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1915 to 1940

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 …

World War I

The Coast Guard fought WWI with the cutters carried over from the RCS plus the Tallapoosa-Class 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 …

Prohibition

The Twenties was an era of growth for the Coast Guard first in response to Prohibition and then in response to increased transoceanic commercial airline flights 10 new classes were commissioned New small boats came into service The Academy got a new training cutter Most of these Cutters fought through WWII 75′ “Six Bitters” Patrol …

Ocean Weather Stations

327′ Secretary/Treasury Class Cruising Cutter First Class Acquired by Commandant Russell Waesche Designed to provide support for commercial transoceanic flights Commissioned as First Class Cruising Cutters without hull numbers Hull numbers were assigned in 1939, reclassified as Patrol Gunboats Numbers were assigned alphabetically, not by date of commission Hamilton was lead ship, but Bibb was …

Other White Hulls

138′ Pawtuxet Class Topsail Schooner Cruising Cutter 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 …

Tugs

96′ Winnisimmet Class Harbor Cutter (1915-1925) Harbor Cutter/Harbor Tug (1925-1939) 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 88′ Navy Harbor Tug Model: No Designation Name Service Comments Picture USCGC Chattahoochee 1920 – 1921 USCGC Chautauqua 1919 – …

Special Mission Cutters

Cable Layer Pequot Mine Planter acquired from the Army and used as a cable layer Model: No Designation Name Class Hull Class Service Comments Pictures

Training Cutter

Model: No Designation Name Class Service Comments Pictures USCGC Alexander Hamilton (Ex USS Vicksburg) (later Beta) 168 USS Annapolis Class PG 1921 – 1944 Commissioned into the Navy in 1895 as the gunboat Vicksburg Transferred to the RCS in 1921 to replace Itasca Fourth Academy training cutter until 1931 1931 to 1939: receiving cutter at …

Merchant Marine Training Cutters

From 1939 – 1943 the Coast Guard trained US merchant seamen To do so the Service acquired several ships of various design Most were cargo or passenger ships Delta Queen: Mississippi riverboat and National Historic landmark Joseph Conrad: Luxury yacht that is currently at Mystic Seaport Vema: E. F. Hutton’s yacht and world famous research …

Small Boats

Surfboats Surfboats were used for near shore rescues They were kept at Life Saving Stations along the coasts They were on trailers and were hand hauled from the boat house to the water Some stations had horses to draw the trailers Later, some even had tractors The original boats were modified whale boats Each area …