USS PC-558

USS PC-558 was a PC-461-class submarine chaser built for the United States Navy during World War II. She was sunk by U-230 on 9 May 1944 with the loss of about half of her complement; there were 30 survivors.

USS PC-815, a similar PC-416 class submarine chaser
History
United States
Name	USS PC-558
Laid down	31 October 1941
Launched	13 September 1942
Commissioned	19 November 1942
Fate	Torpedoed by German U-boat on 9 May 1944
Stricken	16 May 1944
General characteristics
Class and type	PC-461-class submarine chaser
Displacement	280 long tons (280 t) (light) 450 long tons (460 t) (full)
Length	173 ft 8 in (52.93 m)
Beam	23 ft (7.0 m)
Draft	10 ft 10 in (3.30 m)
Installed power	5,760 bhp (4,300 kW)
Propulsion	2 × General Motors 16-258S diesel engines 1 × Farrel-Birmingham single reduction gear 2 × shafts
Speed	20.2 kn (23.2 mph; 37.4 km/h)
Complement	65
Armament	1 × 3 in (76 mm)/50 cal dual-purpose gun 1 × 40 mm gun 3 × 20 mm cannons 2 × rocket launchers 4 × depth charge throwers 2 × depth charge tracks

Career

PC-558 was laid down on 31 October 1941 by the Luders Marine Construction Co. in Stamford, Connecticut, and launched on 13 September 1942. She was commissioned on 19 November 1942 and assigned to the Atlantic and Mediterranean theater of operations.

On 9 May 1944, PC-558 was patrolling the region north of Palermo, Sicily. Her lookout spotted the Plexiglas dome and tail of a German one-man submarine — a Neger – 3,000 yd (2,700 m) away from the ship. After firing on the Neger with 20 mm and 40 mm cannon fire and dropping two depth charges, PC-558 successfully destroyed the vessel and captured the sole occupant, Oberfähnrich Walter Schulz. PC-558 was later joined by PC-626 and spotted another Neger. After another cannon and depth charge attack, the Neger was destroyed and the occupant was captured alive. PC-558 was later destroyed after being struck by a single torpedo fired by a German U-boat, U-230. A nearby ship — PC-1235 — was fired at three times by the U-boat and all three torpedoes missed their target. PC-1235 drove off U-230 and returned to rescue the thirty surviving crewmembers of PC-558.

Sources

• Submarine Chaser Photo Archive: PC-558
• USS PC-558 (PC-558)
• Paterson, Lawrence. Weapons of Desperation: German Frogmen and Midget Submarines of World War II, pgs. 21-22