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North Atlantic and Med Runs

When war broke out the Coast Guard grew rapidly,
both in responsibilities and in personnel to carry them out
11 new classes of Cutters were commissioned – mostly black hulls and mostly inland tenders
The Coast Guard manned hundreds of ships and landing craft for the Navy and Army
The Coast Guard acquired a number of civilian vessels for coastal patrol

327′ Secretary/Treasury 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 assigned the lowest hull number
The 327s are officially referred to as the Secretary, Treasury or Hamilton Class
In WWII they were first used as convoy escorts in the Atlantic
Taney fought in the Pacific and then in the Med
Taney was upgunned with 4 5″/38s for anti-air warfare in the Med
In 1945 they were converted to amphibious command ships
After the war they were reclassified back to Patrol Gunboats
Performed OWS duty after the war
All served in Vietnam
Reclassified High Endurance Cutters in 1967
Ingham was decommissioned in 1989
Model: Yes

Designation Name Class Hull Service Comments Pictures
USCGC Bibb
(former George M. Bibb)
WPG
WAGC
31 1937 – 1985 Built in Philadelphia and stationed in Norfolk
1939: Neutrality/Greenland/OWS Patrols
Convoy duty and amphibious command ship in WWII
Typical post-war duties – OWS
14 October 1947: Ocean Station Charlie off Greenland
Bermuda Sky Queen, a Boeing 314 Flying Boat, was forced to ditch late at night
30 foot waves prevented a rescue attempt until the next morning
All 62 passengers safely evacuated on 15 October
Unable to safely tow the aircraft, Bibb sank it with gunfire
Deployed to Vietnam
Sunk as a reef off Florida
CGH
USCGC Campbell
(former George W. Campbell)
WPG
WAGC
32 1936 – 1982 Built in Philadelphia and stationed in Stapleton, New York
2 October 1939: performed the first Neutrality Patrol
1941: used as a test bed to see if 327s could serve as convoy escorts
Convoy duty and amphibious command ship in WWII
22 February 1943: Rammed and sank U-606
Typical post-war duties – OWS
Deployed to Vietnam
Crowned as first official Queen of the Fleet in mid 1970s
Sunk as a reef off Hawaii
CGH
USCGC Duane
(former William J. Duane)
WPG
WAGC
33 1936 – 1985 Built in Philadelphia and stationed in Oakland
1939: Neutrality/Greenland/OWS Patrols
Convoy duty and amphibious command ship in WWII
17 April 1943: assisted CGC Spencer in sinking U-175
Typical post-war duties – OWS
Deployed to Vietnam
Queen of the Fleet from 1982 to 1985
Sunk as an artificial reef off Key Largo, Florida
CGH
USCGC Alexander Hamilton WPG 34 1936 – 1942 Built in Philadelphia and stationed in Oakland
Bering Sea Patrol
1939: Neutrality/Greenland/OWS Patrols
Convoy duty in WWII
29 January 1942: sunk by U-132
25 crewmen killed
CGH
USCGC Ingham
(former Samuel D. Ingham)
WPG
WAGC
35 1936 – 1988 Built in Philadelphia and stationed in Port Angeles, Washington
1939: Neutrality/Greenland/OWS patrols
Convoy duty and amphibious command ship in WWII
17 December 1942: sank U-626
Typical post-war duties – OWS
Deployed to Vietnam
Queen of the Fleet from 1985 to 1988
Retired as the most decorated cutter in the Coast Guard Fleet
Only cutter to be awarded two Presidential Unit Citations
Currently centerpiece of the Ingham Memorial Museum in Key West, Florida
CGH
USCGC Spencer
(former John C. Spencer)
WPG
WAGC
36 1937 – 1980 Built in Philadelphia and stationed in Cordova, Alaska
1939: Neutrality/Greenland/OWS Patrols
Convoy duty and amphibious command ship in WWII
21 February 1943: Sank either U-225 or (more likely) U-529
Typical post-war duties – OWS
Deployed to Vietnam
First of the 327s to be decommissioned in 1974
Served as an Engineering Training School until scrapped in 1980
CGH
USCGC Taney
(former Roger B. Taney)
WPG
WAGC
37 1936 – 1986 Built in Philadelphia and stationed in Honolulu, Hawaii
One of the first ships to return fire during the 7 December 1941 attack
Defended the Honolulu Power Plant
The only 327 not deployed in the North Atlantic convoy run
Patrolled in the Pacific until 1943
1943: The only 327 to mount 4 5″/38 guns
Joined the Mediterranean convoy run
Typical post-war duties – OWS
Deployed to both Korea and Vietnam
1977: Last Coast Guard Cutter on OWS when Station Hotel was discontinued
Decommissioned on 7 December 1986
Museum ship in Baltimore
CGH