USS Beaufort (PF-59)

USS Beaufort (PF-59) was a Tacoma-class frigate acquired by the United States Navy during World War II. Although she was designed as a patrol craft, she was reconfigured and employed as a weather station ship in the North Atlantic Ocean. Beaufort's task was to launch weather balloons and transmit weather data via radio to her shore-based commanders.

USS Beaufort (PF-59)
History
United States
Name:	Beaufort
Namesake:	City of Beaufort, South Carolina
Ordered:	As "patrol gunboat," PG-167, MC Type T. S2-S2-AQ1, (MC hull 1466)
Reclassified:	"Patrol frigate," PF-59, 15 April 1943
Builder:	Globe Shipbuilding Company, Superior, Wisconsin
Laid down:	21 July 1943
Launched:	9 October 1943
Sponsored by:	Mrs. Elma G. Rodgers
In service:	20 July 1944
Out of service:	29 July 1944
Commissioned:	28 August 1944 as USS Beaufort (PF-59)
Refit:	Converted to a weather station ship at the Boston Navy Yard
Decommissioned:	19 April 1946 at Norfolk, Virginia
Stricken:	21 May 1946
Fate:	Scrapped, 11 April 1947
General characteristics
Class and type:	Tacoma-class frigate
Displacement:	1,430 long tons (1,453 t)
Length:	303 ft 11 in (92.63 m)
Beam:	37 ft 6 in (11.43 m)
Draft:	13 ft 8 in (4.17 m)
Propulsion:	two 3-drum express boilers, two 5,500 ihp J. Hendy Iron Works engines, two shafts
Speed:	20.3 knots (37.6 km/h; 23.4 mph)
Complement:	176 officers and enlisted
Armament:	2 × 3"/50 dual purpose guns (2x1) 4 x 40 mm guns (2×2) 9 × 20 mm guns (9×1) 1 × Hedgehog anti-submarine mortar 8 × Y-gun depth charge projectors 2 × Depth charge tracks
Notes:	weather balloon hangar located aft

Constructed in Superior, Wisconsin

The third U.S Navy ship to be so named, Beaufort (PF-59) laid down on 21 July 1943, at Superior, Wisconsin, by the Globe Shipbuilding Co. under a U.S. Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1466); launched on 9 October 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Elma G. Rodgers; accepted by the Navy on 8 July 1944.

In-service

Beaufort was placed in service for the trip to Boston, Massachusetts; arrived at Boston on 20 July 1944; placed out of service on 29 July 1944; converted to a weather station ship at the Boston Navy Yard; and commissioned on 28 August 1944, Lt. Comdr. George R. Boyce, USCG, temporarily in command.

World War II service

During the following week, Beaufort completed fitting out and received a new commanding officer, Lt. B. R. Henry, USCG. On 8 September, she got underway for a shakedown cruise to Bermuda.

The ship arrived back at Boston on 6 October. After a nine-day repair period, the patrol frigate headed for Hussey Sound — near Portland, Maine — for five days of training before returning to Boston. Soon thereafter, she sailed for Argentia, Newfoundland. During the remainder of World War II and for some seven months thereafter, she operated out of Argentia as a weather station ship with additional duty as a plane guard and air-sea rescue ship.

Under Coast Guard cognizance

In March 1946, she was temporarily assigned to the U.S. Coast Guard pending inactivation. Beaufort reported to the Commandant, 5th Naval District, on 28 March 1946 and was decommissioned at Norfolk, Virginia, on 19 April 1946.

Post-war dispositioning

Her name was struck from the Navy List on 21 May 1946, and she was sold to the Sun Shipbuilding & Drydock Company, Chester, Pennsylvania, on 11 April 1947 for scrapping.

References

• This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
• Photo gallery of USS Beaufort (PG-167/PF-59) at NavSource Naval History