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Submarine Chaser Photo Archive

PC-1264



Call sign:
Nan - Fox - Love - George
PC-461 Class Submarine Chaser:

  • Laid down 7 October 1943 by Consolidated Shipbuilding Corp., Morris Heights, New York
  • Launched, 28 November 1943
  • Commissioned 25 April 1944 at Pier 42, New York City. One of two World War II Navy ships to be manned by a largely African-American enlisted complement
  • Decommissioned 7 February 1946 at Tompkinsville, Staten Island, NY
  • Struck from the Naval Register 28 March 1946
  • Transferred to the Maritime Commission for disposal 24 March 1948 and sold for scrap
  • Scrapped by Whitte Brothers Marine Scrap Yard of Rossville, Staten Island, NY
  • As of February 2008, PC-1264 is still at the scrap yard now named Donjon Marine Yard.

    Specifications:

  • Displacement 450 t.
  • Length 173' 8"
  • Beam 23'
  • Draft 10' 10"
  • Speed 19 kts.
  • Complement 65
  • Armament: One 3"/50 dual purpose mount, one 40mm gun, five 20mm guns, two depth charge projectors, two depth charge tracks and two rocket launchers
  • Propulsion: Two 1,280bhp Hooven-Owen-Rentschler RB-99DA diesel engines (Serial No. 7319 and 7320) diesel engines, Westinghouse single reduction gear, two shafts.
    Click on thumbnail
    for full size image    		 Size Image Description Source
    USS PC-1264
    PC-1264 106k c. April 1944
    New York
    U.S. Navy photo NH 92460    		 Naval Historical Center
    PC-1264 121k Lt. Eric Purdon (at microphone) the ship's first commanding officer, reads the official orders directing him to assume command of PC-1264, on 25 April 1944
    Navy Heritage and History Command photo NH 92461    		 Robert Hurst
    PC-1264 117k 25 April 1944
    Commissioning ceremonies at North River Pier, New York City
    U.S. Navy photo NH 1151766
    Photographed by International News Photos    		 Naval Historical Center
    PC-1264 465k Ship's enlisted complement on the fantail, at the time of her commissioning ceremonies, 25 April 1944, at New York City.
    Naval Historical Center photo NH 92463
    Subchaser manned by negroes is commissioned at New York, April 25, 1944. Crew members of the USS PC-1264 get together on the fantail after the commissioning ceremony. The ship's company includes 53 Negroes.
    U.S. Navy photo (2383-6) courtesy Public Relations Office, Third Naval District, 90 Church Street, New York.
    Photo from the collection of Jack W. Sutherland    		 Original photo: Fred Weiss
    Replacement photo: Laura Sutherland
    PC-1264 381k 25 April 1944
    Commissioning ceremony    		 Ed Zajkowski
    PC-1264 114k A posed photograph of the bridge watch, taken at the time of her commissioning, at New York City, 25 April 1944
    Navy History and Heritage Command photo NH 92464    		 Robert Hurst
    PC-1264 69k Signalmen at work with a "blinker" lamp, at the time of her commissioning, at New York City, 25 April 1944
    Navy History and Heritage Command photo NH 92465
    PC-1264 208k The crew of the U.S. Navy submarine chaser [PC 1264] salutes the United States flag as the 173-foot long escort vessel is commissioned in a U.S. East Coast port. As soon as they qualify through experience and training, eight members of the crew of 53 Negro sailors will replace the present chief petty officers. May 1, 1944.
    National Archives photo 208-N-26553.    		 Bill Gonyo
    PC-1264 791k Depth charge exploding astern, as the crew of the USS PC-1264 practices a simulated submarine attack during the ship's shakedown cruise off southern Florida
    U.S. Navy photo from "Black Company" by Eric Purdon    		 Robert Hurst
    PC-1264 63k Naval Institute Press photo 94031 Bob Daly/PC-1181
    PC-1264 404k Photo from the collection of Jack W. Sutherland Laura Sutherland
    PC-1264 328k The officers, crew and mascot of PC-1264. Photo taken sometime after 2 May 1945 as Ensign Gravely reported aboard on that date and, in the photograph, he is seated to the left of the other officers. All the white Petty Officers were transferred off the ship in November 1944. The canine mascot, seated front center, was named "Gizmo" after a vote by the crew
    U.S. Navy photo from book "Black Company: The Story of Subchaser 1264" by Eric S. Purdon    		 Robert Hurst
    PC-1264 381k Decommissioning of PC-1264 at Tompkinsville, Staten Island, New York on 7 February 1946. The officers are (left to right) Ensigns H.E. Kohler, D.G. Maxwell, William L. Fanning, Jr., Samuel L. Gravely, Jr. (retired in 1980 with the rank of Vice Admiral), and Lieut.(jg) Jack Sutherland
    U.S. Navy photo from book "Black Company: The Story of Subchaser 1264" by Eric S. Purdon
    PC-1264
    Scrapyard 118k c. 1990
    PC-1217 and PC-1264 at Whitte Bros. Marine Scrap Yard, Rossville, Staten Island, NY    		 Bob Daly/PC-1181
    PC-1264 104k c. 1990.
    At Whitte Bros. Marine Scrap Yard, Rossville, Staten Island, NY
    PC-1264 91k
    Commanding Officers
    01LT Eric Sinclaire Purdon, USNR - Retired as Commander, USNR25 April 1944 - 17 September 1945
    02LTJG Ernest V. Hardman, USNR17 September 1945 - 31 October 1945
    03LTJG Jack W. Sutherland, USNR31 October 1945 - 7 February 1946
    Courtesy Joe Radigan
    There is no DANFS history available for PC-1264
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    Patrol Craft Sailors Association
    Back To The Main Photo Index Back to the Patrol Craft/Gunboat/Submarine Chaser Ship Index Back to the Submarine Chaser (PC) Photo Index
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    This page created by Gary P. Priolo and maintained by Tom Bateman
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