USS PC-815
USS PC-815 running trials 13 April 1943 on the Columbia River
|
|
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States
|
|
| Name: | PC-815 |
| Builder: |
|
| Laid down: | 10 October 1942 |
| Launched: | 5 December 1942 |
| Commissioned: | 20 April 1943 |
| Fate: | Sunk after collision with USS Laffey, 11 September 1945, off the coast of San Diego |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | PC-461-class submarine chaser |
| Displacement: | 295 tons fully loaded |
| Length: | 173 ft (53 m) |
| Beam: | 23 ft (7.0 m) |
| Draft: | 10 ft 10 in (3.30 m) |
| Propulsion: | 2 x Hooven-Owens-Rentschler diesel engines (Serial No. 6977 and 6978), two shafts. |
| Speed: | 20 knots (37 km/h) |
| Complement: | 59 |
| Armament: |
|
USS PC-815 was a PC-461-class submarine chaser built for the United States Navy during World War II. It was commanded for about eighty days in 1943 by L. Ron Hubbard, who later became the founder of Scientology. After Hubbard was removed from command for shelling Mexican territory, the PC-815 served as a shore patrol vessel off San Diego, California. She was lost with one of her crew in September 1945 after colliding with the destroyer USS Laffey. PC-815's short career led to the vessel being dubbed the "jinxed sub-chaser".
PC-815 was laid down on 10 October 1942 at the Albina Engine and Machinery Works in Portland, Oregon. She was fitted out commencing 5 December and was commissioned on 20 April 1943, with Lieutenant (j.g.) L. Ron Hubbard in command. A few weeks later she sailed down the Columbia River to Astoria, Oregon, where she arrived on 17 May to take on supplies. On 18 May, the PC-815 left Astoria for Bremerton, Washington, where she was to have radar and depth charge launchers fitted. Her journey was interrupted by an air-sea rescue operation, then was resumed with a new destination — San Diego.
Two 1,440bhp Hooven-Owens-Rentschler R-99DA diesel engines (Serial No. 6977 and 6978), Westinghouse single reduction gear, two shafts.
In the early hours of 19 May 1943, the crew of PC-815 detected what Hubbard thought was first one then later two Imperial Japanese Navy submarines approximately 10 nautical miles (19 km) off the shore of Cape Lookout, Oregon. Both the sonar operator and Lt. Hubbard himself thought that the echo of an active sonar ping, combined with apparent engine noises heard through the ship's hydrophone indicated contact with a submarine.
...
Wikipedia