USS ''Despite'' (AM-89) was an of the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

. Laid down on 24 November 1941 by the

Dravo Corporation Dravo Corporation was a shipbuilding company with shipyards in Pittsburgh and Wilmington, Delaware. It was founded by Frank and Ralph Dravo in Pittsburgh in 1891. The corporation went public in 1936 and in 1998 it was bought out by Carmeuse for $ ...

Neville Island Neville Township is a township in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. Its land area consists entirely of Neville Island, which is an island on the Ohio River. The population was 1,084 at the 2010 census. History The island was form ...

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Western Pennsylvania, the second-most populous city in Pennsylva ...

, launched on 28 March 1942, and commissioned on 31 August 1942. The ship was reclassified as a submarine chaser ''PC-1593'' on 1 June 1944.

World War II North Atlantic Operations

''Despite'' arrived at Port Royal Bay,

Bermuda ) , anthem = "God Save the King" , song_type = National song , song = "Hail to Bermuda" , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , mapsize2 = , map_caption2 = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = , es ...

, on 28 December 1942 for duty on patrol and in submarine exercises off

. She also escorted

convoys A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support and can help maintain cohesion within a unit. It may also be used ...

to New York,

Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...

, Key West and

Jacksonville Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the List of United States cities by area, largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the co ...

. On 24 April 1944 ''Despite'' arrived at New York, and on 15 May 1944 at Norfolk, Virginia. Her name was canceled and her classification changed to ''PC-1593'' on 1 June.

Converted to submarine chaser

She departed Norfolk, Virginia on 13 June for the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western Europe, Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa ...

, arriving as escort for a convoy at Bizerte,

Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...

on 23 July. On the last day of the month she got underway for Salerno, arriving on 4 August after delivering a

convoy A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support and can help maintain cohesion within a unit. It may also be used ...

Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...

en route. She joined the Delta Task Force for the invasion of southern France 15 August to 26 August, screening ships in

, acting as reference and liaison vessel, and providing local escort services. ''PC-1593'' remained in the

on a variety of duties. She performed patrol duty off Palermo and the northern coast of Italy; escorted

between Palermo, Livorno,

Toulon Toulon (, , ; oc, label= Provençal, Tolon , , ) is a city on the French Riviera and a large port on the Mediterranean coast, with a major naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, and the Provence province, Toulon is th ...

, and

Marseille Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Fra ...

; acted as harbor entrance control and liaison ship at Toulon; conducted training exercises with Italian submarines at Palermo; and engaged in maneuvers and landing exercises off Bizerte. ''PC-1593'' sailed from Oran on 27 May 1945 for Charleston, South Carolina, arriving 13 June.

Post-war deactivation

''PC-1593'' was decommissioned on 17 December 1945 at

Jacksonville, Florida Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the List of United States cities by area, largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the co ...

; transferred to the

Maritime Commission The United States Maritime Commission (MARCOM) was an independent executive agency of the U.S. federal government that was created by the Merchant Marine Act of 1936, which was passed by Congress on June 29, 1936, and was abolished on May 24, 195 ...

for disposal on 16 September 1946, and sold to the Cornelius Kroll Co., Houston, Texas. Named M/V ''Mustang'' from 1948 to 1950. Fate unknown.

Awards

''PC-1593'' received one

battle star A service star is a miniature bronze or silver five-pointed star inch (4.8 mm) in diameter that is authorized to be worn by members of the eight uniformed services of the United States on medals and ribbons to denote an additional award or ser ...

for

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

service.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Despite (AM-89) Adroit-class minesweepers Ships built in Pittsburgh 1942 ships World War II minesweepers of the United States World War II patrol vessels of the United States Ships built by Dravo Corporation