From the Oshawa (Can) Express "Subchaser of the First World War' by Jennifer Weymark.
Oshawa's harbor is home to the Harry H which has been there for decades, but the ship started out way back during World War I as the SC-238, with SC standing for Sub-Chaser.
In the summer of 1916, two German submarines operating off the US coast sank 5 ships during the summer, spurring the Navy to design an effective anti-submarine vessel. At the time, most shipyards were building destroyers and larger vessels out of steel which was in short supply, so it was decided to build the sub-chasers out of wood and in smaller yards.
They were crewed by 2 officers and 24 enlisted men and originally carried two- 3-inch guns and two machine guns. Later the 3-inch guns were replaced with a depth charge projectors.
By the end of World War I, 441 sub-chasers had been constructed and some even served in World War II. Others were sold for civilian use, like the Harry H.
Little Boats, Big Job. --DaCoot
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