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Revenue Cutters that became Coast Guard Cutters

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