USS Carson City, PF-50
The capital of Nevada.
Builder: Consolidated Steel Corp., Wilmington, CA
Length: 303' 11"
Beam: 37' 6"
Draft: 12' 8" fl
Displacement: 2,230 tons
Propulsion: 2-shaft VTE, 3 boilers
Range: 9,500 nm at 12 knots
Top speed: 20 knots
Complement: 190
Armament: 3 x 3"/50; 4 x 40mm (2x2); 9 x 20mm; 1 x Hedgehog, 8 x depth charge projectors; 2 x depth charge racks. For those frigates fitted out for weather patrol duty, the after 3-inch gun was removed and a weather balloon hanger was added aft.
History:
Carson City (PF-50) was launched 13 November 1943 by Consolidated Steel Corp., Wilmington, CA, under a Maritime Commission contract. She was sponsored by Mrs. C. B. Austin. Carson City was commissioned 24 March 1944 under the command of CDR H. B. Roberts, USCG, in command.
Carson City sailed from Los Angeles 19 July 1944 for Espiritu Santo and Milne Bay, where on 13 August she reported for patrol and escort duty in the New Guinea area with the 7th Fleet. She took part in the unopposed landings on Morotai 16 September, an essential preliminary to the Philippines operation, then took part in guarding ships, men, and supplies being assembled in the intricate plans for the Leyte landings. She herself sailed for Leyte Gulf from Humboldt Bay on 16 October, supporting the first wave of reinforcements for the Northern Attack Force. On 22 October she accompanied her charges into the landing area, and next day escorted the empty ships back to Humboldt Bay.
Carson City resumed convoy escort duty in New Guinea, shuttling to Wakde, Biak, Noemifoor Sansapor, Morotai, and Mios Woendi until 26 November 1944, when she cleared for overhaul at Pearl Harbor thence for duty with the Alaskan Sea Frontier at Dutch Harbor where she reported 12 January 1945. On 29 August she was transferred at Cold Bay to the Soviet Navy under lend-lease. The Soviet Navy commissioned her as EK-20.
The Soviets returned her to the United States at Yokosuka, Japan, 31 October 1949. Carson City was decommissioned and placed in reserve the same day. On 30 April 1953 she was loaned to Japan, and served as Sakura.
Carson City received two battle stars for World War II service.
Sources:
The Coast Guard At War, Transports and Escorts, Vol. V, No. 1.
Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships, 1922-1946. London: Conway Maritime Press, 1992, pp. 148-149.
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, Vol. II, p. 42.
Richard A. Russell. Project Hula: Secret Soviet-American Cooperation in the War Against Japan. [The U.S. Navy in the Modern World Series, No. 4.] Washington, DC: Naval Historical Center/U.S. Government Printing Office, 1997, pp. 39-40.