From: Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, Vol. III p 164


Grosse Pointe

A city in southeastern Michigan.


(PC--1546 ; dp. 280 ; 1. 173'8" ; b. 23' ; dr. 10'10" ; s. 22 k. ; cpl. 65; a. 1 3", 1 40mm., 5 20mm., 2 rkt., 4 dcp., 2 dct. ; cl. PC--553)

PC-1546 was laid down 28 November 1943 by Consolidated Shipbuilding Corp., Morris Heights, N.Y. ; launched 30 January 1944 ; sponsored by Mrs. J. G. Feeney ; and commissioned at the New York Navy Yard 5 June 1944, Lt. James 0. Watts in command.

After shakedown and ASW training off the East Coast, PC--1546 departed New York 10 August to escort a troop and supply convoy to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Assigned to the Eastern Sea Frontier, she screened eight convoys between New York and Cuba during the next 5 months. In January and February 1945 she patrolled the coastal sealanes, searching for German submarines. Resuming escort duties in March, she made five more runs along the East Coast and returned to New York 22 May.

PC--154 6 departed for the Pacific 12 June ; and, steaming via the West Coast, Hawaii, and the Marshalls, she reached Ulithi, Carolines, 5 August. During the next 2 months she patrolled on air-sea rescue duty between Ulithi and Guam. After shifting her base to Guam 21 October, she resumed air-sea rescue patrols in the Marianas. She operated in the Western Pacific during the next 32 months ; and patrols and passenger runs sent her to Okinawa, Korea, Japan, the Bonins, and the Carolines. Departing Guam 14 July 1948, she steamed to Midway ; and, after serving as air-sea rescue ship between 25 July and 10 September, she sailed for overhaul at Pearl Harbor.

PC--1546 resumed air-sea rescue patrols 9 January 1949 out of Tutuila, American Samoa. After returning to Pearl Harbor I 2 April, she was assigned to the Patrol Group, Hawaiian Sea Frontier. For almost 5 years she continued air-sea rescue patrols in the Central Pacific, operating primarily out of Midway, Johnston Island, and Kwajalein. Between 29 January and 5 May 1954 she served at Bikini, Marshalls, during the testing of the hydrogen bomb. She departed Kwajalein 8 December, reached Pearl Harbor 14 December, then sailed for the West Coast 19 February 1955. Arriving San Francisco 26 February, she underwent overhaul before sailing for Astoria, Oreg., 11 June. After arriving 14 June, she decommissioned 12 August and entered the Pacific Reserve Fleet. While berthed with the Columbia River Group, she was named Grosse Pointe 15 February 1956. Under terms of the Military Assistance Program she was loaned to the Republic of Korea 21 November 1960, and she serves the Korean Navy as Kun Chong San (PC--708).