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| USCG Lake-class cutter Banff-class sloop 2,075 Tons 250' x 42' x 12' 11" 1 x 5"/51 gun 2 x 8 depth charges on the stern 2 x 20mm cannon 10 x .50 cal MG  USCG 1929  Royal Navy 1941 |
Ship History Built by General Engineering & Dry Dock Company in Alameda at a cost of $900,000 (hull and machinery). Laid down as Lake-class cutter number 50. Launched November 16, 1929 as USCGC Itasca named for Lake Itasca in central Minnesota. Commissioned July 12, 1930 in the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG). In coastguard service, the cutter had a complement of 97. Itasca performed patrols in the Bering Sea. During 1935 used for the American Equatorial Islands Colonization Project and transports Americans to Howland Island, Baker Island and the Jarvis Island. During July 1937, served as a picket ship for navigation and radio support for Lockheed Model 10E Electra 1055 piloted by piloted by Amelia Earhart with navigator Fred Noonan. On July 2, 1937 during their flight bound for Howland Island, Itasca was in radio contact with their aircraft but reception was intermittent. When no further contact was received, it was assumed the plane went down at sea. Immediately, Itasca headed to the area of last contact to the northwest of Howland Island but found no trace of the plane or crew. Wartime History On May 30, 1941 decommissioned then transferred under lend-lease to the Royal Navy as a Banff-class sloop named HMS Gorleston (Y92) for Gorleston in East Anglian, United Kingdom. In British service, equipped with a Type 286M radar and retained her USCG armment. assigned to the 40th Escort Group to escort convoys between England and Sierra Leone with sister ships HMS Landguard and HMS Lulworth plus lend-lease destroyer HMS Stanley and HMS Bideford a Shoreham-class sloop. Escorted convoys OS 4, and served as escort leader for SL 87, OS 10, SL 93, OS 12, SL 95, OS 17, SL 100, OS 22, SL 106, OS 28, SL 112, OS 34 and SL 118 on this eastern Atlantic route, Gorleston made a trip to Iceland escorting convoys DS 33 and SD 33, and escorted convoys KMF 3, MKF 3, KMF 5, MKF 5, KMF 7 and MKF 7 between England and the Mediterranean Sea in support of Operation Torch. Afterwards, assigned to 42nd Escort Group with sister ship HMS Totland, River-class frigates HMS Ness and HMS Exe, and sloops HMS Weston and HMS Folkestone escorting tanker convoys UC 1 and CU 1. Next, resumed escorting eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean convoys. During December 1943 arrived Wales for refit. In March 1944 escorts convoys in the eastern Mediterranean. In August 1944 assigned to the Kilindini Escort Force and escorts convoys in the Arabian Sea. During June 195, transfered to Colombo and escorts convoys in support of Operation Zipper in the Bay of Bengal until the end of the Pacific War. Postwar On April 23, 1946 returned to the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) and renamed Itasca and resumed coastguard service. Fate On September 28, 1950 stricken off charge. On October 4, 1950 sold for scrap and later broken up. References United States Coast Goard Itasca, 1930 Contribute
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