From: Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, Vol. IV p 343


Metropolis

A town in Illinois.


(PC--589: dp. 315 ; 1. 174' ; b. 23' ; dr. 8'; s. 20 k, ; cpl. 59;a. 1 3", 1 40mm,; cl. PC--461.)

PC--589 was laid down 9 March 1942 by the Leatham D. Smith Shipbuilding Co., Sturgeon Bay, Wis. ; launched 7 June 1942 ; sponsored by Mrs. Charles H. Cowan ; and commissioned 23 July 1942, Lt. John C. Spencer in command.

Following shakedown and intensive antisubmarine warfare training in the Florida Keys area, P0--589 sailed 28 August for Trinidad, British West Indies. Until the latter part of November she shielded tankers and other vessels as they plied the sealanes of the Caribbean carrying vital oil to the wartime industrial economy of the United States. On 21 November she arrived at Miami, whence she proceeded to Charleston, S.C., for a complete overhaul preparatory to her transfer to the Pacific, On 7 February 1943, PC--589 got underway for California. Transiting the Panama Canal 1 March, she steamed on to San Diego where she remained during March, April, and May undergoing an extensive engine overhaul.

Her engines in good order by June, she departed for Pearl Harbor, arriving on the 21st. There, she was again assigned to patrol and escort duty, which continued until mid-December. She then sailed for the Gilberts, arriving at recently won Tarawa for Christmas. For the next 8 months, she conducted antisubmarine patrols and escorted vessels in and amongst the New Hebrides, the Solomons. and the Bismarck Archipelago.

On 4 September 1944, the PC got underway from Guadalcanal in company with a convoy of LSTs. At dawn, 15 September, she was off Pelelin for the invasion of the Palaus. Closing the beach to 2,000 yards with the first wave, she served as inshore control and headquarters for White Beach No. 1 until the end of the second phase of the assault and then took up station in the antisubmarine screen. She operated continuously in the southern Palaus until 25 October and then sailed to the Marshalls, Marlanas, and the Carolines, among which she escorted vessels until March, 1945.

On 17 March, PC--589 stood into Pearl Harbor, continuing on, 2 days later, to Oakland, Calif. Converted to a patrol craft (control), she departed San Francisco Bay 6 June as PCC-589. Sailing west, via Pearl Harbor, Kwajalein, and Guam, she was anchored in Subic Bay, Philippines, when the Japanese surrender was announced, 15 August. On 3 September. she departed the Philippines for occupation duty at Jinsen (Inchon), Korea; and Shanghai. China. Upon completion of that Far East tour, she returned to the west coast and, early in 1946, commenced inactivation. In March, she decommissioned and was berthed in the Columbia River as a unit of the Pacific Reserve Fleet. While in reserve, she was redesignated PC-589, 27 October 1955, and named Metropolis (PC--589), 1 February 1956. Struck from the Naval Register 1 April 1959. she was sold to A. B. Church 1 December of the same year and was towed away for scrapping on 30 December 1959.

PC--589 received one battle star for her services in World War II.