USS Erie (PG-50)

USS Erie (PG-50) was the lead ship in a class of two United States Navy patrol gunboats. Launched and commissioned in 1936, she operated in the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea until torpedoed and fatally damaged by a German submarine in 1942.

Prewar
Erie spent November and December 1936 on her shakedown cruise protecting American interests and citizens during the Spanish Civil War. For most of 1937 she trained midshipmen, operating out of United States Naval Academy in Annapolis. On 3 February 1938 she became flagship of the Special Service Squadron which operated along the coasts of Central and South America. Her duties included training, neutrality patrol, and guard ship for the Panama Canal.

On 21 January 1939, Erie participated in search-and-rescue efforts related to the ditching and sinking of the Imperial Airways Short Empire flying boat Cavalier in the Atlantic Ocean. She transferred a doctor to the commercial tanker Esso Baytown, which rescued the airliner's 10 survivors, but because of the high seas and darkness had to discontinue the search for the other three people who had been aboard Cavalier.

World War II
At the outbreak of World War II Erie was stationed Balboa, Panama, at the Pacific end of the Panama Canal. On 13 December 1941, Erie picked up 50 Japanese internees at Puntarenas from the Costa Rican government. On 14 December, Erie boarded MV Sea Ray and removed a Japanese on board, and ordered Sea Ray into Balboa the next day. On 16 December, she boarded MV Santa Margarita and ordered her to Puntarenas, and later the same day, towed a disabled motor boat, Orion, into the same port.

In June 1942, 'Erie was transferred to Cristobal, at the Atlantic end of the Canal, and joined the Battle of the Caribbean against German U-boats operating between Panama and Cuba.

On 12 November while leading convoy TAG-20 between Trinidad and Guantanamo Bay, Erie was struck by one of three torpedoes fired by GS U-163 (1941). She was badly damaged, and had 7 crew killed and 11 wounded. She was beached to prevent her sinking, and burned for days.

Fate
A few weeka later, Erie was raised and towed to the inner harbor of Willemstad. On 5 December, during further preparations for salvage, Erie capsized. The wreck was left in place until 1952, when it was partially raised, towed out to sea, and sunk in deep water.