Return to WWI

Summary

At first glance, the Coast Guard’s war record seems unimpressive. No Coastguardsmen participated in any major battles. Few even saw any action against the enemy. Seneca and Ossipee each had run ins with submarines, and Seneca was credited with a possible sinking. All cutters on convoy patrol performed well and were praised by the Navy. Port security duty, though essential, was not the stuff that movies are made of. In addition to Tampa, the Service lost two other first-class cutters during the war. Both McCulloch and Mohawk were lost to collisions. But WWI was not really a naval war and the Coast Guard record is very comparable to that of the Navy. The major things people remember about WWI were the Marines at Belleau Wood and the exploits of the Army Air Corps.

For a complete list of cutters that served in WWI go to this Link.

For a complete list of U.S. Navy aircraft flown by USCG pilots in WWI go to this Link.