USS Erie (PG-50) was the lead ship of the Erie-class gunboats of the United States Navy. Erie was the second US Navy ship to bear the name. The first, Erie, was named after Lake Erie, while this Erie followed the US Navy naming practices of gunboats, like cruisers, being named after US cities, with this Erie being named after Erie, Pennsylvania.

The Erie-class gunboats were a class of gunboats built by the United States prior to World War II. The class was designed in 1932, and commissioned into the United States Navy in 1936: Erie (PG-50) and Charleston (PG-51).

USS Erie may refer to the following ships of the United States Navy: USS Erie (1813), a sloop-of-war, launched in 1813 and served until 1850; USS Erie was the initial name of a collier launched in 1908 and converted to the repair ship USS Vestal (AR-4) in 1913; USS Erie (PG-50), a gunboat launched in 1936 and sunk in 1942

Welcome aboard the U.S.S. ERIE website. This website seeks to record and preserve the history of this unique ERIE-Class gunboat. Construction of the ERIE began in 1934, and the ship was commissioned on July 1, 1936.

The State Department confirmed today, (Dec. 18), reports that the U.S.S. Erie (shown above), had been fired on by an unidentified Spanish warship near the port of Gijon, Spain Acme Newspictures, Inc. photo: Original photo: Joe Radigan

During her shakedown cruise, for which she sailed from New York 31 October 1936, USS Erie (PG-50) had temporary duty with Squadron 40-T, a group organized to protect Americans and their...

Feb 25, 2025 · USS Erie PG-50 Marker. Inscription. Torpedoed on 12 November 1942 by the German submarine U-163 and beached on this very site at Piscadera Curacao to save the ship and to prevent further loss of life. In honor of all who served aboard the USS Erie, this World War II monument is dedicated to the 7 men who lost their lives on that fatal day.

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.

At 22.00 hours on 12 Nov 1942, U-163 reported a hit on a Somers-class destroyer, but this was USS Erie (PG 50) which caught fire, worsened by the rupture of tanks of oil and gasoline. The charges for her 6in guns exploded and the crew was ordered to abandon ship because the fires got out of control after she was beached northwest of Willemstad ...

In 1930, the U.S. Navy fleet included 12 ships (patrol vessels, gunboats and converted yachts) that could be used for scouting and patrol operations around the world. All were aged and in need of replacement, but these factors were not significant in …