Asheville class gunboat (1917)
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The ''Asheville''-class gunboats were a class of small warships built for the United States Navy in response to the
Cuban Missile Crisis The Cuban Missile Crisis, also known as the October Crisis (of 1962) ( es, Crisis de Octubre) in Cuba, the Caribbean Crisis () in Russia, or the Missile Scare, was a 35-day (16 October – 20 November 1962) confrontation between the United S ...
. The class is named for a city in western North Carolina and the seat of Buncombe County. All ''Asheville''-class gunboats have since been donated to museums, scheduled for scrapping, or transferred to the Greek,
Turkish Turkish may refer to: *a Turkic language spoken by the Turks * of or about Turkey ** Turkish language *** Turkish alphabet ** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation *** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey *** Turkish communities and mi ...
, Colombian and South Korean Navies. The last two Asheville-class gunboats in US service were and , which were operated by the Naval Surface Warfare Center until they were stricken in 2016.


Origination

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


History

Originally designed for the Caribbean patrols, the ''Asheville'' class were deployed into Southeast Asia. They proved successful in coastal work, intercepting small boats attempting to transport arms along the Vietnam coast. Attempts to use them on the inland rivers proved disastrous to the small lightly armored ships, USS ''Canon'' was severely damaged by over eight rocket strikes, resulting in half of the crew being wounded. USS ''Surprise'' and USS ''Defiance'' were deployed in the Mediterranean to counter the Soviet gunboats. Five of the gunboats were fitted with various missile systems replacing the 40 mm guns. ''Benicia'' conducted test firings in the spring of 1971 of a modified AGM-12 Bullpup surface-to-surface missile system and ''Antelope'' and ''Ready'' were fitted with two launch cells aft plus reload boxes on deck. ''Grand Rapids'' and ''Douglas'' were fitted with an improved AGM-78 Standard ARM missile.


Ships

A total of 17 ''Asheville''-class gunboats were built between 1966 and 1971. During the
Third Cod War The Cod Wars ( is, Þorskastríðin; also known as , ; german: Kabeljaukriege) were a series of 20th-century confrontations between the United Kingdom (with aid from West Germany) and Iceland about fishing rights in the North Atlantic. Each of ...
between Iceland and Great Britain in 1975–1976 the Icelandic Coast Guard, through the Minister of Justice
Ólafur Jóhannesson Ólafur Jóhannesson (1 March 1913 – 20 May 1984) was the prime minister of Iceland for the Progressive Party on two occasions. He was a member of the Progressive Party, serving as party chairman during the 1970s. Career Ólafur was educat ...
(the political leader of the Coast Guard), requested the loan of one or more ''Asheville'' boats from the United States Navy. With their high speed they were considered ideal for the Icelanders to counter the British
frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied somewhat. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and ...
s protecting fishing trawlers on the Icelandic fishing banks. The U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger categorically turned down the Icelandic request. This hardly came as a great surprise to the Icelanders, as the request for the ''Asheville'' boats was probably a political ploy, intended to show how serious Iceland was in overcoming the Royal Navy in the struggle for the fishing banks. The seaworthiness of the Ashevilles in the rough seas of the North Atlantic around Iceland has to be considered doubtful, at best.


Original commission

The following ''Asheville''-class gunboats were commissioned for the U.S. Navy. * commissioned on 6 August 1966. It was struck from the
Navy Register The ''Naval Vessel Register'' (NVR) is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from t ...
on 15 December 1976. * commissioned on 22 October 1966. Struck 9 October 1984. * commissioned on 4 November 1967. Struck 1 October 1977. * commissioned on 6 January 1968. Struck on 1 October 1977. * commissioned on 24 June 1967. Struck on 15 December 1976. * commissioned on 11 May 1968. Struck on 15 December 1976. * commissioned on 26 July 1968. Struck on 9 October 1984. Currently on donation hold. * PGM-91 was not an ''Asheville''-class ship. * commissioned on 14 July 1969. Struck on 12 April 1995. * commissioned on 8 September 1969. Struck on 9 October 1984. * commissioned on 8 November 1969. * commissioned on 24 September 1969. Struck on 6 August 1987. * commissioned on 25 April 1970. Struck on 30 August 1996. * USS ''Surprise'' (PGM-97) commissioned on 17 October 1969. Struck on 6 August 1987. * commissioned on 5 September 1970. * commissioned on 21 November 1969. Struck on 1 July 1975. * commissioned on 7 February 1971. Struck on 1 October 1977. * commissioned on 5 December 1969. Struck on 1 July 1975. (PG-93, PG-95, PG-97, PG-99 & PG-101 were built by Peterson Builders, Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin; most of the remaining PG-84 class were built by Tacoma Boatbuilding Company.)


Hellenic Navy

Two of the ships were transferred to the navy of Greece; both ships were in reserve from April 1977 before being refitted and transferred. The
gas-turbine A gas turbine, also called a combustion turbine, is a type of continuous flow internal combustion engine. The main parts common to all gas turbine engines form the power-producing part (known as the gas generator or core) and are, in the directi ...
propulsion engines were removed prior to transfer and the ships were reclassified as coastal patrol craft. * () (ex-) transferred 30 October 1989 recommissioned on 18 June 1991. * () (ex-) transferred 30 October 1989 recommissioned on 18 June 1991.


Colombian National Armada

* officially released to Colombia on 20 September 1995, renamed ARC ''Quita Sueño'' (P-111). * officially released to Colombia on 20 September 1995, renamed ARC ''Albuquerque'' (P-112).


Turkish Navy

* transferred to Turkey in 1973 under the
Foreign Assistance Act The Foreign Assistance Act (, et seq.) is a United States law governing foreign aid policy. It outlined the political and ideological principles of U.S. foreign aid, significantly overhauled and reorganized the structure U.S. foreign assistance p ...
; renamed ''Yildirim'' (P-338), sunk in 1985. * transferred to Turkey in 1973 under the Foreign Assistance Act; renamed ''Bora'' (P-339).


Republic of Korea Navy

* transferred to Korea in 1973; renamed ''Paek Ku'' (PGM 351), scrapped in 1998.


Notes


External links


Πολεμικό Ναυτικό – Επίσημη Ιστοσελίδα – Αρχική

Hellenic Navy





Patrol Gunboat Reunion Association
{{DEFAULTSORT:Asheville Class Gunboat Gunboat classes Ships built by Peterson Builders