Machias II PP-53

Machias

II

(PP-53: dp. 1,430; 1. 303'11"; b. 37'6"; dr. 13'8"; a. 20.3

k.; cpl. 190; a. 3 3", 4 40mm., 4 20mm.; T. S2-82-AQI;

cl. Tacoma)

The second Machias was originally authorized as PG161. Reclassified PF--53 on 15 April 1943, she was laid down 8 May 1943 under Maritime Commission contract by Froeming Bros., Milwaukee, Wis.; launched as Machias (PF--53) 22 August 1943; sponsored by Mrs. W. Richard Bernays; and commissioned 29 March 1944.

Ready for sea duty by 17 July 1944, Machias patrolled off the Middle Atlantic States and escorted a convoy to Aruba, Netherlands West Indies, -before joining Escort Division 33 at Norfolk 13 August With that division, she steamed to New York to become a unit of TG 70.7, then assembling to depart for the Pacific. The group sailed from New York 16 August and by the 28th it had transited the Panama Canal en route to Bora Bora. On 25 September, Machias left the convoy to escort HMS Arquebus and HMS Battleaxe to the New Hebrides and the Solomons to disembark troops. The frigate rejoined her escort division at Morotai 23 October and commenced antisubmarine patrols in the waters surrounding the Moluccas.

On 15 November, following a brief stay at Mios Woendi for boiler repairs, Machias steamed with her division for the Philippines. She arrived on the 18th and after further repairs took up ASW patrols off Mindanao, primarily in Surigao Strait. She continued this role in antisubmarine warfare until 4 December, when she returned to convoy escort duty. For the next 3 months she escorted ships and carried military personnel to and from New Guinea, the Philippines, the Marshalls and the Carolines.

Machias departed Eniwetok for Seattle, Wash., 19 March 1945 for an overhaul at Puget Sound Navy 'Yard. Upon completion of her overhaul in mid-June, the frigate proceeded to Cold Bay, Alaska, where she was transferred to the Russian Navy 13 July. Returned to the U.S. Navy in October 1949 at Yokosuka, Japan, the Machias remained idle until transferred to the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force in January 1953. Commissioned as Nara (PF2) , she served as such until reclassified PF-282 on 1 September 1957. Struck from the U.S. Naval Vessel Register 1 December 1961, she was transferred to Japan permanently on 28 August 1962. She continued her service in the Japanese Defense Forces until she was decommissioned 31 March 1966. On that date she was reclassified YTE-3 and became a nonoperational dockside trainer in which duty she serves into 1969.

Machias received two battle stars for World War II service.