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NavSource Online:
Motor Gunboat / Patrol Gunboat Photo Archive

Contributed by Mike Molinski

Grand Rapids (PG-98)
ex-PGM-98

Tacoma Class Gunboat: Laid down at Tacoma Boatbuilding Co., Tacoma, WA; Launched, 4 April 1970; Commissioned USS Grand Rapids (PG-98), 5 September 1970; Decommissioned, 1 October 1977 at Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, Norfolk, VA; Transferred to the Naval Sea Systems Command, Carderock Division; Converted to a Research Vessel, and renamed R/V Athena II. Fate unknown.

Specifications: Displacement 250 t.; Length 165'; Beam 24'; Complement 28; Speed 13 kts. on diesel and 40 kts. on turbine; Armament one 3"/50 gun mount, one 40mm gun mount, two twin .50-cal machine guns; Propulsion, two Cummins VT12-875-M diesel engines rated at 725 hp each, and one General Electric LM 1500 gas turbine; two shafts. with controllable pitck propellers; range 2300 n.m. cruising at 13 kts.

Click On Image
For Full Size Image		 Size Image Description Source
USS Grand Rapids (PG 98)
Tacoma 122k Naples, Italy © Richard Leonhardt
Tacoma 104k c. 1970
U.S. Navy photo		 Robert Hurst
PG-86/87/98/100 68k Barcelona, Spain 6 December 1976. Ready (PG 87) in foreground, inboard with Grand Rapids outboard. Background inboard is Douglas (PG 100) with Antelope (PG 86) inboard. Note that Antelope and Ready are fitted with Mk-87 fire control systems, with antenna inside domes, whereas Grand Rapids and Douglas have a Mk-63 fire control system, with an SPG-50 radar antenna on the gun mounts. Fabio Peņa
PG-86/87/98/100 48k Barcelona, Spain. 6 December 1976. Fabio Peņa
Antelope 143k Decommissioning program Tom Langford
R/V Athena II
Athena 35k Seen here in foreground as R/V Athena II with R/V Athena, ex-Chehalis (PG 94) in background
U.S. Navy photo		 Naval Sea Systems Command
Athena II 71k Seen here as R/V Athena II
U.S. Navy photo		 Naval Sea Systems Command
View the Grand Rapids (PG-98) History entry located on the Patrol Gunboat Reunion Association Web Site.
Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
Patrol Gunboat Reunion Association
Back To The Main Photo Index Back To the Patrol Craft/Gunboat/Submarine Chaser Ship Type Index Back to the Patrol Gunboat (PG) Photo Index
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