USS Peoria (PF-67)

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Career	Image:US Naval Jack.svg
USS Peoria (PF-67) off Charleston, South Carolina, following modification as a weather station ship, circa June 1945.
Ordered:
Laid down:	25 May 1943
Launched:	2 October 1943
Commissioned:	2 January 1945
Decommissioned:	15 May 1946
Struck:	19 June 1946
Fate:	To Cuba, 16 June 1947 as Antonio Maceo (F–302). Sunk as a target in 1975
General Characteristics
Displacement:	1,264 tons
Length:	303 ft 11 in
Beam:	37 ft 6 in
Draft:	13 ft 8 in
Propulsion:	Three boilers 2 × 5,500 SHP turbines two shafts
Speed:	20 knots
Range:
Complement:	190
Armament:	3 × 3 in/50 AA guns (3x1) 4 × 40mm guns (2x2) 9 × 20mm (9x1) 1 × Hedgehog projector 8 × Y-gun depth charge projectors 2 × depth charge racks
Motto:

USS Peoria (PF-67), a Tacoma-class frigate, was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named for Peoria, Illinois.

The third Peoria (PF-67), originally classified as a gunboat (PG-175) but redesignated a frigate in April 1943, was laid down by the Leathem D. Smith Shipbuilding Company in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, on 25 May 1943; launched on 2 October 1943, sponsored by Mrs. Agnes Reynolds; and commissioned at Houston, Texas, on 2 January 1945, with Commander George R. Leslie, USCG, in command.

Peoria got underway on 12 January 1945 for shakedown off Bermuda, returning to Norfolk, Virginia, before sailing on 4 March with a convoy for Gibraltar. She then proceeded to Mers-el-Kebir, Algeria, arriving there on 19 March. On the 27th she joined a returning convoy from Oran, escorting it to the United States. After a brief period at New York, Peoria steamed to Casco Bay, Maine for anti-submarine training. This completed, she departed Casco Bay on 7 May for New London, Connecticut. As Peoria arrived at New London the following day, 8 May 1945, the war in Europe came to an end. For the next two weeks, the frigate assisted in training submarine crews at New London.

Peoria departed New London on 21 May for Charleston, South Carolina, where she was fitted out for Atlantic weather patrol duty. On 21 June she began a year of weather station work, alternating periods on station in the North Atlantic with visits to ports from Bermuda to Iceland.

Peoria was decommissioned on 15 May 1946. Her name was struck from the Navy List on 19 June 1946, and she was turned over to the Foreign Liquidation Commission of the State Department.

On 16 June 1947 the former Peoria was transferred to the Cuban Navy, where she served as Antonio Maceo (F-302). Antonio Maceo was then sunk as a target in 1975.