USCGC Klamath

USCGC Klamath (WHEC-66) was an Owasco-class high endurance cutter built for World War II service with the United States Coast Guard. The war ended before the ship was completed and consequently Klamath did not see wartime service until the Vietnam War.

USCGC Klamath (WHEC-66), 28 February 1966
History
United States
Namesake	Klamath Lake, Oregon
Builder	Western Pipe & Steel
Yard number	WPS 153
Laid down	December 1944
Launched	2 September 1945
Christened	Klamath
Commissioned	5 September 1946
Decommissioned	1 May 1973
Reclassified	WPG-66 to WHEC-66
Fate	Sold for scrap, 18 November 1974
Notes	WPS Hull No. 153.
General characteristics
Type	Owasco-class cutter
Displacement	1,978 full (1966) 1,342 light (1966)
Length	254 ft (77.4 m) oa. 245 ft (74.7 m) pp.
Beam	43 ft 1 in (13.1 m)
Draft	17 ft 3 in (5.3 m) (1966)
Installed power	4,000 shp (3,000 kW) (1945)
Propulsion	1 × Westinghouse electric motor driven by a turbine, (1945)
Speed	17 knots (31 km/h; 20 mph).
Range	6,157 mi (9,909 km) at 17 knots 10,376 mi (16,699 km) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) (1966)
Complement	10 officers, 3 warrants, 130 enlisted (1966)
Sensors and processing systems	Detection Radar: SPS-23, SPS-29, Mk 26, Mk 27 (1966) Sonar: SQS-1 (1966)
Armament	1945: 2 × twin 5 in/38 cal. dual-purpose gun mounts 2 × quad 40 mm AA gun mounts 2 × depth charge tracks 6 × "K" gun depth charge projectors 1 × Hedgehog projector. 1966: 1 × 5 in/38 cal. dual-purpose gun mount 1 × Hedgehog projector
Notes	Fuel capacity: 141,755 gal (Oil, 95%).

Klamath was built by Western Pipe & Steel at the company's San Pedro shipyard. Named after Klamath Lake, Oregon, she was commissioned as a patrol gunboat with ID number WPG-66 on 19 June 1946. Her ID was later changed to WHEC-66 (HEC for "High Endurance Cutter" - the "W" signifies a Coast Guard vessel).

Peacetime service

USCG Klamath Logbook Cover: July 1–31, 1969

Klamath was homeported at Seattle, Washington, from 19 June 1946 to 1 May 1973. She was used for law enforcement, ocean station, and search and rescue operations in the Pacific. Additionally, she also conducted Bering Sea Patrol annually.

From 20 to 24 March 1966, she inspected the Soviet MV Olyturka, which had sought haven in U.S. waters following a casualty. On 25 March 1966, the Japanese FV's Bansho Maru No. 38 and Tenyo Maru No. 3 were discovered in U.S. waters and escorted out.

 January 1972, Klamath was dispatched from Alaskan patrol to render assistance to the Japanese
 freighter Tenzan Maru, which was taking on water 800 miles west of Seattle. Klamath crew
 boarded the Tenzan Maru and installed temporary repairs, then escorted the freighter to
 San Francisco.

Vietnam War

Klamath was assigned to Coast Guard Squadron Three, South Vietnam, from 14 May 1969 to 31 January 1970.

Return to peacetime duties

In February 1972, a boarding party from Klamath helped save the badly damaged MV Tenzan Maru and she was subsequently escorted to safety.

Decommissioning

Klamath was decommissioned on 1 May 1973 and was sold for scrap on 18 November 1974.

References

• Klamath WHEC-66, United States' Coast Guard website.
• Scheina, Robert L.: U.S. Coast Guard Cutters & Craft of World War II Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 1981, pp. 1–3.
• Scheina, Robert L.: U.S. Coast Guard Cutters & Craft, 1946-1990 Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 1990, pp. 18–26.