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Gunboats (PG) Built Before WWII

When the numbering system started, in 1920, the Navy had 40 patrol gunboats, (PG), but they were a bit of a hodge-podge collection of different sizes and specs, including 7 that had previously been designated light cruisers and 9 that were acquired in the Spanish-American War: these were numbered PG 1 through PG 42, with the numbers PG 25 and 26 not used. In the following 20 years, leading up to WWII, the Navy dumped all but 6 of these 40 boats and added only 21. The 6 pre-1920 boats that were still in service when the war began were PGs 8, 17, 18, 19, 21 and 22. Of the 21 that were added, only PG 50 and PG 51 were actual purpose-built gunboats: PG 43 through 48 were shallow-draft boats built in Shanghai for riverine warfare, PG 49 was a converted tender and the remaining 12 were all converted megayachts. Comments or queries, please email info@navalmarinearchive.com.

Most recent update: 2 May 2015.

Type # Original Name Original Owner Shipbuilder Location Hull # LDT LOA Built Disposition
PG 1 Yorktown U.S. Navy Cramp Shipbuilding Philadelphia PA 255 1,700 245 23-Apr-89 Scrapped 1921
PG 2 Petrel U.S. Navy Columbia Iron Works Baltimore MD 890 188 10-Dec-89 Sold 1920
PG 3 Concord U.S. Navy Delaware River Sbldg. Chester PA 249 1,700 245 14-Feb-91 PHS quarantine ship 1914, sold 1929
PG 4 Bancroft U.S. Navy Moore & Co., Samuel L. Elizabethport NJ 5 839 187 3-Mar-93 To USCG 1906 as Itasca, scrapped 1922
PG 5 Machias U.S. Navy Bath Iron Works Bath ME 2 1,177 204 20-Jul-93 To Mexico 1920 as Agua Prieta (R 35), scrapped 1935
PG 6 Castine U.S. Navy Bath Iron Works Bath ME 3 1,177 204 22-Oct-94 Sold 1921 as banana boat, in collision and sank 1924
PG 7 Nashville U.S. Navy Newport News Sbldg. Newport News VA 7 1,371 234 19-Aug-97 Sold 1921 as Richmond Cedar Works No. 4, scrapped 1957
PG 8 Wilmington U.S. Navy Newport News Sbldg. Newport News VA 8 1,392 234 13-May-97 Dover (IX 30) 1941, scuttled 1947
PG 9 Helena U.S. Navy Newport News Sbldg. Newport News VA 9 1,392 234 8-Jul-97 Scrapped 1934
PG 10 Annapolis U.S. Navy Nixon, Lewis Elizabethport NJ 18 1,010 204 20-Jul-97 Keystone State (IX 1) 1921, to USCG 1941, scrapped 1950
PG 11 Vicksburg U.S. Navy Bath Iron Works Bath ME 15 1,010 204 23-Oct-97 To USCG 1921 as Alexander Hamilton (WIX 272), scrapped 1946
PG 12 Newport U.S. Navy Bath Iron Works Bath ME 16 1,010 204 5-Oct-97 To NYSMA 1907, to City of Aberdeen WA 1934
PG 13 Princeton U.S. Navy Dialogue & Son Camden NJ 340 1,010 204 27-May-98 Sold 1919
PG 14 Wheeling U.S. Navy Union Iron Works San Francisco CA 45 990 190 10-Aug-97 Scrapped 1946
PG 15 Marietta U.S. Navy Union Iron Works San Francisco CA 46 990 190 1-Sep-97 To NJ Militia 1912, scrapped 1920
PG 16 Palos U.S. Navy Mare Island NSY, Shanghai D&E Vallejo CA, Shanghai, China 190 165 24-Jun-14 PR 1 1928, scrapped 1937
PG 17 Dubuque U.S. Navy Consolidated Sbldg. Morris Heights NY 193 1,085 200 3-Jun-95 AG 6 1919, IX 9 1922, PG 17 1940, scrapped 1946
PG 18 Paducah U.S. Navy Consolidated Sbldg. Morris Heights NY 194 1,085 200 2-Sep-05 AG 7 1919, IX 10 1922, PG 18 1940, sold 1946 as Geulah, scrapped 1951
PG 19 Sacramento U.S. Navy Cramp Shipbuilding Philadelphia PA 403 1,425 226 26-Apr-14 Sold 1947 as Fermina
PG 20 Monocacy U.S. Navy Mare Island NSY, Shanghai D&E Vallejo CA, Shanghai, China 190 165 20-May-14 Scuttled 1939
PG 21 Asheville U.S. Navy Charleston NSY Charleston SC 1,575 241 6-Jul-20 Sunk by Japanese gunfire south of Java 1942
PG 22 Tulsa U.S. Navy Charleston NSY Charleston SC 1,575 241 3-Dec-23 Tacloban 1944, scrapped 1948
PG 23 Ranger U.S. Navy Harlan & Hollingsworth Wilmington DE 146 1,020 177 1876 To Mass. MA 1909, Rockport 1917, Nantucket (PG 23) 1918, IX 18 1921, to USMMA 1940, sold 1942 as Emery Rice, scrapped 1958
PG 24 Dolphin U.S. Navy John Roach & Sons Chester PA 236 1,486 256 1885 Scrapped 1922
PG 25 Not used
PG 26 Not used
PG 27 Marblehead U.S. Navy City Point Iron Works South Boston MA 2,089 269 2-Apr-94 Built as C 11, PG 27 1920, scrapped 1921
PG 28 Denver U.S. Navy Neafie & Levy Philadelphia PA 934 3,200 309 17-May-04 Built as C 14, PG 28 1920, CL 16 1921, scrapped 1933
PG 29 Des Moines U.S. Navy Fore River Sbldg. Quincy MA 107 3,200 309 5-Mar-04 Built as C 15, PG 29 1920, CL 17 1921, scrapped 1930
PG 30 Chattanooga U.S. Navy Crescent SY Elizabethport NJ 80 3,200 309 11-Oct-04 Built as C 16, PG 30 1920, CL 18 1921, scrapped 1930
PG 31 Galveston U.S. Navy Norfolk NSY Portsmouth VA 3,200 309 15-Feb-05 Built as C 17, PG 31 1920, CL 19 1921, scrapped 1933
PG 32 Tacoma U.S. Navy Union Iron Works San Francisco CA 71 3,200 309 30-Jan-04 Built as C 18, PG 32 1920, CL 20 1921, wrecked off Vera Cruz 1924
PG 33 Cleveland U.S. Navy Bath Iron Works Bath ME 35 3,200 309 2-Nov-03 Built as C 19, PG 33 1920, CL 21 1921, scrapped 1930
PG 34 Amazonas Brazilian Navy Armstrong Whitworth Newcastle, England 3,769 354 1898 Acquired 1898 as New Orleans, CL 22 1921, scrapped 1930
PG 35 Diogenes Peruvian Navy Howaldtswerke Kiel, Germany 2,255 259 1883 Acquired 1898 as Topeka, IX 35 1921, scrapped 1930
PG 36 Alm. Abreu Brazilian Navy Armstrong Whitworth Newcastle, England 3,340 394 1898 Acquired 1898 as Albany, CL 23 1921, scrapped 1930
PG 37 Callao Spanish Navy Manila Shipyard Cavite, Philippines 243 121 1888 Captured 1898, YFB 11 1921, sold 1923
PG 38 Elcano Spanish Navy Carraca Arsenal Cadiz, Spain 620 165 1884 Captured 1898, sunk as target 1928
PG 39 Pampanga Spanish Navy Manila Shipyard Cavite, Philippines 243 121 1888 Captured 1898, sunk as target 1928
PG 40 Quiros Spanish Navy Whampoa Dock Hong Kong, HK 350 148 1896 Captured 1898, sunk as target 1923
PG 41 Samar Spanish Navy Manila Shipyard Cavite, Philippines 243 121 1887 Captured 1898, sold 1921
PG 42 Villalobos Spanish Navy Whampoa Dock Hong Kong, HK 250 145 1896 Acquired 1900, sunk as target 1928
PG 43 Guam U.S. Navy Kiangnan Dock Shanghai, China 350 159 28-Dec-27 PR 3 1928, captured by Japan 1941 as Tatara, to Taiwan 1946 as Tai Yuan, captured by PRC 1949
PG 44 Tutuila U.S. Navy Kiangnan Dock Shanghai, China 395 159 2-Mar-28 PR 4 1928, to Taiwan 1948, scuttled 1949
PG 45 Panay U.S. Navy Kiangnan Dock Shanghai, China 474 191 10-Sep-28 PR 5 1928,sunk by Japanese aircraft 1937
PG 46 Oahu U.S. Navy Kiangnan Dock Shanghai, China 450 191 20-Oct-28 PR 6 1928,sunk off Corregidor 1942
PG 47 Luzon U.S. Navy Kiangnan Dock Shanghai, China 500 211 1-Jun-28 PR 7 1928, to Japan 1942 as Karatsu, sunk 1944
PG 48 Mindanao U.S. Navy Kiangnan Dock Shanghai, China 560 211 10-Jul-28 PR 8 1928, scuttled in Manila Bay 1942
PG 49 Niagara/Fulton U.S. Navy Fore River SB Quincy MA 1,308 226 7-Dec-14 Built as AS 1, PG 49 1930, scrapped 1935
PG 50 Erie U.S. Navy New York NSY Brooklyn NY 2,000 328 1-Jul-36 Sunk by U-boat off Curacao 1942
PG 51 Charleston U.S. Navy Charleston NSY Charleston SC 2,000 328 8-Jul-36 To Mass. MA 1948, sold 1957
PG 52 Hi-Esmaro Bath Iron Works Bath ME 1,922 267 20-Aug-29 Niagara (PG 52) 1941, AGP 1 1943, torpedoed and lost 1943
PG 53 Orion Krupp Germania Werft Kiel, Germany 3,774 333 1929 Vixen (PG 53) 1941, sold 1947 as Regina Maris (Egypt)
PG 54 Viking George L. Baker Newport News SB Newport News VA 1,720 272 1929 St. Augustine (PG 54) 1941, in collision and sank 1944
PG 55 Savarona/Alder Pusey & Jones Wilmington DE 2,250 294 1928 Jamestown (PG 55) 1941, AGP 3 1943, sold 1946
PG 56 Aras II Bath Iron Works Bath ME 1,820 224 1930 Williamsburg (PG 56) 1941, AGC 369 1945, to NSF 1962 as Anton Brunn, sold 1968 as Williamsburg, scrapped 1993
PG 57 Alva William K. Vanderbilt II Krupp Germania Werft Kiel, Germany 1,500 264 1931 Plymouth (PG 57) 1942, torpedoed and lost off Cape Henry 1943
PG 58 Caroline Eldridge H. Johnson Bath Iron Works Bath ME 2,350 279 1931 Hilo (PG 58) 1941, AGP 2 1943, sold 1946, scrapped 1958
PG 59 Vanda Ernest B. Dane Bath Iron Works Bath ME 1,768 240 1929 San Bernardino (PG 59) 1942, sold 1947
PG 60 Reveler/Chalena Russell Alger Krupp Germania Werft Kiel, Germany 1,434 226 1930 Beaumont (PG 60) 1942, sold 1949 as Elpetel, Jezebel 1983, Talitha G 1993, now Talitha
PG 61 Delphine Great Lakes EW Ecorse MI 1,950 258 1921 Dauntless (PG 61) 1942, returned to owner 1947, active as Delphine
PG 62-71 See table of Gunboats Built during WWII
PG 72 Nourmahal Krupp Germania Werft Kiel, Germany 2,250 264 1928 To USCG 1940 as WPG 72, PG 72 1943, scrapped 1964
PG 73-84 Numbers not used
PG 85 Corsair III J. P. Morgan Fletcher, W. & A. Hoboken NJ 1,136 304 1899 SP 159 1917, returned 1919, to C&GS 1930 as Oceanographer (OSS 26), Natchez (PG 85) 1942, Oceanographer (AGS 3) 1942, scrapped 1944

 

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