USS Niagara (PG-58)

The seventh USS "Niagara" (CMc-2/PG-58/AGP-1) was an auxiliary ship of the United States Navy during World War II.

"Niagara" was built as the civilian yacht "Hi-Esmare" in 1929 by the Bath Iron Works. She was acquired by the Navy and commissioned on 20 January 1941.

"Niagara" was converted to a parol boat tender in 1943 and redesignated AGP-1 on 13 January 1943.

"Niagara" arrived at Noumea, New Caledonia 17 January and began tending Motor Torpedo Boat Division 23, Squadron 8. She sailed with the division on the 27th and reached her base at Tulagi, Solomon Islands 17 February. In ensuing months, she tended the motor torpedo boats running security patrols off Guadalcanal.

On 7 April the Japanese raided the Guadalcanal-Tulagi area with 177 planes, of which about 25 were shot down. Two bombs sank New Zealand corvette "Moa". "Niagara", in the thick of the fight, was north of the harbor, moored to the west bank of the Maliali River, heading downstream with minesweeper "Rail" (AM–26) tied up outboard well aft. Nine enemy planes came up the river, none of them over 150 feet above the water. "Niagara" and "Rail" took them all under fire.

The first plane, already aflame, crashed into trees about 1,000 yards astern of "Niagara". The next two planes escaped, but the fourth rapidly lost altitude in a stream of white smoke to explode behind the hills to the north. The following two raiders passed within 150 yards and attempted to strafe the ship, but their firing was erratic and they wobbled uncertainly as they passed through "Niagara's" heavy fire before crashing into the woods off her port quarter The next two planes sheared up and to the right when taken under fire. One trailed light brown smoke as it disappeared close over the hilltops abaft "Niagara's" port beam. The other passed to starboard and crashed in the hills on her starboard quarter.

On 22 May "Niagara", with Motor Torpedo Boat Division 23, departed Tulagi headed towards New Guinea. The following morning a high-flying Japanese twin-engined monoplane attacked with four bombs. The ship made a tight starboard turn at maximum speed until the bombs were released, then swung ship hard to port. Three near-misses to starboard and one to port damaged "Niagara's" sound gear and the training mechanism of one 3 inch gun and knocked out steering control temporarily. Half an hour later, when steering control had been regained, six more highflying twin-engine planes dropped a pattern of over a dozen bombs. One hit directly on Niagara’s forecastle and several were damaging near-misses.

Water rushing through a 14 inch hole 6 feet below her waterline flooded two storerooms, a passageway, and her engine room. All power and lighting failed, and her main engines stopped. Fire below decks forward was out of control, and "Niagara" listed rapidly to port. Her main engine and steering control were restored 7 minutes after the attack. But her increasing list and imminent danger of explosion of her gasoline storage tanks necessitated the order to “abandon ship.”

"PT–146" and "PT–147" came alongside her stern to take off some of "Niagara's" crew. Others went over her side into rafts and boats to be picked up by other motor torpedo boats. "Niagara" was then ablaze from bow to bridge. Flames were spreading aft, and ammunition was exploding on deck. Yet, despite her damage, not one of "Niagara's" 136 officers and men was killed or seriously wounded.

"PT–147" fired a torpedo which struck "Niagara" in the gasoline tanks. She exploded with a sheet of flame 300 feet high, and went down in less than a minute. The motor torpedo boats landed her crew at Tulagi early the next morning.

"Niagara" received one battle star for World War II service.

See USS "Niagara" for other ships of this name.

References

External links

* [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/n5/niagara-vii.htm history.navy.mil: USS "Niagara"]
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/12/09052.htm navsource.org: USS "Niagara"]
* [http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/patrol/pg52.htm hazegray.org: USS "Niagara"]