The Story of PC-566

PC-566 was 178 feet (54.3m) long, with a top speed of 20 knots. She mounted a three-inch (76.2mm) gun forward, a 40mm gun aft, and two 20mm guns near the bridge. She was also fitted with gear to throw depth charges off to either side of the ship, as well as to roll them off the stern. Image from Ted Stone Collection, The Mariners' Museum, Newport News, Virginia.

PC-566 was laid down at Houston, Texas by the Brown Shipbuilding Company on August 14, 1941. She was launched on March 31, 1942, and placed in commission on June 15 by Lieutenant Commander H. G. Claudius.

After a brief shakedown period, PC-566 was assigned to patrol and escort operations in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean. Only a few weeks later, she had her brief and dramatic encounter with U-166. Although Lt. Cmdr. Claudius and many of the ship's crew were convinced they 'd sunk a U-Boat, their claim was eventually rejected in favor of Boggs and White's claim.

Throughout the remainder of the war, PC-566 remained in the Florida-Caribbean area on patrol and escort duty and also as a training ship out of Miami. In March 1945, she was attached to the Fleet Experimental Sonar School, Key West, then resumed duties the following month at the Naval Training Center in Miami.

After World War II, PC-566 continued training exercises along the East Coast, and in the Caribbean until late 1946. PC-566 decommissioned 8 January 1947, and joined the Atlantic Reserve Fleet. While berthed at Norfolk in 1956, she was named Honesdale. She was struck from the Navy List on July 1, 1960 and sold to Venezuela in June 1961. Renamed Calamar, she served in the Venezuelan Navy until 1978.