Forsyth (PF-102)
A city in Georgia.
(PF-102: dp. 1,264; 1. 303'H"; b. 37'6"; dr. 13'8"; s. 20 k.; cpl. 176; a. 2 3", 6 dcp., 1 dcp. (hh.), 2 dct.; cl. Tacoma)
Forsyth (PF-102) was launched 20 May 1944 by American Shipbuilding Co., Cleveland, Ohio; sponsored by Miss Mary Persons; and commissioned 11 February 1945, Lt. Cmdr. E. M. Osborne, USCGR, in command.
After shakedown training in the Caribbean, Forsyth sailed north to Argentia, Newfoundland, the base for her future operations as a weather station ship. She departed 2 April on her first patrol, reporting meteorological data, and maintaining readiness to aid any ship or aircraft in distress. On 12 May she was called off her station to search through haze and fog for a German submarine who wanted to surrender. Three days later Forsyth joined Button (DE-771) in accepting the surrender of U-234 in 46° 39' N., 45° 39' W. This submarine was carrying a German technical mission to Tokyo where they expected to help the Japanese. Two Japanese officer passengers on board had previously committed suicide rather than surrender.
Later the day of the capture, on board Forsyth, her medical officer, joined by the doctor from U-234 operated on one of Button's men who had been wounded accidentally while collecting small arms on board the submarine. The frigate carried the injured sailor into Argentia, arriving 18 May. Despite the prompt treatment of the wound, internal hemorrhage proved too severe, and the victim died a week later.
After 5 more months of arduous duty in the North Atlantic, Forsyth steamed south to Recife, Brazil, where she moored on 1 December 1945. From that date until 1 March 1946, the frigate operated out of Recife on weather station duty. On 8 March Forsyth departed Recife for Trinidad; at 2400, 14 March, while at sea, she was decommissioned as a ship of the Navy and immediately thereafter, was recommissioned as a Coast Guard vessel. From Trinidad, she sailed on to Boston, arriving 23 March. After one more patrol on weather station duty, Forsyth proceeded to New Orleans where she was decommissioned on 2 August 1946.
