USCGC Paul Clark

USCGC Paul Clark (WPC-1106) is the sixth Sentinel-class cutter. Like the previous five vessels she is homeported in Miami, Florida.[3] She was delivered to the Coast Guard, for testing, on May 18, 2013.[1][4]

Paul Clark underway.
History
United States
NameUSCGC Paul Clark
NamesakePaul Clark
OperatorUnited States Coast Guard
BuilderBollinger Shipyards, Lockport, Louisiana
LaunchedJanuary 13, 2012
AcquiredMay 18, 2013[1]
CommissionedAugust 24, 2013[2]
Out of service2018
HomeportMiami, Florida
Identification
MottoCourage valor confidence
Statusin active service
Badge
General characteristics
Class and typeSentinel-class cutter
Displacement353 long tons (359 t)
Length46.8 m (154 ft)
Beam8.11 m (26.6 ft)
Depth2.9 m (9.5 ft)
Propulsion
  • 2 × 4,300 kW (5,800 shp)
  • 1 × 75 kW (101 shp) bow thruster
Speed28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph)
Endurance
  • 5 days, 2,500 nautical miles (4,600 km; 2,900 mi)
  • Designed to be on patrol 2,500 hours per year
Boats & landing
craft carried		1 × Short Range Prosecutor RHIB
Complement2 officers, 20 crew
Sensors and
processing systems		L-3 C4ISR suite
Armament

Operational history

On September 13, 2013 the vessel repatriated 66 Cuban migrants to Bahia de Cabañas.[5] The migrants had been intercepted in four separate operations over the preceding days. Smaller vessels had intercepted four different migrant vessels. The Coast Guard Public Affairs Office asserted that their interception of the migrant vessels saved lives because navigation between Cuba and Florida is so dangerous. The migrants were transferred to Paul Clark for repatriation to Cuba.

Namesake

The vessel is named after Paul Leaman Clark, who served as a fireman in the United States Coast Guard during World War II. Clark was a landing boat engineer attached to USS Joseph T. Dickman during the allied assault on a beach in French Morocco when the craft's two other crew members were wounded by a Luftwaffe fighter. Clark took command of the craft, took the wounded crew members to USS Palmer for medical care and then returned to his duties as a beachmaster, directing disembarkation activity. For his courage he was awarded the Navy Cross.[6]

References
  1. "Acquisition Update: Sixth Fast Response Cutter Delivered to the Coast Guard" (Press release). United States Coast Guard. 2013-05-21. Retrieved 2013-05-21.
  2. "Coast Guard to commission Miami's final fast response cutter". Coast Guard News. 2013-08-23. Retrieved 2013-08-23.
  3. Rhonda Carpenter (2012-11-05). "Coast Guard Commissions Third Fast Response Cutter, William Flores". Defense Media Network. Archived from the original on 2013-03-24. The first six FRCs for District 7 will be homeported in Miami; the next six in Key West; and the remaining six in Puerto Rico.
  4. "Fast Response Cutter, Paul Clark, named after WWII hero, delivered to Coast Guard". Government Security News. 2013-05-22. Archived from the original on 2013-05-31. Retrieved 2013-05-31. The Coast Guard accepted delivery of Paul Clark, the sixth vessel in the Coast Guard's Sentinel-class Fast Response Cutter (FRC) recapitalization project on May 18 in Key West, FL.
  5. "Coast Guard Cutter Paul Clark repatriates 66 Cuban migrants". Miami, Florida: Coast Guard News. 2013-09-13. Retrieved 2013-09-13. Crewmembers aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Paul Clark repatriated 66 Cuban migrants to Bahia de Cabañas, Cuba, Friday. This repatriation was a result of four separate migrant interdiction events this week.
  6. Connie Braesch (2010-11-02). "Coast Guard Heroes: Paul Leaman Clark". United States Coast Guard. Archived from the original on 2012-09-03. Early into the assault, which lasted from November 8–11, 1942, Clark was unloading a transport when a hostile plane battered his boat with machinegun fire. The heavy fire mortally wounded the bowman and severely injured the coxswain. Showing unsurpassed courage and initiative Clark took control of the boat and withdrew from the beach with the injured crewmember aboard.
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