View source for BRP Datu Marikudo

{{Short description|Corvette of the Philippine Navy}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2022}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=
|Ship caption=
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Ship country=United States
|Ship flag={{USN flag|1960}}
|Ship name= ''PCE(R)-853''
|Ship builder=[[Pullman Company|Pullman-Standard Car Manufacturing Co.]], Chicago, Illinois
|Ship laid down=16 November 1943
|Ship launched=18 March 1944
|Ship commissioned=15 June 1944
|Ship renamed=USS ''Amherst'' (PCE(R)-853), 15 February 1956
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=yes
|Ship decommissioned=6 February 1970
|Ship fate=transferred to [[Republic of Vietnam Navy]], 1970
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Ship country=South Vietnam
|Ship flag={{shipboxflag|South Vietnam|naval}}
|Ship name=RVNS ''Vạn Kiếp II'' (HQ-14)
|Ship acquired=1970
|Ship commissioned=
|Ship recommissioned=
|Ship struck=
|Ship fate=Escaped to the [[Philippines]] after fall of [[South Vietnam]], 1975
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Ship country=Philippines
|Ship flag={{shipboxflag|Philippines|naval}}
|Ship name=''Datu Marikudo''
|Ship namesake=[[Datu Marikudo]]
|Ship acquired=
|Ship commissioned=5 April 1976
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=yes
|Ship renamed=BRP ''Datu Marikudo'' (PS-23), July 1980
|Ship decommissioned= 9 December 2010 [http://navytoday.blogspot.com/2010/12/3-world-war-ii-barko-ng-navy.html]
|Ship struck=
|Ship fate=
|Ship status=
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Ship class={{sclass|PCE(R)-848|patrol craft|1}} (in U.S. Navy service)
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=yes
|Ship class={{sclass|Miguel Malvar|corvette|1}} (in Philippine Navy service)
|Ship displacement=914 tons (full load)
|Ship length={{convert|184.5|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship beam={{convert|33|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship draft={{convert|9.75|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship propulsion=*Main: 2 × GM 12-278A diesel engines
*Auxiliary: 2 × GM 6-71 diesel engines with 100&nbsp;kW gen and 1 × GM 3-268A diesel engine with 60&nbsp;kW gen
|Ship speed={{convert|16|kn}} (maximum),
|Ship range={{convert|6600|nmi|km mi|abbr=on}} at {{convert|11|kn}}
|Ship complement=85
|Ship sensors=*SPS-50 surface search radar
*RCA SPN-18 I/J-band navigation radar
*<ref>''Jane's Fighting Ships 2004–2005''</ref>
|Ship armament=*1 × [[3-inch/50-caliber gun]] (76 mm) Mk22 dual-purpose gun
*3 × single [[Bofors 40 mm L/60 gun|Bofors 40 mm gun]]
*4 × [[Oerlikon 20 mm cannon]] Mk10 guns
*4 × [[M2 Browning|.50 cal (12.7 mm)]] machine guns
}}
|}
'''BRP ''Datu Marikudo'' (PS-23)''' was a {{sclass|Malvar|corvette}} of the [[Philippine Navy]]. She was originally built as '''USS ''PCE(R)-853''''', a {{sclass|PCE(R)-848|patrol craft}} for the [[United States Navy]] during [[World War II]]. She was renamed '''USS ''Amherst'' (PCE(R)-853)''' on 15 February 1956, [[namesake]] of both [[Amherst, Massachusetts]] and [[Amherst, Ohio]].<ref>https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/a/amherst.html {{Bare URL inline|date=August 2024}}</ref> In February 1970, ''Amherst'' was decommissioned and transferred to [[South Vietnam]] for service in the [[Republic of Vietnam Navy]] as '''RVNS ''Vạn Kiếp II'' (HQ-14)'''. She remained in South Vietnamese service until the collapse of that country in 1975. ''Vạn Kiếp II'' was one of several ships that fled from South Vietnam to the Philippines. She was then commissioned into the Philippine Navy on 5 April 1976<ref name="Janes0405">Saunders, Stephen: ''Jane's Fighting Ships 107th Edition 2004–2005''. Jane's Information Group Ltd, 2004.</ref> and named in honor of [[Datu Marikudo]]. Along with other World War II-era ships of the Philippine Navy, ''Datu Marikudo'' was considered one of the oldest active fighting ships in the world until her decommissioning.<ref>''Manokski's Armed Forces of the Philippines Order of Battle''. [http://www.hueybravo.net/Philippine%20Navy%20Main.htm Philippine Navy] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080412102709/http://www.hueybravo.net/Philippine%20Navy%20Main.htm |date=12 April 2008 }}.</ref>

==History==
[[File:USS PCER-853.jpg|thumb|left|as USS ''PCER-853'']]
Commissioned in the US Navy as the USS ''PCER-853'' in 1944, she was assigned in the Pacific theatre of operations, first in support of landing operations in Leyte and Lingayen in the Philippine Islands. She was also assigned to convoy escort duties, rescue operations, and other combat support duties in Okinawa area.

PCER-853 entered the Navy yard in Hawaii and was still undergoing overhaul when Japan capitulated. In September 1945, the vessel steamed to the east coast of the United States and was placed in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet at Green Cove Springs, Fla.

[[File:USS Amherst.jpg|thumb|left|as USS ''Amherst'' (PCER-853)]]
In December 1947, PCER-853 served as a training vessel for Naval Reserve personnel in the 4th Naval District. The ship was placed back in active status on 28 November 1950 and carried out training duty at Philadelphia for the next 10 years. On 15 February 1956, the ship was renamed the ''Amherst'' (PCE(R)-853). On 6 February 1970, Amherst was placed in an "out of service, special" status for pre-transfer overhaul. Her name was struck from the Navy list on 3 June 1970.
<ref>''Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships''. [http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/patrol/pcer853.htm Amherst page].</ref>

She was then transferred to the [[Republic of Vietnam]] in 1970. She served the [[Republic of Vietnam Navy]] as ''Vạn Kiếp II'' (HQ-14) up until her escape to the [[Philippines]] in 1975, together with other South Vietnamese Navy ships and their respective crew.<ref name="navsource.org">NavSource Online: Patrol Craft Escort Photo Archive. [http://www.navsource.org/archives/12/02853.htm Amherst (PCE&#91;R&#93;-853) ex-PCE(R)-853].</ref>

She was commissioned into the [[Philippine Navy]] and was renamed RPS ''Datu Marikudo'' (PS-23), and was renamed in 1980 as the BRP '"Datu Marikudo'' (PS-23). Her last assignment was with the Patrol Force of the Philippine Fleet,<ref>''Philippine Fleet Official Website''. [http://www.philfleet.mil.ph/ships.htm Commissioned Ships and Crafts] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080318110618/http://www.philfleet.mil.ph/ships.htm |date=18 March 2008 }}.</ref> She was programmed to have major repair as of 2007,<ref>''Philippine Fleet Accomplishment Report January – August 2007''</ref> but on 9 December 2010 she was decommissioned after she was found to be beyond economical repair and will be sold as scrap. Her equipment was stripped as spare for her operational sisterships.<ref>''Philippine Navy in the News'' [http://navytoday.blogspot.com/2010/12/vintage-navy-ships-taken-off-shelf.html Vintage Navy ships taken off the shelf]</ref>

==Technical details==
Originally the ship was armed with one [[3-inch/50-caliber gun|3"/50-caliber dual-purpose gun]], two single [[Bofors 40 mm L/60 gun|Bofors 40&nbsp;mm gun]]s, six [[Oerlikon 20 mm cannon]] guns, 1 [[Hedgehog (weapon)|Hedgehog]] depth charge projector, four [[depth charge]] projectiles (K-guns) and two depth charge racks.<ref name="navsource.org"/>

The same configuration applies up until the late 1980s when the [[Philippine Navy]] removed most of her old anti-submarine weapons and systems, and instead mounted one 40&nbsp;mm gun mount, four 20&nbsp;mm Oerlikon Mk10 guns, and four 12.7&nbsp;mm general-purpose machine guns. This made her lighter and ideal for surface patrols, but losing her limited but dated anti-submarine warfare capability.

The ship is powered by two GM 12-278A diesel engines similar to her sister ships, with a combined rating of around {{convert|2200|bhp|abbr=on}} driving two [[propeller]]s. The main engines can propel the 914 tons (full load) ship to a maximum speed of around {{convert|16|kn|km/h|0}}.<ref>DLSU N-ROTC Office. [http://www.dlsu.edu.ph/offices/sps/rotc/pdf/ms2/namingPNships.pdf Naming and Code Designation of PN Vessels] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928112219/http://www.dlsu.edu.ph/offices/sps/rotc/pdf/ms2/namingPNships.pdf |date=28 September 2011 }}.</ref>

There are slight difference between the BRP ''Datu Marikudo'' as compared to some of her sister ships in the Philippine Navy, since her previous configuration was as a patrol craft escort, while there are others who were originally configured as minesweepers.

== References ==
<references />

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080701092829/http://timawa.net/forum/ Philippine Defense Forum]
* [http://www.hazegray.org/worldnav/asiapac/philip.htm Philippine Navy @ Hazegray.org]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110928112219/http://www.dlsu.edu.ph/offices/sps/rotc/pdf/ms2/namingPNships.pdf DLSU ROTC]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080519225859/http://timawa.net/pn.htm Opus224's Unofficial Philippine Defense Page]
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/12/02853.htm NavSource Online: Patrol Craft Escort Photo Archive]

{{PCE(R)-848-class patrol craft}}
{{Miguel Malvar class corvette}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Datu Marikudo (PS-23)}}
[[Category:PCE(R)-848-class patrol craft]]
[[Category:Ships built in Chicago]]
[[Category:1944 ships]]
[[Category:Ships transferred from the United States Navy to the Republic of Vietnam Navy]]
[[Category:PCE(R)-848-class patrol craft of the Philippine Navy]]
[[Category:Miguel Malvar-class corvettes]]