guns: 1 × USN 3 in (76 mm) /50 Mk 34; 50 rounds/min to 7 NM (13 km); weight of shell 6 kg. 4 × 0.50 in (12.7 mm) machine guns (2 × 2) 1 × Bofors 40 mm/70 Mk 10. Missiles: Some units had the 40 mm replaced with various missile configurations

Weapons control: Mk 63 GFCS. Radar: Sperry AN/SPS-53; I/J-band.

The Asheville-class gunboats were a class of small military ships built for the United States Navy in response to the Cuban Missile Crisis. The class is named for a city in western North Carolina and the seat of Buncombe County. Most Asheville-class gunboats have since been donated to museums, scheduled for scrapping, or transferred to the Greek, Turkish, Colombian and South Korean Navies. The exceptions are the USS Chehalis (PGM-94) and USS Grand Rapids (PGM-98), which are operated by the Naval Surface Warfare Center.

The Asheville-class gunboats were originally designated PGM motor gunboats, but were reclassified in 1967 as PG patrol combatant ships.

Asheville class gunboats employed a combined diesel or gas turbine (CODOG) propulsion system; twin Cummins diesel engines for endurance, and a GE LM1500 gas turbine for high-speed dash. Engine controls were operated by pneumatics. The controllable reversible pitch propeller allowed them to stop in less than two ship lengths from full speed. They were the first gas turbine ships in the US Navy, as well as the first with aluminum hulls and fiberglass superstructures.

Originally designed for the Caribbean patrols, the Asheville class ships were deployed into Southeast Asia. They proved successful in coastal work, intercepting small boats attempting to transport arms along the Viet Nam coast. Attempts to use them on the inland rivers proved disastrous to the small lightly armored ships, the USS Cannon was severely damaged by over eight rocket strikes, resulting in half of the crew being wounded.