
In the past couple of months I have received a few separate inquiries about chasers in the post-war period, and whether there are any WWI-era hulls remaining.
While my focus is on the chasers during and shortly after the war, there are various sources of information about the later post-war service of the boats. The list of short accounts of French chasers (see the item on that, below) gives a thumbnail sketch of those 98 boats after the war; there was a multi-part article not long ago published in Warship International, and there are various accounts of specific boats here and there.
Feel free to contact me with questions on individual chasers, with the disclaimer that the data I collect is mostly on the wartime period.
On the latter: I would be very surprised if there were any WWI-era chaser hulls still in service. That would be a spectacularly long life for a wood-hulled boat of this sort. The last traces I have found are from the 1970s. That being said, if anyone should hear of one, do let me know. Maybe there is an old hull in a barn somewhere.
Just posted is the first of two sets of photos from the collection of SC 21 crewman Henry Wallender.
SC 21 served in the Second Naval District, and participated in the work of the Experimental Group in New London, CT. Early testing of ASW devices and tactics took place at New London.
Thanks to Marjorie Rehark, daughter of Harry Wallender, for submitting the photographs for scanning to The Subchaser Archives.
Submarine chaser SC 431 is depicted in Steve Maggipinto's 1:48 scale model.
SC 431 was among the chasers ordered for service in WWI, but completed after the Armistice. This chaser was transferred to the Coast Guard on 29 October 1919.
His father, Lt. Cdr. William V. Maggipinto served as commanding officer of SC 431 in 1942.The model shows the chaser in its WWII service.
Recently added to the Hull Number Photographs Collection:
Subchaser SC 303.
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