In 1915 the Revenue Cutter Service and the Life Saving Service
merged to form the Coast Guard
All Revenue Cutters were re-designated Coast Guard Cutters
All Life Saving boats became Coast Guard boats
138′ Pawtuxet Class Topsail Schooner
Model: No
Designation | Name | Service | Comments | Pictures |
USRC/USCGC | Levi Woodbury (former Mahoning) |
1873 – 1915 | Longest serving Revenue Cutter | Wik |
198’ Bear Class Steam Barkentine
Built by Alexander Stephenin Dundee Scotland as a sealer in 1874
Taken into US Navy service in 1884 as part of the rescue fleet for the
ill-fated Greeley Arctic expedition
1885: Taken into the Revenue Cutter Service to patrol Alaskan waters
Most famous commanding office was Mike “Hell Roarin'” Healy
Served 41 years in the ice
Carried reindeer from Siberia to Alaska to feed natives
Overland rescue of over 250 sealers stuck in the ice
Decommissioned in 1929 and turned over to Oakland, CA
Used as a set in filming of Jack London’s “Sea Wolf”
Acquired by Adm. Richard Byrd for his 1933 Antarctic Expedition
Returned from the Byrd expedition in 1941 to Boston
In 1941 she was Recommissioned into the Navy as an Auxiliary
Coast Guard manned
In WWII she was part of the Greenland Patrol
Took part in the capture of the Norwegian supply ship Buskoe
Decommissioned again in 1944
Sold to a Canadian sealing company – never operational
Purchased by Alfred Johnston of Villanova, PA in 1948
To be used as a restaurant museum in Philadelphia
Sank while being towed to Philadelphia
Possibly the most famous Cutters Coast Guard history
Has been called the Coast Guard’s Constitution
The mascot of the CG Academy is a Bear in her honor
Model: No
Designation | Name | Class | Hull | Rig | Service | Comments | Pictures |
USRC/USCGC | Bear | WAG | Steam Barkentine | 1885 – 1929 1941 – 1944 |
CGH |
205′ Algonquin Class Steam Brigantine
Commissioned as Revenue Cutters without hull numbers
Last RC class rigged with sails
Though Gresham was the lead ship, design changes
common to the other 4 caused the class to be named after Algonquin
Classified Cruising Cutters in 1915
Reclassified First Class Cruising Cutters in 1925
Decommissioned in 1935
Gresham was re-acquired for WWII service
Hull number assigned in 1939 and reclassified Patrol Gunboat
Decommissioned in 1947
Model: No
Designation | Name | Class | Hull | Service | Comments | Pictures |
USRC/USCGC | Gresham | WPG | 85 | 1897 – 1947 | Gresham had been sold for scrap in 1935 Reacquired in 1943 due to wartime needs Assigned to EASTSEAFRON Decommissioned permanently on 7 April 1944 |
CGH NS |
USRC/USCGC | Onondaga | 1898 – 1923 | CGH | |||
USRC/USCGC | Algonquin | 1898 – 1930 | CGH | |||
USRC/USCGC | Manning | 1898 – 1930 | CGH | |||
USRC/USCGC | Mohawk | 1904 – 1917 | Sunk in collision with SS Vennacher | CGH |
96′ Winnisimmet Class Harbor Tug
Model: No
Designation | Name | Class | Hull | Service | Comments | Pictures |
USRC/USCGC | Winnisimmet | WYT | 84 | 1903 – 1945 | Former Revenue Cutter | CGH |
USRC/USCGC | Wissahickon | 1904 – 1935 |
190′ Miami Revenue Cutter of the First Class
Commissioned as Revenue Cutters without hull numbers
Classified Cruising Cutters in 1915
Miami was renamed Tampa and was lost in WWI
Unalga was reclassified First Class Cruising Cutter in 1925
Hull number assigned in 1939 and reclassified Patrol Gunboat
Decommissioned in 1945
Model: No
Designation | Name | Class | Hull | Service | Comments | Pictures |
USRC/USCGC | Miami later Tampa) |
1912 – 1916 | CGH NS |
|||
USRC/USCGC | Tampa former Miami) |
1916 – 1918 | Sunk by German u-boat in WWI Cited by RADM Niblack, Commander US Naval Forces Gibraltar, for outstanding service CO, CAPT Charles Satterlee, had 2 Navy destroyers named for him Commemorated in Semper Paratus |
CGH NS |
||
USRC/USCGC | Unalga | 1912 – 1945 | Unalga survived WWI and had a long Coast Guard career Assigned to the Caribbean Theater in WWII Fought through WWII doing ASW patrols Finally decommissioned in 1945 |
CGH NS |
Misc One-of-a-Kind Cutters
7 served in WWII:
6 for the Coast Guard and 1 for the Army
Model: No
Designation | Name | Class | Hull | Service | Comments | Pictures |
USRC/USCGC | Morrill (aka Lot M. Morrill) 145′ |
1889 – 1928 | CGH | |||
USRC/USCGC | McCulloch 219′ | 1897 – 1917 | Largest RC (219′) Steam Barkentine Assigned to Commodore Dewey’s Asiatic Fleet and fought at Manila Bay The first Cutter to transit the Suez Canal and Indian Ocean Lost in a collision on 13 June 1917 |
CGH | ||
USRC/USCGC | Windom 170′ (later Comanche) |
1897 – 1914 | The RCS 1897 Annual report noted Windom was the first attempt to build a “modern” cutter Windom was completed in 1896 Fully watertight hull, longitudinal and transverse bulkheads and a triple expansion steam plant capable of 15 kts Fought in the Spanish-American War and WWI Renamed Comanche in 1914 |
CGH | ||
USRC/USCGC | Apache (former Galveston aka Frank Galveston) 190′ |
1900 – 1937 | Commissioned in 1891 as Galveston Renamed Apache in 1900 Decommissioned in 1937 and transferred to the Army Used as radio transmission ship General Douglas MacArthur’s “I have returned” speech was broadcasted from her deck |
CGH | ||
USRC/USCGC | Seminole 188′ | 1900 – 1934 | CGH | |||
USRC/USCGC | Tuscarora 178′ | 1902 – 1936 | CGH | |||
USRC/USCGC | Pamlico 158′ | WPR | 57 | 1907 – 1946 | Designed with a shallow draft for inland cruising Stationed in New Bern, NC and became a fixture in the community Transported many Congressional and press parties to New Bern Naval Reserve training ship in WWI Classified a WPR in 1939 and served through WWII One of her crewmen from 1940 to 1943 was Steward’s Mate Alex Haley When informed of her pending decommissioning, New Bern had their Congressman intercede with the Commandant to save the ship Finally decommissioned on 6 September 1946 after 40 years of service A plaque commemorating her service was dedicated on 28 April 1990 Alex Haley helped in the dedication |
CGH |
USRC/USCGC | Acushnet 152′ | 1908 – 1936 | CGH | |||
USRC/USCGC | Androscoggin 210′ | 1908 – 1921 | Largest wooden RC (210′) Built specifically as an icebreaker Show piece of the service for many years Hosted several diplomats and conferences Last wooden hulled Cutter in service |
CGH | ||
USRC/USCGC | Seneca 204′ | 1908 – 1936 | To Maritime Commission as school ship in NY, PA and MA | CGH | ||
USRC/USCGC | Snohomish 152′ | 1908 – 1934 | CGH | |||
USRC/USCGC | Tahoma 191′ | 1909 – 1914 | Grounded and was lost | CGH | ||
USRC/USCGC | Yamacraw 191′ | 1909 – 1937 | CGH | |||
USRC/USCGC | Comanche (former Windom) 170′ |
1914 – 1930 | The RCS 1897 Annual report noted Windom was the first attempt to build a “modern” cutter Windom was completed in 1896 Fully watertight hull, longitudinal and transverse bulkheads and a triple expansion steam plant capable of 15 kts Fought in the Spanish-American War and WWI Renamed Comanche in 1914 |
CGH |
Misc One-of-a-Kind Tugs
Model: Yes
Designation | Name | Service | Comments | Picture |
USRC/USCGC | Manhattan (later Arundel) | 1873 – 1917 | Former Revenue Cutter | CGH |
USRC/USCGC | Hudson 95′ | 1893 – 1935 | First RC with steel hull and triple-expansion plating Rescued USS Winslow in Spanish American War CO, LT Frank Newcomb, not awarded Medal of Honor because RCS was not “military” A Fletcher Class DD was named for Newcomb Commemorated in Semper Paratus |
CGH |
USRC/USCGC | Calumet (later Tioga) |
1894 – 1934 | Former Revenue Cutter | CGH |
USRC/USCGC | Tybee 67 AB 15 |
1895 – 1930 | Former Revenue Cutter | |
USRC/USCGC | Golden Gate 110′ | 1897 – 1945 | Former Revenue Cutter Stationed in San Francisco Played major role after the 1906 earthquake Served in WWII |
NS |
USRC/USCGC | Mackinac 110′ | 1903 – 1939 | ||
USRC/USCGC | Davey 93′ | 1908 – 1945 | Former Revenue Cutter | NS |
USRC/USCGC | Tioga 81′ | 1916 – 1930 | ||
USRC/USCGC | Arundel (former Manhattan) |
1918 – 1928 | CGH |
Launches
Model: Yes
Designation | Name | Service | Comments | Pictures |
USRC/USCGC | Penrose 67′ | 1883 – 1924 | Former Revenue Cutter | |
USRC/USCGC | Guthrie 87′ | 1895 – 1941 | Former Revenue Cutter Served in WWII |
|
USRC/USCGC | Tybee 67 (aka AB 15) |
1895 – 1930 | Former Revenue Cutter | |
USRC/USCGC | Scout 65′ | 1896 – 1915 | Former Revenue Cutter | |
USRC/USCGC | Delmarva (aka AB 22) |
1900 – 1934 | Former Revenue Cutter | |
USRC/USCGC | Arcata 85′ | 1903 – 1936 | ||
USRC/USCGC | Patrol 36′ | 1905 – 1915 | Former Revenue Cutter | |
USRC/USCGC | Carolina 56′ | 1906 – 1921 | Former Revenue Cutter | |
USRC/USCGC | Alert 61′ | 1907 – 1920 | Former Revue Cutter | |
USRC/USCGC | Guide 70′ | 1908 – 1926 | Former Revenue Cutter First Cutter with internal combustion engine |
|
USRC/USCGC | Moriches 32′ | 1908 – 1918 | Former Revenue Cutter | |
USRC/USCGC | Vigilant (aka AB 17) |
1910 – 1940 | Former Revenue Cutter | |
USRC/USCGC | Guard 67′ | 1913 – 1943 | Former Revenue Cutter Served in WWII |
|
USRC/USCGC | Scout 61′ (aka AB 11) |
1914 – 1930 | Former Revenue Cutter | |
USRC/USCGC | Search 40′ (aka AB 12) |
1914 – 1930 | Former Revenue Cutter |
Training Cutters
Model: No
Designation | Name | Class | Service | Comments | Pictures |
USRC/USCGC | Oriole (ex USS Dale) | USS Dale Class | 1906 – 1921 | Commissioned into the Navy in 1869 as the sloop of war Dale Transferred to the RCS in 1906 as a barracks ship for the Academy |
|
USRC/USCGC | Itasca (Ex USS Bancroft) | 187 USS Bancroft Class | 1907 – 1922 | Commissioned in the Navy in 1893 as a training ship Transferred to RCS as Itasca to replace the aging Chase Third Academy training cutter Academy and cutter moved to New London in 1910 USRC became USCG in 1915 By 1922 to cramped to be effective |