USS McCall (DD-28)-- Part 3: The Neutrality Patrol, World War I, Coast Guard and Rum Patrol

After commissioning, the McCall was  attached to the  Torpedo Flotilla, Atlantic Fleet,  and operated along the Atlantic coast, primarily out of Newport, Rhode Island and the Chesapeake Bay area.  Each winter found her in Cuban waters for maneuvers.

In 1916, the McCall made Neutrality Patrols off New York and along the New England coast.  On 14 June 1917, following overhaul in Philadelphia,  she steamed to New York  to escort a troop convoy to Europe.  

The McCall continued escort duties in the western Atlantic until January 1918 when she sailed for Queenstown, Ireland.  Arriving there on 22 February, she provided escort and rescue services until 16 December.

Upon return to the United States in January 1918,  she resumed east coast operations until decommissioned in Philadelphia on 12 December 1919 and placed in the reserve fleet.

She was transferred to the United States Coast Guard on 7 June 1924 and commissioned into service 17 June 1925 after a lengthy overhaul.  Stationed at New London, Connecticut, she was part of the Rum Patrol.

The Coast Guard decommissioned her 12 August 1930.  She was returned to the Navy on 18 October and was scrapped and sold on 2 May 1934, in accordance with the London Naval  Treaty.

--Cooter

U.S. Warships USS William P. Lawrence-- Part 2

A full page picture comes with the month of August showing the USS William P. Lawrence (DDG-110) and amphibious transport dock USS Green Bay (LPD-20) sailing with 15 other U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, Australian Navy, Canadian Navy and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force ships in formation during Talisman Sabre 2019.

Talisman Sabre 2019 illustrates the closeness of the Australian and U.S. alliance and strength of the military-to-military relationship.  This is the eight iteration of this exercise.

--Cooter

Death of Olivia Hooker in 2018-- Part 5: One of First Women in Coast Guard and a PH.D.

She was stationed in Boston and performed administrative duties before the SPARs program was disbanded in 1946.  She was discharged as a petty officer 2nd class, according to a Coast Guard report, then went on to complete her doctorate.

She became a senior clinical lecturer at Fordham in 1963 and retired from the university in 1985.

Thirty years later, the Coast Guard named a building on Staten Island after her, breaking a tradition of ship- and building-christening in honor only of those who have died.  The service said it was making an exception because of her "distinguished service to the Coast Guard and her wonderful efforts in serving and helping others."

Death of Olivia Hooker in 2018-- Part 4: Joined the Coast Guard in WW II As a SPAR

Later, during World War II, she was a member of Delta Sigma Theta and took part in her sorority's efforts to integrate the U.S. Navy, which had started accepting women.  She said, "They wrote back and said there was complication.  They wouldn't tell me what the complication was."

Instead, she enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard in early 1945, three years after Congress passed a law approving the creation of the Coast Guard Women's Reserve to help fill jobs vacated by men who went abroad to fight in the war.

Hooker became one of the first women to join the Women's Reserve, known as the SPARS.

USCG Cutter Tampa-- Part 6: Legacy

The loss of the Tampa is commemorated by the U.S. Coast Guard memorial at Arlington National Cemetery and in  the chapel at the Brentwood American cemetery and memorial in Surrey, England.

The Tampa is mentioned in the roll of honor in the second verse of Semper Paratus, the Coast Guard's official march.

On Veterans Day, 11 November 1999, the 111  crew men of the Tampa were posthumously awarded the Purple Heart at Arlington National Cemetery.

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Tampa's sinking, a permanent glass mosaic has been placed to the facade of the Tampa Bay History Center telling the story of the ship and disaster.

USCG Cutter Tampa-- Part 3: Seized An Austrian Ship

On April 6, 1917, after the United States entered World War I, the Tampa was transferred to from the Coast Guard to the Navy.

On the morning of April 9,  crew members of the Tampa and the Tallapoosa boarded the Austrian  steamer Borneo in Hillsboro Bay near Tampa and seized the ship and arrested the crew.  The Borneo was turned over to U.S. officials.

During the next four months, the Tampa received heavier armament by trading her three six pounders for two three-inch cannons, a pair of machine guns and depth charge throwers and racks.

--GreGen

USCG Cutter Tampa-- Part 2: Originally the USRCS Cutter Miami

Commissioned  19 August 1912, 190 feet long, 32.5 feet beam. 70 crew.

From 1912-1917, she mounted three six-pounder guns.  In the Navy she traded those for two 3-inch guns, machine guns and depth charges.

After commissioning, the Miami (original name until renamed the Tampa) served in the Revenue Cutter Service and did duties typical to revenue cutters.  It served on the International Ice Patrol, keeping an eye on icebergs in the North Atlantic, for several tours of duty.

It operated out of several stations as well, including Key West, Tampa and New York City.

On 29 August 1915, the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service and the U.S. Life-Saving Service  were merged to form the present-day U.S. Coast Guard.  A year later the name of the Miami was changed to Tampa.

--Cooter

USCG Cutter Tampa-- Part 1: Served in Revenue Cutter Service, Coast Guard and U.S. Navy.

In the last post, I wrote that today is the 100th anniversary of the sinking of this ship by a torpedo from a German  U-boat during World War I.  I'd never heard of the ship so did some more research.  Of course, good old Wikipedia was the first place I stopped.

United States Coast Guard Cutter Tampa   The ship initially served in the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service, then in the U.S. Coast Guard and finally in the U.S. Navy. Commissioned in 1912, it was used extensively in the International Ice Patrol which monitors icebergs, something founded after the sinking of the Titanic.

Its sinking on September 26, 1918, is regarded by some as the largest American combat loss during World War I.

--DaCoot

Happy 226th Birthday to the U.S. Coast Guard

In my World War II blog, Tattooed On Your Soul, I wrote about the sinking of the Coast Guard Cutter Alexander Hamilton in January 1942, the first American ship sunk in the Atlantic after Pearl Harbor.

I also came across this in today's Chicago Tribune:

In 1790 the Revenue Cutter Service, which would be united with the Life Saving Service in 1915 to form the Coast Guard was established.

During the War of 1812, Revenue Service ships were essentially Navy ships.

Presidential Yacht Mayflower-- Part 2: World War II and Israel Service

During World War II, it was purchased by the War Shipping Administration from Broadfoot Iron Works in Wilmington, North Carolina on July 31, 1942 and renamed the USS Butte.  It was transferred to the Coast guard and patrolled the Atlantic Coast operating against U-boats and escorted coastal shipping.

It was also used as a radar training ship.

After the war, the ship was owned by several interests before being purchased by Israel in 1950.  It was decommissioned and broken up in 1955.

--DaCoot

A Christmas Wreath for the Christmas Tree Ship

From the November 25, 2013, Channel 3000 "Coast Guard to lay wreath near sunken Christmas tree ship."

The Coast Guard Cutter Mackinac is loaded with 1220 Christmas trees and then will cruise from its home port of Sheboygan to Chicago and have a ceremony today, December 7th, at Navy Pier to mark the 101st anniversary of the sinking of the Christmas Tree Ship, the Rouse Simmons, which sank in a storm on November 23, 1912.

The wreath will be placed in the water near the shipwreck near Two Rivers and Kewaunee, Wisconsin.

For more on the ship, click on the Christmas Tree Ship label.

A Chicago Tradition. --Cooter

USCGC Taney (WHEC-37)

From Wikipedia.

Back on December 5th, I wrote about Charles Sellentin who was aboard the USCGS Taney at Pearl Harbor. I'd never heard of it so looked it up.

The Taney has the honor to be the last ship floating that was at Pearl Harbor Dec. 7, 1941. However, it was not at Pearl itself, but in nearby Honolulu Harbor. It is also one of the few ships to participate in both the European and Pacific Theaters. In addition, it served during the Vietnam War.

The ship was named after Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court Roger B. Taney.

The Taney was launched at the Philadelphia Navy Yard in 1936. It was 327 feet long, had a 41 foot beam and in 1941, had 16 officers, 5 warrant officers and 200 enlisted.

On December 7th, it was at Pier 7 in Honolulu Harbor and was only able to fire at stray aircraft.

The vessel was decommissioned in 1986 and today serves as museum ship.

The Coast Guard. --Cooter

Central Oregon's Pearl Harbor Survivors-- Part 2

Charles Sellentin was in the US Coast Guard that day on board the USS Taney in its engine room when General Quarters sounded. There had been so many drills that he figured it was just another one until someone rushed down the stairs yelling that this was no drill.

Rushing topside, he could see the Japanese planes coming in so low he could see the faces of the pilots. He went to his battle station under the bridge coordinating damage control personnel.

It usually would take the Taney four hours to get steam up, but this day that was accomplished in just one hour. It wasn't until 0400 the next morning that the captain got back on board and the ship was ordered to help the USS Ward looking for subs outside the harbor.

The Taney dropped so many depth charges on suspected targets that they had to be resupplied. Later in the war, he transferred to the USS Scott, a troopship operating in the Pacific.

Just Some More of the Stories We Will be Losing Before Long. --DaCoot

Coast Guard Cutter Frederick Lee

Back on November 18th, I had a blog entry about Warren F. Kaplan who served during World War II aboard the Frederick Lee. I also had a liberty pass from him.

Surprisingly, there is no article in Wikipedia about the ship.

The USCGC Frederick Lee WSC-139, was a 125 foot-long Active Class Patrol Boat commissioned in 1927 and manned by a crew of twenty.

In 1941, its armament consisted of 1X3 inch gun and 2X depth charge racks. It was named after revenue Captain Frederick Lee who commanded the cutter Eagle in the War of 1812.

During World War II, the ship was stationed in Boston on weather and escort duty as well as Greenland Patrol.

From 1945 to 1951, it was at Chicago. From 1951 to 1963 at New Bedford, Massachusetts and in Freeport, Texas from 1963 to 1964.

The US Coast Guard in World War II. --Cooter

World War II Liberty Card

Warren F. Kaplan's daughter had a Liberty Card at the display which read:

No. 14 NCG2518

US Coast Guard Cutter Frederick Lee

Kaplan, Warren F. SOME (R)

This entitles bearer to leave the ship in liberty, and, if the ship is in a Navy Yard, to pass through the gates. To be shown to O.O.D. when leaving and dropped in a check box on return to the ship.

Karl B. Weiland, LT (jg)
Executive Officer

Coast Guard Ship Eagle

I wrote about this vessel earlier today in my Civil War blog, Saw the Elephant http://.sawtheelephant.com. As it went past Fort Fisher on the Cape Fear River, the fort fired a welcoming cannon from its 32-pounder at Sheppard Battery.

The August 6th Wilmington Star-News had an article about it by Amy Hotz. Currently, the ship is in the US Coast Guard and used to train Coast guard and other officer candidates and is based in New London, Connecticut.

It is a 295 foot long, square-rig tall ship, USCGC WIX327. The hull is .4 inch thick and has a raised forecastle and a quarterdeck with 3-inch teak over steel. Under full sail, it can make a top speed of 17 knots (20 mph). One striking feature of the ship is the gold eagle on its bow. It has three masts, the tallest of which is 150 feet high.

The reason I am placing this story here is because of its World War II and subsequent history.

It was built in 1936 in Hamburg, Germany and commissioned as Horst Wessel. Originally used as training vessel for German cadets. Adolph Hitler and Rudolph Hess were present at its launch. Horst Wessel was a Nazi party member killed by Communists.

During World War II, it had eight 20 mm machine guns mounted on it and is credited with shooting down 3 Soviet aircraft and one German. This last plane was determined to be an accident after it was found that the pilot had radioed in the wrong code for his battle group, but it certainly didn't help the man's blood pressure.

After the war, the United States received the Wessel in war reparations.

Interesting Story. --Cooter

World War II Hero of New York Harbor Dies

SEYMOUR WITTEK, 83 died Dec. 30, 2009. As a member of the Coat Guard, he helped battle the flames from a fire that threatened New York Harbor with a cataclysmic explosion during World War II.

This is another little-known occurrence in America's home front.

During World War II, Coast Guardsmen stationed in the New York City area were derisively called "Subway Sailors" because they would ride that conveyance during off hours for dates and Times Square.

On April 24, 1943, seaman Wittek was in his barracks awaiting a pass to visit his fiancee Anne Cooperman in Brooklyn. Meanwhile, ammunition and bombs bound for Europe was being loaded at Caven Point Pier in New Jersey. A fire broke out in the Panamanian freighter El Estero and there was an explosion. Two other ammunition ships were alongside as well as a line of railroad cars carrying munitions.

If these all blew, the same would happen to the huge fuel tanks at Bayonne, New Jersey and Staten Island. This would be a catastrophic damage and casualties.

VOLUNTEERS

A call for volunteers to fight the fire went out an 60 guardsmen along with Mr. Wittek immediately rushed to the pier. New York City fire boats fought the blaze until finally tugboats were able to tow the El Estero to the middle of the harbor while the Coast Guard men remained on board battling the blaze.

They were told to leave and, according to Wittek, "There was a picket boat. I went down a ladder and one of my friends said to me, 'Seymour, take my wallet. If anything happens, at least they will know I was there.'"

After four more hours, the weight of the water directed at the ship, finally sank it.

He married Ms. Cooperman seven weeks later.

Senior officers were awarded medals, but none to the enlisted men. Unfortunately, the disaster was soon mostly forgotten.

The Greatest Generation. --Cooter




Jan. 3, 2010, New York Times.