Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships

Office of the Chief of Naval Operations
Naval History Division • Washington

USS PC-590

(PC-590: dp. 284 ; l. 173'8"" ; b. 23'; dr. 10'108"; s. 21k.; cpl. 65; a. 1 3"/50, 1 40mm, 5 20mm, 2 depth charge throwers (mousetraps), 2 K-guns, 2 depth charge racks; cl. PC-461)


The keel for PC-590 was laid down on April 14, 1942 at Leatham D. Smith Shipbuilding, Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. The ship was launched on the 4th of July, completed September 20, and commissioned on 5 October 1942, __________ in command.

After the end of World War II, PC-590 made mail runs between Okinawa, Formosa, and the garrison on Mijako Island. On the last return to Okinawa, entering Buckner Bay on 9 October 1945, PC-590 encountered typhoon Louise. High seas swamped the craft and drove it onto a reef. Mona Island (ARG-91) hove to nearby and rescued survivors via breeches buoy moments befor the keel snapped and the ship broke in half.


Transcribed and formatted for HTML by Patrick Clancey, HyperWar Foundation