Ship uss Debeque

• USS DeBeque (PF-106) was a Tacoma-class patrol frigate, named after the town of De Beque, Colorado. • The ship was launched on January 30, 1944, by the American Shipbuilding Company in Lorain, Ohio. • USS DeBeque was initially intended for transfer to the British Royal Navy under Lend-Lease, but was instead retained by the U.S. Navy. • Commissioned on February 26, 1945, she entered service just months before the end of World War II. • The primary mission of USS DeBeque was as a convoy escort, providing anti-submarine and anti-aircraft protection for merchant vessels. • After a shakedown in the Caribbean, she operated out of Boston, escorting convoys to Newfoundland and Iceland. • USS DeBeque was part of the North Atlantic convoy defense against German U-boats, contributing to the Battle of the Atlantic's closing operations. • She was decommissioned on March 9, 1946, after less than a year in active service, reflecting the rapid drawdown of naval forces after WWII. • Following her decommissioning, the ship was sold for scrapping in 1947, meaning no known artifacts remain today. • Although her service was brief, USS DeBeque represents the large-scale U.S. shipbuilding efforts and the crucial, often unsung, role of escort vessels in keeping Allied supply lines open during the war.