Gulfport II PF-20

Gulfport II

A city in Mississippi.

(PF-20: dp. 1,264; 1 303'11"; b. 37'6"; dr. 13'8"; s. 20
k.; cgl. 190; a. 3 3"; cl. Tacoma)

Gulfport (PF-20), a frigate, was launched 21 August 1943 by the American Shipbuilding Co., Cleveland, Ohio; sponsored by Mrs. John C. Chambers; and commissioned at Gulfport Miss. 16 September 1944, Comdr. G. A. Knudsen, USCG command.

Gulfport underwent shakedown at Bermuda, B.NV.I., and then returned to Norfolk for training 2 December 1944. The frigate was soon active as a convoy escort, however, departing with her first convoy from Norfolk to Oran Algeria, 18 December. She continued on this vital duty between Algeria and the United States until N E day.

Scheduled for conversion to a weather ship, Gulfport entered New York Navy Yard 5 July 1945. Upon completion, she was assigned to the Pacific Fleet, sailing via the Panama Canal and Pearl Harbor to her new home port of Adak, Alaska, where she arrived 16 September 1945. Gulfport performed weather duties so singularly important in the movements of both ships and aircraft in the Pacific area until decommissioning 28 May 1946 at Seattle. Her name was struck from the Navy List 19 June 1946 and she was sold to Zidell Ship Dismantling Co. for scrap 13 November 1947 at Seattle.