Name USCGC Mallow (WLB-396) Laid down 10 October 1943 Decommissioned 15 May 1997 Construction started 10 October 1943 Length 55 m | Namesake Mallow plant Commissioned 6 June 1944 Fate Sold for scrap Launched 9 December 1943 Builder Zenith Dredge Corporation | |
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The USCGC Mallow (WLB-396) was a Iris-class buoy tender belonging to the United States Coast Guard launched on 9 December 1943 and commissioned on 6 June 1944.
Contents
Design
The Iris-class buoy tenders were constructed after the Mesquite-class buoy tenders. Mallow cost $926,926 to construct and had an overall length of 180 feet (55 m). It had a beam of 37 feet (11 m) and a draft of up to 12 feet (3.7 m) at the time of construction, although this was increased to 14 feet 7 inches (4.45 m) in 1966. It initially had a displacement of 935 long tons (950 t; 1,047 short tons); this was increased to 1,026 long tons (1,042 t; 1,149 short tons) in 1966. It was powered by one electric motor. This was connected up to two Westinghouse generators which were driven by two CooperBessemer GND-8 four-cycle diesel engines. It had a single screw.
The Iris-class buoy tenders had maximum sustained speeds of 13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph), although this diminished to around 11.9 knots (22.0 km/h; 13.7 mph) in 1966. For economic and effective operation, it had to initially operate at 8.3 knots (15.4 km/h; 9.6 mph), although this increased to 8.5 knots (15.7 km/h; 9.8 mph) in 1966. The ship had a complement of six officers and seventy-four crew members in 1945; this decreased to two warrants, four officers, and forty-seven men in 1966. It was fitted with a SL1 radar system and QBE-3A sonar system in 1945. Its armament consisted of one 3″/50 caliber gun, two 20mm/80 guns, two Mousetraps, two depth charge tracks, and four Y-guns in 1945; these were removed in 1966.
Career
Upon being commissioned in June 1944, the Mallow was assigned to the 12th Coast Guard District and homeported in San Francisco where she was used for ATON in the Pacific until the end of World War II. After the war, starting in September 1946, she was stationed in Astoria, Oregon. In February 1958 the Mallow assisted Yuma with towing the Tinian 6 miles south of Swiftsure Bank. In February 1989 she assisted with recovering debris from the United Airlines Flight 811 crash off Hawaii.