Naval History and Heritage Command

Counties in Maine, Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.

IV

The fourth Somerset (PCE-892) was laid down on 28 October 1942 by Willamette Iron & Steel Corp., Portland, Oreg.; launched on 1 May 1943; sponsored by Mrs. J. C. Dowling; and commissioned on 8 July 1944, Lt. Comdr. John F. Allen, USNR, in command.

Somerset sailed to San Diego and conducted shakedown training from 25 July to 27 August in the San Francisco Bay area. The escort then sailed to the Aleutian Islands and operated as a patrol ship from 2 September 1944 to 1 June 1945. She was in the Puget Sound Navy Yard from 2 June to 12 August being converted into an amphibious control ship.

Somerset sailed to Hawaii and entered the Pearl Harbor Navy Yard for conversion into a weather ship on 20 August. She was ordered to the Marianas and assigned duty as a weather station ship. Using Guam as a base of operations, Somerset provided open ocean weather services between Guam, Kwajalein, and the Philippine Islands until August 1947. On the 13th, she sailed for the gulf coast, via Pearl Harbor, San Diego, and the Panama Canal.

Somerset arrived in New Orleans on 22 October 1947; was assigned to the 8th Naval District as a Naval Reserve training ship; and served in that capacity until 1955. In March 1955, she was placed out of commission, in reserve, with the Atlantic Reserve Fleet.

Somerset was struck from the Navy list on 1 June 1961 and transferred to the Republic of Korea on 13 December.