USS Direct (AM-90)

USS PC-1594 Off the Norfolk Navy Yard, Virginia, on 4 June 1944. She was formerly USS Direct (AM-90).
History
United States
Name	USS Direct
Builder	Dravo Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Laid down	26 December 1941
Launched	25 April 1942
Sponsored by	Miss Dana E. Erwin
Commissioned	31 August 1942
Renamed	USS PC-1594, 1 June 1944
Decommissioned	9 November 1945
Honors and awards	1 battle star (World War II)
Fate	Transferred to the Maritime Commission, 29 July 1946
Notes	Pennant = AM-90
General characteristics
Class and type	Adroit-class minesweeper
Displacement	295 long tons (300 t)
Length	173 ft 8 in (52.93 m)
Beam	23 ft (7.0 m)
Draft	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Propulsion	2 × 1,770 bhp (1,320 kW) Cooper Bessemer GNB-8 diesel engines
Speed	16 knots (30 km/h)
Complement	65
Armament	1 × 3"/50 caliber gun 1 × 40 mm gun

USS Direct (AM-90) was an Adroit-class minesweeper of the United States Navy. It was laid down on 26 December 1941 by the Dravo Corporation, Neville Island, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, launched on 25 April 1942, and commissioned on 31 August 1942. The ship started conversion to a submarine chaser on 16 May 1944 at Norfolk, Virginia, and was reclassified PC-1594 on 1 June 1944.

World War II Atlantic Ocean Operations[]

The Direct arrived at Bermuda on 30 December 1942 for anti-submarine patrol and escort duty until arriving at New York on 24 April 1944. On 15 May she began conversion to a submarine chaser patrol vessel at Norfolk, Virginia, and on 1 June 1944 her name was canceled and she was reclassified PC-1594.

Submarine chaser PC-1594[]

The PC-1594 sailed from Norfolk, Virginia on 13 June 1944 for training off Bermuda. On 6 July she rendezvoused with a convoy bound for Bizerte, Tunisia, arriving on the 23rd. A week later she departed for Naples, arriving 2 August for anti-submarine patrol and escort duty. She took part in the invasion of southern France on 15 August and continued to serve on convoy and patrol duty in the Mediterranean from Palermo, Bizerte, and Oran until 27 May 1945 when she sailed for the United States.

Awards[]

PC-1594 received one battle star for the invasion of southern France.

Post-war decommissioning[]

She arrived at Jacksonville, Florida on 15 June. She was decommissioned on 9 November 1945, and transferred to the Maritime Administration for disposal on 29 July 1946.

It was than registered in 1946 by the Mechanical Equipment Co. and in 1947 by Harry F. Allsman Co. as the Allmac. All assets of that company were taken over by J. Ray McDermott in 1948. In 1950 the vessel was scrapped.

References[]

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.

• (2013): World War II U.S. Navy Vessels in Private Hands. The Boats and Ships Sold and Registered for Commercial and Recreational Purposes Under the American Flag, McFarland

External links[]

• Photo gallery of USS Direct at NavSource Naval History