A postcard I recently picked up that caught my eye...
I am not familiar with the Navy Postmark, but found it interesting (but I assume common for use by deployed service folks) and that this also passed the censor's eye. The time period is interesting too considering what was happening in the Pacific region at the time and specifically the Marianas Islands.
Maybe from a mother? or sister? I assume Fran is a woman who signed it.
She is not pleased about not getting a reply to her letter.
About the ship pictured (which I don't think has anything to do with the sender):
Experimental Model Submarine Chaser:
Laid down 10 July 1939 by the Luders Marine Construction Co., Stamford, CT
Launched 14 May 1940
Commissioned USS PC-449, 25 September 1940
Reclassified SC-449 in April 1943
SC-449 was one of three Submarine Chasers built in a design competition. Built as an experimental SC design she had 50% more stability than the production models that were built. In early 1945, she
was selected by the Navy to be converted into a mock Escort Carrier (CVE) to be used in the invasion of the Japanese homelands (Operation Swiss Navy). Her deck was stripped and rebuilt with plywood to look like a CVE. The Navy liked what they saw but she was very top-heavy, so they shelved that idea, plus the atom bomb put an end to these plans
Struck from the Naval Register 19 December 1945
Transferred to the War Shipping Administration 29 July 1946 and sold
Worked as an Oceanographic Research Vessel at Texas A&M Marine Department
Sold to Service Marine Inc. of Galena, TX for use as quarters for dredge crews
Scrapped in 1974.
Specifications:
Displacement 86 t.
Length 110'
Beam 18' 4"
Draft 6' 5"
Speed 15.3 kts.
Complement 28
Armament: One 3"/23 dual purpose mount, two .30 cal. machine guns (replaced by .50 cal. machine guns), one depth charge projector "Y Gun" two Mk 20 Mousetrap depth charge projectors and two
depth charge tracks
Propulsion: Two Superior diesel engines
Replaced by two 800bhp Cooper Bessemer EN-8 diesel engines, two shafts.
Source:
http://www.navsource.org/archives/12/150449.htm
Posted 05/02/2019 11:47 am
