USS Tacoma (PG-111/PF-3), the lead ship of the patrol frigates. The third ship of the United States Navy to be named for Tacoma, Washington, she was in commission from 1943 to 1945, and from 1949 to 1951. She also served in the Soviet Navy as EK-11 and in the Republic of Korea Navy as ROKS Taedong (PF-63). Construction and commissioning Tacoma was laid down on 10 March 1943, under a Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MC hull No. 1421, as a patrol gunboat, PG-111, at Permanente Metals Richmond Shipyard #4, Richmond, California; she was redesignated a patrol frigate, PF-3, on 15 April 1943, and named Tacoma on 5 May 1943. Tacoma was launched on 7 July 1943; sponsored by Mrs. A. R. Bergersen; and commissioned on 6 November 1943. Service history US Navy, World War II, 1943–1945 After completing shakedown training off the California coast in December 1943, Tacoma reported for duty as a training ship in January 1944. She trained patrol frigate crews until 27 June 1944, when she was ordered to proceed to Alaskan waters upon completion of sea trials. However, she was plagued by unsuccessful trials and a boiler room fire and, consequently, did not report for duty at Kodiak, Alaska, until 21 October 1944. For the next four months, she conducted anti-submarine patrols and escorted supply ships and transports along the Alaskan coast and between the islands of the Aleutians chain, visiting Attu, Adak, Dutch Harbor, and other smaller Alaskan ports. Selected for transfer to the Soviet Navy in Project Hula, a secret program for the transfer of U.S. Navy ships to the Soviet Navy at Cold Bay, Alaska, in anticipation of the Soviet Union joining the war against Japan, Tacoma departed Dutch Harbor on 23 February 1945 and steamed south for an extensive overhaul, first at San Francisco, California, then at Bremerton, Washington, to prepare for transfer to the Soviet Union. On 10 July 1945, she arrived at Cold Bay, and began familiarization training with her new Soviet crew. Soviet Navy, 1945–1949 Following the completion of training for her Soviet crew, Tacoma was decommissioned on 16 August 1945, at Cold Bay, and transferred to the Soviet Union under Lend-Lease immediately along with her sister ships , , , , and . Commissioned into the Soviet Navy immediately, Tacoma was designated as a storozhevoi korabl ("escort ship"), and renamed EK-11 in Soviet service. She soon departed Cold