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USS ''Erie'' (PG-50) was the lead ship in a class of two United States Navy patrol gunboats. Launched and commissioned in 1936, she operated in the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea until torpedoed and fatally damaged by a German submarine in 1942.〔 ==Construction & Commissioning== ''Erie'' was ordered in June 1933 and laid down at the New York Naval Shipyard on 17 December 1934. This marked a couple of "firsts" for the New York Navy Yard. One, was that the first rivets driven into ''Erie's'' keel were by civilian employees rather than ranking Navy officers. This included, Rober H. Hanlon, labor foreman, was the rivet heater, William H. Jennings, master electrician, was the rivateer, Charles E. Botts, master rigger, the holder-on, and Victor Carissime, master boilermaker, and Frank Connors, master ship fitter, were the rivet-passers. The other was that the ship was built in the Yard's No. 1 Dry Dock instead of on a slip. Rear Admiral Yates Stirling, Jr., Commandant of the Third Naval District and the New York Navy Yard, Captain Charles Dunn, industrial manager of the Yard, and Mrs. Edmund Knoll (née Ida May Illig), ''Erie's'' sponsor, were all present for the keel-laying ceremony. Mrs. Knoll wouldn't be formally announced as the sponsor until October 1935. Within six months, June 1935, most of the structural work on the hull, platform, second, and main decks were complete. After Commander, later Vice Admiral, Edward Hanson graduated from the Naval War College at Newport, Rhode Island, in 1935, he was directed to the New York Navy Yard with orders to see the fitting-out of ''Erie'' and also captain the ship when she was commissioned. The next 7 months, June 1935 to mid-January 1936, saw significant progress in the construction of the main deck components, the navigational bridge, the pilothouse, and the chart house. By January 1936, 80% of the hull work was complete with about 50% of the machinery and equipment installed. On 24 January, Rear Admiral Sterling's Office formally announced that ''Erie'' would be launched in the afternoon of 29 January. The Erie Club of New York assumed responsibility for the launching ceremony. A contingent of notables from the City of Erie, headed by John Mead, Jr., Vice President of the Times Publishing Company, along with ''Erie's'' sponsor, Mrs. Knoll, attended the ceremony.〔 The flood valves were opened for Dry Dock No. 1 at 3:30 PM before 1,000 spectators, braving bitter cold temperatures, to witness the launch of ''Erie'', on 29 February 1936.〔 Seawater from the Navy Yard Basin slowly began to float ''Erie'' off her keel blocks. After brief speeches by John Mead and Rear Admiral Stirling, Mrs. Knoll stepped forward at 4:20 PM to cut the long ribbon bearing the ceremonial champagne bottle, christening ''Erie''. However, when the bottle hit the bow, it failed to break, so, after three unsuccessful tries, a Navy Yard construction worker finally succeeded in shattering the bottle on the bow plates which was followed by wild cheers from the crowd. Rear Admiral Stirling hosted a private reception for the dignitaries at his residence and in the evening the Erie Club hosted a dinner honoring the Admiral and the officers of the newly launched gunboat.〔 1 May 1936 had been set as the expected commissiong date, and while work had continued at a fast pace, it became apparent though that the state of construction would not allow this. Rear Admiral Joseph Taussig, Acting Commandant of the Third District, requested, and received, permission from Admiral William Harrison Standley, Chief of Naval Operations, to move the ceremony to 1 July 1936.〔 Sergeant Henry E. Bucci formed up ''Erie's'' sea-going Marine Detachment of sixteen men at the Marine Barracks, Quantico, Virginia in early June. On 15 June after traveling by rail from Virginia to the New York Navy Yard in Brooklyn, New York, 2nd Lt. Donald J. Decker took command of the Detachment.〔 Dwarfed by the heavy cruiser, , being overhauled across the dock from her, and with ''Erie'' still only 98% complete, her six-inch guns hadn't been installed yet, the commissioning proceeded on 1 July 1936. The brief, but highly traditional, commissioning ceremony began at 1:00 PM with the piping aboard of Admiral Harris Laning, the newly appointed Commandant of the Third Naval Dirstrict, and Captain Roe Adams, Captain of the New York Navy Yard. The Admiral read the formal orders directing him to place ''Erie'' in full commission, while her crew stood at attention on the afterdeck. Then Commander Hanson, ''Erie's'' first captain, signed the formal receipt for the ship and read his orders that assigned him command of the gunboat, with his first official order being, "Sound the colors." ''Erie's'' Marine detachment presented arms, while the boatswain pipe sounded, and the national ensign and commissioning pennant were hoisted aloft. With this, the 2,000-ton gunboat U.S.S. ERIE PG-50, was officially added to the US Navy List.〔 The Yard managers reported on 1 August 1936, that the hull was 98.8% complete and the machinery spaces were 95.1% complete with an expected end of construction date set for 15 August. ''Erie'' left the New York Navy Yard on 17 August, and sailed into the Atlantic for her first day at-sea. Although her initial sea trials were generally satisfactory some malfunctions were discovered in her propulsion system. After more repairs, resulting from problems found in her formal power trials on 26 August, ''Erie'' once again put to sea on 2 September and returned two days later to the Yard. Commander Hanson received a communication from Admiral Standley on 14 September, providing the operational orders for the remainder of the year. Further tests and trials, at sea and in port, would be performed and the vessel would be fitted out and prepared for her shakedown cruise to Europe, where ''Erie'' would serve with the Navy's Special Service Squadron 40-T. She was also directed to participate in the Navy Day festivities on 27 October, in New York Harbor, and the special ceremonies commemorating the Fiftieth Anniversary of the dedication of the Statue of Liberty on 28 October. ''Erie's'' 6" guns and their blast shields were mounted, both fore and aft, by the first week of October and on 19 October, she departed for a cruise to the Norfolk Naval Operating Base. Arriving late in the day on October 20 she retraced her route two days later returning to the New York Navy Yard on 23 October, just in time to prepare for her participation in the 1936 Navy Day festivities. For three days, 25–27 October, ''Erie'', the cruisers ''Indianapolis'' and and the destroyers and held open houses, for the general public, while docked in the Yard. For the Statue of Liberty celebration ''Indianapolis'' and ''Erie'' greeted President Franklin D. Roosevelt with twenty-one gun salutes as he approached Bedloe's Island, both vessels being decked out in bright bunting. Along with the destroyer the crews of all three ships lined the rails at stiff attention. A second twenty-one gun salute was given by ''Indianapolis'' and ''Erie'' when President Roosevelt departed. After this ''Erie'' returned to the Yard to prepare for her October 31, shakedown cruise. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「USS Erie (PG-50)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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