NAVYPEDIA

Photo

PC68

Ships

Name	No	Yard No	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Comp	Fate
PC42 (Culloden, Mallory)		344	Caird, Greenock	1916	7.6.1917	1917	sold 12.1921
PC43 (Charing, Trego)		345	Caird, Greenock	1916	14.8.1917	1917	sold 1.1923
PC44 (Mortmain, Rolask)		328	Eltringham, Willington Quay	1916	25.4.1917	1917	sold 4.1923
PC51 (Cockelyte, Mopsworth)		211	Tyne Iron Wks, Willington Quay	1916	25.11.1916	1917	sold 1.1923
PC55 (Juggernaut, Methyl), 5.1922- Baluchi (2/1922- RIM)		545	Barclay Curle, Glasgow	1916	5.5.1917	1917	sold 1935
PC56 (Birdwood, Panache)		546	Barclay Curle, Glasgow	1916	2.6.1917	1917	sold 7.1923
PC60 (Burlington, Meredith)			Workman Clark, Belfast	1916	4.6.1917	1917	sold 2.1924
PC61 (Chesney, Downton)			Workman Clark, Belfast	1916	19.6.1917	1917	sold 4.1923
PC62 (Kingsnake, Mornington)		501	Harland & Wolff, Govan	1916	7.6.1917	8.1917	sold 12.1921
PC63 (Orrisroot)		384	Connell, Scotstoun	1916	2.10.1917	12.1917	sold 5.1923
PC65 (Milfoil)		331	Eltringham, Willington Quay	1917	5.9.1917	1917	sold 1.1923
PC66		222	Harkness, Middlesbrough	1917	12.2.1918	1918	sold 7.1923
PC67 (Chintz, Flashlight)		1496	White, Cowes	1917	7.5.1917	6/1917	sold 12.1921
PC68 (Nakerby, Telford)		1497	White, Cowes	1917	29.6.1917	6/1917	sold 12.1921
PC69, 5.1922- Pathan (8/1921- RIM)			Workman Clark, Belfast	1917	11.3.1918	1918	internal explosion 23.6.1940
PC70			Workman Clark, Belfast	1917	12.4.1918	1918	sold 9.1926
PC71		1508	White, Cowes	1917	18.3.1918	5/1918	sold 10.1925
PC72		1509	White, Cowes	1917	8.6.1918	9/1918	sold 10.1925
PC73, 4.1925- Dart		1510	White, Cowes	1917	1.8.1918	10.1918	fishery protection vessel 4.1925, sold 2.1939
PC74		1511	White, Cowes	1917	4.10.1918	12.1918	decoy vessel Chatsgrove 9-10/1939, sold 7.1948

Technical data

Displacement normal, t	PC42 - 63: 682 PC65 - 74: 694
Displacement full, t	780
Length, m	75.3
Breadth, m	PC42 - 63: 7.78 PC65 - 74: 8.20
Draught, m	2.44
No of shafts	2
Machinery	2 Parsons or Brown-Curtis steam turbines, 2 Yarrow boilers
Power, h. p.	3500
Max speed, kts	20
Fuel, t	oil 164
Endurance, nm(kts)
Armament	1 x 1 - 102/40 QF Mk IV, 2 x 1 - 76/40 12pdr 12cwt QF Mk I/II, 2 x 1 - 356 TT, 2 DCR (30)
Complement	50 - 55

Standard scale images

Graphics

Project history

The belief that Q-ships or decoys were the best counter to the U-boat threat led to an Admiralty order in December 1916 to complete 10 P-boats with a mercantile appearance, like the 'Flower-Q's. Although known for a while as PQ-boats the term PC-boat was finally chosen, and a further 10 were ordered, PC65-70 in January 1917 and PC71-74 in June. They were fully integrated in to the Q-ship system and used false names (as shown in the table). There were severe topweight problems in fitting false upperworks and derricks etc to such a small hull, and many had wooden girdling added to improve stability.

Modernizations

1920s, some: + type 112 sonar

1930s, PC74: - 1 x 1 - 76/40, 2 x 1 - 356 TT

1930s, Baluchi, Pathan: - 1 x 1 - 76/40, 2 x 1 - 356 TT, 2 DCR

1940s, PC74: - 1 x 1 - 102/40; + 1 x 1 - 76/40 12pdr 12cwt QF Mk I/II/V, 1 x 1 - 40/39 2pdr QF Mk VIII, 1 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV

1/1946, PC74: 2 x 1 - 76/40 HA/LA Mk IX, 1 x 1 - 40/39 Mk VIII, 1 x 1 - 20/70 Mk III, 2 DCR

Naval service

PC55 was transferred to Royal Indian Marine and commissioned in March 1922 (renamed Baluchi May 1922). PC69 transferred to Royal Indian Marine in August 1921 and renamed Pathan in May 1922; sunk off Bombay by internal explosion 23.6.1940, by another version, she was sunk by Italian submarine Galvani on the approach to Persian gulf. PC74 served in the Second World War as decoy Chatsgrove September-October 1939 then reverted to escort duties.

Many thanks to Wolfgang Stöhr for additional information on this page.