BRP Cebu

{{short description|Decommissioned Philippine Navy Miguel Malvar-class corvette}} {{distinguish|text=USS Cebu of the United States Navy}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}} {{Infobox ship |section1={{Infobox ship/image | image = BRP Cebu (PS-28), Tabawan 2009-06-27.jpg | image_caption = {{BRP|Cebu|PS-28}} }}

|section2={{Infobox ship/career | country = United States | flag = {{USN flag|1948}} | name = ''PCE-881'' | builder = Albina Engine and Machine Works, Portland, Oregon | laid_down = 21 August 1943 | launched = 10 November 1943 | sponsor = | commissioned = 31 July 1944 | struck = | fate = transferred to the Philippine Navy, July 1948 }}

|section3={{Infobox ship/career | country = Philippines | flag = {{shipboxflag|Philippines|naval}} | name = ''Cebu'' | namesake = Cebu | acquired = 2 July 1948 | commissioned = 2 July 1948 | decommissioned = 1 October 2019 | renamed =*RPS ''Cebu'' (PS-28) 1965 *BRP ''Cebu'' (PS-28) June 1980 | fate = Seen capsized on 30 October 2022 after Severe Tropical Storm Nalgae<ref>{{Cite web|title=Already decommissioned: PH Navy clarifies photos of half-submerged vessels|url=https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/10/30/22/decommissioned-ph-navy-clarifies-half-submerged-ships|date=30 October 2022|website=ABS-CBN News|language=en}}</ref> }}

|section4={{Infobox ship/characteristics | hide_header = no | type = *Patrol Corvette (1948-1992/1993) *Gun Corvette (1992/1993-2019) | class = *{{sclass|PCE-842|patrol craft|1}} (in U.S. Navy service) *{{sclass|Miguel Malvar|corvette|1}} (in Philippine Navy service) | displacement = 914 tons (full load) | length = {{convert|184.5|ft|m|abbr=on}} | beam = {{convert|33|ft|m|abbr=on}} | draft = {{convert|9.4|ft|m|abbr=on}}<ref name=USS_PCE-881Specs_NavSourceOnline/> | power = *<ref name=PHNavyAssetsDesignation/> *2 × GM6-71 diesel engines with 100KW gen *1 × GM3-268A diesel engine with 60KW gen | propulsion = *2 × GM12-278A diesel engines <ref name=PHNavyAssetsDesignation/> with a combined {{convert|2200|hp|abbr=on}} *''(previous)'' 2 × GM12-567ATL diesel engines *''(original)'' 2 × Cooper Bessemer GSB-8 diesel engines | speed = *'''from last engine replacement: 1.6MW power'''<ref name=PHNavyAssetsDesignation/> *16 knots max *14 knots sustained *12 knots economy *'''from original engines or 1st replacement or both''' {{convert|15.7|kn}} max <ref name=USS_PCE-881Specs_NavSourceOnline/> | range = {{convert|6600|nmi|km mi|abbr=on}} at {{convert|11|kn}} | complement = 85 | sensors = *Raytheon AN/SPS-64(V)11 navigation & surface search radar system <ref name=gsmiguelmalvar>''GlobalSecurity.org'' [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/philippines/malvar.htm PS Miguel Malvar Class] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140422232732/http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/philippines/malvar.htm |date=22 April 2014 }}</ref> *SATCOM, GPS *'''Removed Sensors''' (during the 1992-1993 overhaul & refit)<ref name=Janes0405/><ref name=gsmiguelmalvar/> *Sonar system *SPS-21D surface search radar *RCA SPN-18 navigation radar | EW = | armament = *'''Config til her retirement'''<ref name=gsmiguelmalvar/><ref name=PHNavyAssetsDesignation/> *''SuW-AAW'' *1 × 76mm L/50 (3 inch 50 calibres Long) dual-purpose cannon on a Mk.26 mount *3 × Bofors 40mm L/60 single-barrel AA rapid-fire cannons *4 × Mk.10 Oerlikon 20 mm AA rapid-fire cannons *4 × M2 Browning 50caliber (12.7mm) heavy machine guns *30cal medium machine guns *'''Removed Armaments''' (''either during the 1992-1993 overhaul & refit <ref name=Janes0405/>'') or during 1980's <ref name=gsmiguelmalvar/>): *''ASW'' *1 × Hedgehog antisubmarine mortar projector *4 × K-gun depth charge projectors *2 × depth charge racks *''SuW-AAW'' *3 × twin-barrel Mk.1 Bofors 40mm AA cannons }} }} '''BRP ''Cebu'' (PS-28)''' was a {{sclass|Miguel Malvar|corvette}} of the Philippine Navy. She was originally built as '''USS ''PCE-881''''', a {{sclass|PCE-842|patrol craft}} for the United States Navy during World War II and patrolled the Alaskan coast during that war. She was decommissioned from the U.S. Navy and transferred to the Philippine Navy in July 1948 and renamed RPS ''Cebu'' (E-28) after the Philippine province of the same name. The ship was decommissioned on 1 October 2019. Along with other World War II-era ships of the Philippine Navy, ''Cebu'' was considered one of the world's oldest fighting ships during her active service.<ref>''Manokski's Armed Forces of the Philippines Order of Battle.'' [http://www.hueybravo.net/Philippine%20Navy%20Main.htm Philippine Navy] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080412102709/http://www.hueybravo.net/Philippine%20Navy%20Main.htm |date=12 April 2008 }}.</ref>

==History== thumb|right|BRP Cebu during its decommissioning ceremony

Commissioned in the US Navy as USS ''PCE-881'' in 1944, and patrolled the coast of Alaska during World War II. The ship was decommissioned after World War II.

She was then transferred and commissioned into the Philippine Naval Patrol and was renamed '''RPS ''Cebu'' (E-28)''' in July 1948. She was carried on to the Philippine Navy in 1951, and in the 1960s she was renamed as '''RPS ''Cebu'' (PS-28)''' using a new ship naming and classification system. Again in June 1980 she was renamed '''BRP ''Cebu'' (PS-28)''' using a new localized prefix.<ref name=PNIM>''Philippine Navy Information Manual 1995 - Adoption of Pilipino Translation of "Bapor ng Republika ng Pilipinas"''</ref>

In 1992 the ship underwent major overhaul, weapons and radar systems refit, and upgrade of communications gear.<ref name=Janes0405>Saunders, Stephen: ''Jane's Fighting Ships 107th Edition 2004-2005''. Jane's Information Group Ltd, 2004.</ref>

BRP ''Cebu'' won the Philippine Navy "Ship of the Year" award for the year 2009.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.navy.mil.ph/gallery/catalog.php?id=34 |title=Navy pays tribute to the Ideals of Excellence |publisher=Philippine Navy Naval Public Affairs Office |year=2009 |access-date=2011-11-23 }}{{Dead link|date=May 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

She was assigned with the Patrol Force of the Philippine Fleet,<ref>''Philippine Fleet Official Website.'' [http://philfleet.mil.ph/ships.htm Commissioned ships and crafts] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120715030320/http://philfleet.mil.ph/ships.htm |date=15 July 2012 }}.</ref> under the jurisdiction of Naval Forces Western Mindanao.

She was decommissioned in a ceremony on 1 October 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ph.news.yahoo.com/philippine-navy-retires-oldest-war-045522137.html|title=Philippine Navy retires oldest war ship}}</ref>

In October 2022, the ship along with the BRP ''Rajah Humabon'' (PS-11) and BRP ''Sultan Kudarat'' (PS-22) was seen tilted over and submerged at the Naval Station Pascual Ledesma in Cavite after the onslaught of Severe Tropical Storm Nalgae (Paeng).<ref>[https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1187446 "3 'Submerged' Warships retired, awaiting Disposal: PH Navy"]</ref>

==Notable operations== upright|thumb|right|260px|Part of the crew of USS PCE 881, which patrolled the coast of Alaska during World War II.

After the ship's construction and the crew's training was completed in Portland Oregon, it patrolled the coast of Alaska from the Aleutian Islands to the Bering Strait during World War II. The ship's commanding officer was Lieutenant Commander W.W. Adams. <ref>Adams, W.W. "USS PCE 881 Thanksgiving Menu". November 1944.</ref>

Between 19 and 22 March 1958, then RPS ''Cebu'' participated in the first bilateral exercise between the Philippine and US Navies dubbed ''Exercise "Bulwark One"''. It took part on the 3rd phase of the exercise off the waters of Corregidor and Caballo Islands.<ref>De Leon, Bernardo Jr. "Coast Defense Exercise Ends", Manila Times. 21 March 1958.</ref>

On 1968, during the height of the so-called 'Operation Merdeka', against the combined might of the Royal Navy and Royal Malaysian Navy ships, BRP Cebu stood her 'ground' to protect the maritime border of the Philippines and confronted the British-Malaysian warships raring to do a battle with her after learning that the Philippines is preparing to invade Sabah. The stand-off between the Philippine Navy and British-Malaysian Navy lasted for 10 tense hours giving the Philippine Navy patrol craft escort/corvette a victory for not yielding even an inch of the Philippine territory.<ref>DEFENDERS OF THE PHILIPPINE SOVEREIGNTY, http://defenders-philippine-sovereignty.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-1968-operation-merdeka-patrol.html {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170331030437/http://defenders-philippine-sovereignty.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-1968-operation-merdeka-patrol.html |date=31 March 2017 }}</ref>

As of 23 June 2008, she and her onboard medical team participated in the search and rescue of the MV ''Princess of the Stars'' of Sulpicio Lines, which capsized off the coast of San Fernando, Romblon at the height of Typhoon Fengshen on 22 June 2008.<ref>Newsflash.org. [http://www.newsflash.org/2004/02/hl/hl107612.htm Ferry Capsized in Romblon Stormy Sea: 929 Dead, Missing] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080627134155/http://www.newsflash.org/2004/02/hl/hl107612.htm |date=27 June 2008 }}.</ref>

BRP ''Cebu'' and {{BRP|Pangasinan|PS-31}} have alternately secured the Southern Sulu Sea where the Baduria Well is located. She also provides security for the West Aquarius Oil Rig.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://nfwm.navy.mil.ph/articles/news_and_events/NFWM_SECURES_OIL_RIG_IN_SOUTHERN_SULU_SEAS_.htm |title=NFWM secures Oil Rig in Southern Sulu Seas |publisher=Philippine Navy - Naval Forces Western Mindanao |year=2010 |access-date=2011-11-23 }}{{Dead link|date=July 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

In middle of May 2018, the BRP ''Cebu'' participated in the ''Third Combined Maritime Security Activity'' with the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) along with the BRP General Mariano Alvarez (PS-38), BRP Anastacio Cacayorin (PS-381), BRP Dioscoro Papa (PG-381) and BRP Filipino Flojo (PG-386). The RAN sent the vessels HMAS Albany (ACPB 86) and HMAS Glenelg (ACPB 96) for the exercise.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://news.mb.com.ph/2018/05/15/rp-australia-up-for-another-maritime-security-activity/ |title="RP, Australia Up for Another Maritime Security Activity" |access-date=16 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180616153851/https://news.mb.com.ph/2018/05/15/rp-australia-up-for-another-maritime-security-activity/ |archive-date=16 June 2018 |url-status = live}}</ref>

In the latter part of May 2018, the BRP ''Cebu'' held a meeting with the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) ship, the KD ''Sri Tiga'' at the maritime border between Malaysia and the Philippines to exchange intelligence information as part of the ''Trilateral Maritime Patrol Programme'' in the Eastern Security Zone (Esszone) of Sabah.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.thesundaily.my/news/2018/05/24/msian-filipino-naval-ships-meet-maritime-border-exchange-intelligence |title="M'sian, Filipino Naval Ships to Meet at Maritime Border to Exchange Intelligence" |access-date=6 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180528102858/http://www.thesundaily.my/news/2018/05/24/msian-filipino-naval-ships-meet-maritime-border-exchange-intelligence |archive-date=28 May 2018 |url-status = live}}</ref>

==Technical details== There are slight differences between the BRP ''Cebu'' as compared to some of her sister ships in the Philippine Navy, since her previous configuration was as an Escort-type ASW Patrol Craft (PCE, i.e., equipment more on being a combatant), while the others are configured as Rescue-oriented ASW Escort Patrol Craft (PCER, i.e., having more equipment to tend the wounded & such, like a small hospital ship), and as minesweepers (''Admirable'' class) ships.<ref name=gsmiguelmalvar/>

===Armaments=== Originally,<ref name=USS_PCE-881Specs_NavSourceOnline>{{cite web |url=http://www.navsource.net/archives/12/02881.htm |title=PCE-881 |website=NavSource}}</ref> the ship was armed with:<br/>''SuW-AAW'' *1 × Mk.26 76mm (3-inch) 50L DP (dual-purpose) cannon *3 × (twin-barrel) Mk.1 Bofors 40mm AA cannons *4 × Mk.10 Oerlikon 20 mm AA cannons (or in 1 × quad-barrel config <ref name="gsmiguelmalvar"/>) ''ASW'' *1 × Hedgehog antisubmarine mortar projector *4 × K-gun depth charge projectors *2 × depth charge racks This configuration applies before its overhaul in the early 1990s. That config is what made her as a ''patrol corvette'' - an ASW vessel lower than a corvette.

During its overhaul and refit in 1992,<ref name="Janes0405"/> the Philippine Navy removed her old anti-submarine weapons and systems, and made some changes in the armament set-up. Some sources claim the loss of its three Bofors 40mm cannons during the 1992-1993 overhaul and refit period,<ref name=gsmiguelmalvar/> but photos [http://www.timawa.net/forum/index.php?topic=14874.0] on{{Clarify|date=February 2018}} 2009 show the Bofors guns still present, although in singles instead of twins. Thus, armaments fitout to the ship are: * 1 × Mk.26 76mm (3") 50L DP cannon (fore) * 3 × (single-barrel)Bofors 40mm close-in anti-air rapid-firing lite cannons (aft) * 4 × Mk.10 Oerlikon 20 mm close-in anti-air rapid-firing lite cannons (2 each on bridge wings) ''or only 3 cannons on this same source<ref name=gsmiguelmalvar/>'' * 4 × M2 Browning 50cal (12.7mm) heavy machine guns (2 beside main bridge, 2 aft near the ship's end) [''added during that refit''] That above config made the ship lighter and ideal for surface patrols, but losing her limited anti-submarine warfare capability. She is then a ''gun-type corvette'' - an OPV more rugged, more heavily armed than the usual coastguard OPVs & other similar ones.

===Electronics=== Also during the refit the ship's SPS-21D surface search radar<ref name=Janes0405/> and RCA SPN-18 navigation radar<ref name=Janes0405/> was replaced by a Raytheon AN/SPS-64(V)11 surface search and navigation radar system.<ref name=gsmiguelmalvar/> Later modifications included the installation of long range and satellite communications systems, and GPS system standard to all Philippine Navy ships.

===Machinery=== The ship is powered by two GM 12-278A diesel engines, with a combined rating of around {{convert|2200|bhp|abbr=on}} driving two propellers. The main engines can propel the 914 tons (full load) ship to a maximum speed of around {{convert|16|kn|km/h|0}}.<ref name=PHNavyAssetsDesignation>''DLSU N-ROTC Office.'' [http://www.dlsu.edu.ph/offices/sps/rotc/pdf/ms2/namingPNships.pdf Naming and Code Designation of PN Vessels] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928112219/http://www.dlsu.edu.ph/offices/sps/rotc/pdf/ms2/namingPNships.pdf |date=28 September 2011 }}.</ref>

==In popular culture== * BRP ''Cebu'' was the ship escorting a fictional Philippine Navy ''Whidbey Island''-class LSD BRP ''Cagayan de Oro'' during a mission to reclaim the Mischief Reef from the Chinese in the 1997 novel ''Dragon Strike - The Millennium War'' by Humphrey Hawksley and Simon Holberton. In the said novel, the mission failed as Chinese Su-27s sank the ''Cagayan de Oro'', and Chinese forces repulsed the attacks of the Philippine Marines to retake the reef. This resulted to the total withdrawal of the Philippines from the South China Sea war against China.<ref>Hawksley, Humphrey; Holberton, Simon (1997). Dragon Strike - The Millennium War {{ISBN|0-330-35036-6}}</ref>

== References == <references />

==External links== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20080701092829/http://timawa.net/forum/ Philippine Defense Forum] * [http://www.hazegray.org/worldnav/asiapac/philip.htm Philippine Navy @ Hazegray.org] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20110928112219/http://www.dlsu.edu.ph/offices/sps/rotc/pdf/ms2/namingPNships.pdf DLSU ROTC] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20080519225859/http://timawa.net/pn.htm Opus224's Unofficial Philippine Defense Page] * {{navsource|12/02881}}

{{Miguel Malvar class corvette}} {{Philippine Navy ships}} {{2022 shipwrecks}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cebu (PS-28)}} Category:PCE-842-class patrol craft Category:Ships built in Portland, Oregon Category:1943 ships Category:PCE-842-class patrol craft of the Philippine Navy Category:Miguel Malvar-class corvettes Category:Corvettes of the Philippines Category:Maritime incidents in 2022 Category:Shipwrecks of the Philippines