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The ''SC-497''-class submarine chasers were a class of 438
submarine chasers built primarily for the
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
from 1941–1944.
The ''SC-497''s were based on the experimental submarine chaser, USS ''SC-453''. Submarine chasers of this variety were collectively nicknamed "
the splinter fleet" due to their wooden hulls.
History
The ''SC-497''s were off-shore patrol and anti-submarine warfare vessels. Seventy of the ''SC-497''s were converted into patrol control crafts (SCC), 18 were converted into coastal minesweepers (AMC), and 8 were converted into patrol gunboats, motor (PGM).
Sixteen ''SC-497''s were lost and another one was lost after her conversion into a .
Despite the large number of ''SC-497''s, none are credited with destroying an enemy ship. (USS ''SC-669'' is sometimes incorrectly credited with sinking the Japanese submarine ''RO-107'' on 29 May 1943,
but ''RO-107'' was still active on 6 July 1943.
)
During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, 142 ''SC-497''-class submarine chasers were lent to allies of the United States as part of the
Lend-Lease program. Seventy-eight were sent to the Soviet Union, 50 to France, 8 to Brazil, 3 to Norway, and 3 to Mexico.
The three Norwegian examples served with distinction on the
Shetland bus
The Shetland Bus (Norwegian Bokmål: ''Shetlandsbussene'', def. pl.) was the nickname of a clandestine special operations group that made a permanent link between Mainland Shetland in Scotland and German-occupied Norway from 1941 until the su ...
service, running agents, refugees and weapons past the German blockade between occupied Norway and Britain.
Survivors
(ex-USS ''SC-718'') is preserved at the Royal Norwegian Navy Museum. Some remains of (ex-USS ''SC-683'') and (ex-USS ''SC-1061'') can be seen near the coast of Sweden.
USS SC 772 is a liveaboard vessel in Scappoose Oregon in the Multnomah Slough near Sauvie Island.
See also
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List of patrol vessels of the United States Navy
This is a list of patrol vessels of the United States Navy.
Patrol craft coastal (PC)
The original PC hull number sequence ended in 1964, and was then restarted with '1' for this class.
''Cyclone''-class
By hull number
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References
{{SC-497 class submarine chaser