Gunboats

(PG) Built Before WWII

Most recent update: May 2, 2015.

When the numbering system started, in 1920, the Navy had 40 patrol gunboats, (PG), but they were a bit of a hodge-podge collection of different sizes and specs, including 7 that had previously been designated light cruisers and 9 that were acquired in the Spanish-American war: these were numbered PG-1 through PG-42, with the numbers PG-25 and 26 not used. In the following 20 years, leading up to WWII, the Navy dumped all but 6 of these 40 boats and added only 21. The 6 pre-1920 boats that were still in service when the war began were PGs 8, 17, 18, 19, 21 and 22. Of the 21 that were added, only PG-50 and PG-51 were actual purpose-built gunboats: PG-43 through 48 were shallow-draft boats built in Shanghai for riverine warfare, PG-49 was a converted tender and the remaining 12 were all converted megayachts.

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Name Customer Builder Location LDT LOA Built Notes
PG-1 Yorktown US Navy Cramp Shipbuilding Philadelphia PA 255 1,700 245 23 Apr 1889 scrapped 1921
PG-2 Petrel US Navy Columbia Iron Works Baltimore MD 890 188 10 Dec 1889 sold 1920
PG-3 Concord US Navy Delaware River Sbldg. Chester PA 249 1,700 245 14 Feb 1891 PHS quarantine ship 1914, sold 1929
PG-4 Bancroft US Navy Moore & Co., Samuel L. Elizabethport NJ 5 839 187 3 Mar 1893 to USCG 1906 as Itasca, scrapped 1922
PG-5 Machias US Navy Bath Iron Works Bath ME 2 1,177 204 20 Jul 1893 to Mexico 1920 as Agua Prieta (R-35), scrapped 1935
PG-6 Castine US Navy Bath Iron Works Bath ME 3 1,177 204 22 Oct 1894 sold 1921 as banana boat, in collision and sank 1924
PG-7 Nashville US Navy Newport News Sbldg. Newport News VA 7 1,371 234 19 Aug 1897 sold 1921 as Richmond Cedar Works No. 4, scrapped 1957
PG-8 Wilmington US Navy Newport News Sbldg. Newport News VA 8 1,392 234 13 May 1897 Dover (IX-30) 1941, scuttled 1947
PG-9 Helena US Navy Newport News Sbldg. Newport News VA 9 1,392 234 8 Jul 1897 scrapped 1934
PG-10 Annapolis US Navy Nixon, Lewis Elizabethport NJ 18 1,010 204 20 Jul 1897 Keystone State (IX-1) 1921, to USCG 1941, scrapped 1950
PG-11 Vicksburg US Navy Bath Iron Works Bath ME 15 1,010 204 23 Oct 1897 to USCG 1921 as Alexander Hamilton (WIX-272), scrapped 1946
PG-12 Newport US Navy Bath Iron Works Bath ME 16 1,010 204 5 Oct 1897 to NYSMA 1907, to City of Aberdeen WA 1934
PG-13 Princeton US Navy Dialogue & Son Camden NJ 340 1,010 204 27 May 1898 sold 1919
PG-14 Wheeling US Navy Union Iron Works San Francisco CA 45 990 190 10 Aug 1897 scrapped 1946
PG-15 Marietta US Navy Union Iron Works San Francisco CA 46 990 190 1 Sep 1897 to NJ Militia 1912, scrapped 1920
PG-16 Palos US Navy Mare Island NSY, Shanghai D&E Vallejo CA, Shanghai, China 190 165 24 Jun 1914 PR-1 1928, scrapped 1937
PG-17 Dubuque US Navy Consolidated Sbldg. Morris Heights NY 193 1,085 200 3 Jun 1895 AG-6 1919, IX-9 1922, PG-17 1940, scrapped 1946
PG-18 Paducah US Navy Consolidated Sbldg. Morris Heights NY 194 1,085 200 2 Sep 1905 AG-7 1919, IX-10 1922, PG-18 1940, sold 1946 as Geulah, scrapped 1951
PG-19 Sacramento US Navy Cramp Shipbuilding Philadelphia PA 403 1,425 226 26 Apr 1914 sold 1947 as Fermina
PG-20 Monocacy US Navy Mare Island NSY, Shanghai D&E Vallejo CA, Shanghai, China 190 165 20 May 1914 scuttled 1939
PG-21 Asheville US Navy Charleston NSY Charleston SC 1,575 241 6 Jul 1920 sunk by Japanese gunfire south of Java 1942
PG-22 Tulsa US Navy Charleston NSY Charleston SC 1,575 241 3 Dec 1923 Tacloban 1944, scrapped 1948
PG-23 Ranger US Navy Harlan & Hollingsworth Wilmington DE 146 1,020 177 1876 to Mass. MA 1909, Rockport 1917, Nantucket (PG-23) 1918, IX-18 1921, to USMMA 1940, sold 1942 as Emery Rice, scrapped 1958
PG-24 Dolphin US Navy John Roach & Sons Chester PA 236 1,486 256 1885 scrapped 1922
PG-27 Marblehead US Navy City Point Iron Works South Boston MA 2,089 269 2 Apr 1894 built as C-11, PG-27 1920, scrapped 1921
PG-28 Denver US Navy Neafie & Levy Philadelphia PA 934 3,200 309 17 May 1904 built as C-14, PG-28 1920, CL-16 1921, scrapped 1933
PG-29 Des Moines US Navy Fore River Sbldg. Quincy MA 107 3,200 309 5 Mar 1904 built as C-15, PG-29 1920, CL-17 1921, scrapped 1930
PG-30 Chattanooga US Navy Crescent SY Elizabethport NJ 80 3,200 309 11 Oct 1904 built as C-16, PG-30 1920, CL-18 1921, scrapped 1930
PG-31 Galveston US Navy Norfolk NSY Portsmouth VA 3,200 309 15 Feb 1905 built as C-17, PG-31 1920, CL-19 1921, scrapped 1933
PG-32 Tacoma US Navy Union Iron Works San Francisco CA 71 3,200 309 30 Jan 1904 built as C-18, PG-32 1920, CL-20 1921, wrecked off Vera Cruz 1924
PG-33 Cleveland US Navy Bath Iron Works Bath ME 35 3,200 309 2 Nov 1903 built as C-19, PG-33 1920, CL-21 1921, scrapped 1930
PG-34 Amazonas Brazilian Navy Armstrong Whitworth Newcastle, England 3,769 354 1898 acquired 1898 as New Orleans, CL-22 1921, scrapped 1930
PG-35 Diogenes Peruvian Navy Howaldtswerke Kiel, Germany 2,255 259 1883 acquired 1898 as Topeka, IX-35 1921, scrapped 1930
PG-36 Alm. Abreu Brazilian Navy Armstrong Whitworth Newcastle, England 3,340 394 1898 acquired 1898 as Albany, CL-23 1921, scrapped 1930
PG-37 Callao Spanish Navy Manila Shipyard Cavite, Philippines 243 121 1888 captured 1898, YFB-11 1921, sold 1923
PG-38 Elcano Spanish Navy Carraca Arsenal Cadiz, Spain 620 165 1884 captured 1898, sunk as target 1928
PG-39 Pampanga Spanish Navy Manila Shipyard Cavite, Philippines 243 121 1888 captured 1898, sunk as target 1928
PG-40 Quiros Spanish Navy Whampoa Dock Hong Kong, HK 350 148 1896 captured 1898, sunk as target 1923
PG-41 Samar Spanish Navy Manila Shipyard Cavite, Philippines 243 121 1887 captured 1898, sold 1921
PG-42 Villalobos Spanish Navy Whampoa Dock Hong Kong, HK 250 145 1896 acquired 1900, sunk as target 1928
PG-43 Guam US Navy Kiangnan Dock Shanghai, China 350 159 28 Dec 1927 PR-3 1928, captured by Japan 1941 as Tatara, to Taiwan 1946 as Tai Yuan, captured by PRC 1949
PG-44 Tutuila US Navy Kiangnan Dock Shanghai, China 395 159 2 Mar 1928 PR-4 1928, to Taiwan 1948, scuttled 1949
PG-45 Panay US Navy Kiangnan Dock Shanghai, China 474 191 10 Sep 1928 PR-5 1928, sunk by Japanese aircraft 1937
PG-46 Oahu US Navy Kiangnan Dock Shanghai, China 450 191 20 Oct 1928 PR-6 1928, sunk off Corregidor 1942
PG-47 Luzon US Navy Kiangnan Dock Shanghai, China 500 211 1 Jun 1928 PR-7 1928, to Japan 1942 as Karatsu, sunk 1944
PG-48 Mindanao US Navy Kiangnan Dock Shanghai, China 560 211 10 Jul 1928 PR-8 1928, scuttled in Manila Bay 1942
PG-49 Niagara/Fulton US Navy Fore River SB Quincy MA 1,308 226 7 Dec 1914 built as AS-1, PG-49 1930, scrapped 1935
PG-50 Erie US Navy New York NSY Brooklyn NY 2,000 328 1 Jul 1936 sunk by u-boat off Curacao 1942
PG-51 Charleston US Navy Charleston NSY Charleston SC 2,000 328 8 Jul 1936 to Mass. MA 1948, sold 1957
PG-52 Hi-Esmaro Bath Iron Works Bath ME 1,922 267 20 Aug 1929 Niagara (PG-52) 1941, AGP-1 1943, torpedoed and lost 1943
PG-53 Orion Krupp Germania Werft Kiel, Germany 3,774 333 1929 Vixen (PG-53) 1941, sold 1947 as Regina Maris (Egypt)
PG-54 Viking George L. Baker Newport News SB Newport News VA 1,720 272 1929 St. Augustine (PG-54) 1941, in collision and sank 1944
PG-55 Savarona/Alder Pusey & Jones Wilmington DE 2,250 294 1928 Jamestown (PG-55) 1941, AGP-3 1943, sold 1946
PG-56 Aras II Bath Iron Works Bath ME 1,820 224 1930 Williamsburg (PG-56) 1941, AGC-369 1945, to NSF 1962 as Anton Brunn, sold 1968 as Williamsburg, scrapped 1993
PG-57 Alva William K. Vanderbilt II Krupp Germania Werft Kiel, Germany 1,500 264 1931 Plymouth (PG-57) 1942, torpedoed and lost off Cape Henry 1943
PG-58 Caroline Eldridge H. Johnson Bath Iron Works Bath ME 2,350 279 1931 Hilo (PG-58) 1941, AGP-2 1943, sold 1946, scrapped 1958
PG-59 Vanda Ernest B. Dane Bath Iron Works Bath ME 1,768 240 1929 San Bernardino (PG-59) 1942, sold 1947
PG-60 Reveler/Chalena Russell Alger Krupp Germania Werft Kiel, Germany 1,434 226 1930 Beaumont (PG-60) 1942, sold 1949 as Elpetel, Jezebel 1983, Talitha G 1993, Talitha
PG-61 Delphine Great Lakes EW Ecorse MI 1,950 258 1921 Dauntless (PG-61) 1942, returned to owner 1947, as Delphine
PG-72 Nourmahal Krupp Germania Werft Kiel, Germany 2,250 264 1928 to USCG 1940 as WPG-72, PG-72 1943, scrapped 1964
PG-85 Corsair III J. P. Morgan Fletcher, W. & A. Hoboken NJ 1,136 304 1899 SP-159 1917, returned 1919, to C&GS-1930 as Oceanographer (OSS-26), Natchez (PG-85) 1942, Oceanographer (AGS-3) 1942, scrapped 1944

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