USS Felix Taussig

Last updated
USS Felix Taussig (ID-2282).jpg
USS Felix Taussig(Id. No. 2282) at anchor in 1918 or 1919, dressed overall and painted in pattern camouflage.
History
Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svgUnited States
NameFelix Taussig
Owner Crowell & Thurlow Steamship Company
Builder Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company, Newport News, Virginia
Launched1917
Completed1917
Identification Official number 214726 [1]
Fate
Flag of the United States.svgUnited States
NameFelix Taussig
NamesakePrevious name retained
Acquired29 August 1918
Commissioned31 August 1918
Decommissioned26 April 1919
Identification Hull number: ID-2282
Fate
Civil Ensign of Italy.svgItaly
NameAta
Acquired1948
FateScrapped 1953
General characteristics
(as U.S. Navy cargo ship)
Type Cargo ship
Tonnage
Displacement12,925 long tons (13,132 t) (normal)
Length410 ft 6 in (125.12 m)
Beam55 ft 1 in (16.79 m)
Draft27 ft 6 in (8.38 m)
PropulsionOne 2,200  ihp (1,600 kW) vertical triple expansion steam engine, three single-ended boilers, one shaft
Speed11 knots (20 km/h; 13 mph)
Capacity406,600 sq ft (37,770 m2) (cargo) [1]
Complement62
Armament

USS Felix Taussig (ID-2282) was a cargo ship in commission in the United States Navy from 1918 to 1919. She saw service during World War I. Prior to her U.S. Navy service, she operated as the American commercial cargo ship SS Felix Taussig under charter to the United States Army. During this service she mistakenly sank the U.S. Navy submarine chaser USS SC-209 in the deadliest friendly fire incident involving the U.S. Navy of World War I. Felix Taussig returned to commercial service after World War I, first as SS Felix Taussig from 1919 to 1948, then from 1948 until 1953 under the Italian flag as SS Ata.

Contents

Construction and early service

Felix Taussig, ca. 1917, probably upon completion. SS Felix Taussig.tiff
Felix Taussig, ca. 1917, probably upon completion.

SS Felix Taussig was constructed in 1917 by the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company at Newport News, Virginia, as a commercial cargo ship for the Crowell & Thurlow Steamship Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. [2] The Emergency Fleet Corporation requisitioned her for World War I service, and she was chartered by the United States Army. She was armed for war service and began hauling cargo from the United States to Europe.

On 12 May 1918, an Imperial German Navy submarine fired torpedoes at Felix Taussig. She took evasive action and avoided the torpedoes. She then sighted the submarine, and U.S. Navy gunners on board Felix Taussig fired four rounds at it, claiming a hit with their last shot. For the action, the commander of her gun crews, Chief Gunner's Mate Henry R. Chambers, received the Navy Cross. [3]

During the predawn hours of 27 August 1918, Felix Taussig was in the Atlantic Ocean south of Long Island, New York, nearing the end of a voyage from Bordeaux, France, to New York City, while a U.S. Navy force consisting of the destroyer USS Patterson and 11 submarine chasers were patrolling the area in search of German submarines, with the submarine chasers proceeding in a scouting line. At 02:40, Felix Taussig sighted the submarine chaser USS SC-209 on her port beam, headed in the same direction. SC-209 drew ahead of Felix Taussig and then crossed her bow. SC-209 was operating without running lights, and in the darkness Felix Taussig's crew mistook her for a German submarine. Her 3-inch (76.2 mm) forward gun fired four rounds, and her 4-inch (102 mm) after gun fired one. After the third shot, SC-209 turned on her running lights to identify herself as friendly, but the last shots were fired before the gunners aboard Felix Taussig received the order to cease firing. The second and fourth 3-inch rounds struck SC-209, and SC-209 caught fire and sank in only three minutes at 40°08′N073°12′W / 40.133°N 73.200°W / 40.133; -73.200 (USS SC-209) with the loss of two officers and 16 enlisted men. The submarine chaser USS SC-188 rescued SC-209's five survivors, four of whom were wounded. Patterson and two other submarine chasers searched the area but found no more survivors. Felix Taussig stood by to render assistance until Patterson directed her to continue her voyage to New York City. Patterson carried the wounded survivors into New York Harbor for transfer to the U.S. Navy hospital ship USS Comfort. The sinking of SC-209 was the U.S. Navy's largest loss of life in a single friendly fire incident during World War I. [4] [5] [6]

United States Navy service

Felix Taussig on 20 October 1943. SS FelixTaussig 20 October 1943.jpg
Felix Taussig on 20 October 1943.
Ata SS Ata.jpg
Ata

The U.S. Navy acquired Felix Taussig on 29 August 1918, assigned her the identification number 2282, and commissioned her on 31 August 1918 as USS Felix Taussig with Lieutenant Commander Charles R. Calhoun in command.

Assigned to the Naval Overseas Transportation Service and using Philadelphia as her departure port, Felix Taussig made three voyages to France — two to Brest and one to Bordeaux and St. Nazaire — between 17 September 1918 and 1 April 1919. She carried provisions and general cargo for the U.S. Army to France and returned to Philadelphia in ballast , although she did carry some passengers on her last voyage. At Philadelphia on 26 April 1919, she was decommissioned, transferred to the United States Shipping Board, [2] and returned to the Crowell & Thurlow Steamship Company.

Later career

The ship returned to commercial service as SS Felix Taussig. During World War II, she was among 37 merchant ships escorted by eight warships in Convoy TAG 18, [7] a TAG convoy operating in the Caribbean on the route Trinidad-Aruba-Guantanamo Bay. [8] During its 2-8 November 1942 transit, the convoy came under attack by the German submarines U-129 and U-160, which sank six ships. [7] Felix Taussig′s embarked United States Navy Armed Guard received the American Campaign Medal with a battle star for service during the convoy battle. [9]

Felix Taussig remained in service under the American flag until 1948, when she was sold to Italian interests. Renamed Ata, she then operated under the Italian flag until she was scrapped in 1953.

Honors and awards

Related Research Articles

USS <i>Blueback</i> (SS-326) Balao-class submarine of the United States Navy

USS Blueback (SS-326), a Balao-class submarine in commission from 1944 to 1948, was the first submarine of the United States Navy to be named for the blueback salmon, also known as the sockeye salmon. She completed three war patrols in the South China Sea and Java Sea during World War II. She sank a 300-displacement ton submarine chaser as well as eight smaller vessels.

USS <i>Bluegill</i> Submarine of the United States

USS Bluegill (SS-242/SSK-242) was a Gato-class submarine in commission in the United States Navy from 1943 to 1946, from 1951 to 1952, and from 1953 to 1969. She was named for the bluegill, a sunfish of the Mississippi Valley.

USS <i>Patterson</i> (DD-36) Paulding-class destroyer

The first USS Patterson (DD-36) was a modified Paulding-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War I and later in the United States Coast Guard, designated as CG-16. She was named for Daniel Patterson.

USS <i>O-6</i> O-class submarine of the United States

USS O-6 (SS-67) was an O-class submarine in commission in the United States Navy from 1918 to 1931 and from 1941 to 1945. She served in both World War I and World War II.

USS <i>Pastores</i> (AF-16) Cargo ship of the United States Navy

USS Pastores (AF-16) was a Pastores class store ship acquired by the U.S. Navy during World War I and re-acquired during World War II. Pastores served as a stores ship, responsible for delivering supplies to military personnel in combat and non-combat areas. She served in both World War I and II, and was awarded one battle star during World War II.

USS <i>SC-48</i>

USS SC-48, sometimes styled as either Submarine Chaser No. 48 or S.C.-48, was an SC-1-class submarine chaser built for the United States Navy during World War I. Like most members of her class, she was not named and known only by her designation.

SS <i>Empire Miniver</i> British steam merchant ship

The SS Empire Miniver was a British steam merchant ship. She was originally an American merchant, launched in 1918 as SS West Cobalt. During a brief stint in the United States Navy in 1919, she was known as USS West Cobalt (ID-3836).

<i>Seisho Maru</i> Cargo ship for Mitsui Bussan Kaisho (1918)

Seisho Maru was a cargo ship for Mitsui Bussan Kaisho in military service that was sunk by an American submarine during World War II. The ship had been built as SS West Caruth, a cargo ship for the United States Shipping Board (USSB) shortly after the end of World War I. Shortly after completion, the ship was inspected by the United States Navy for possible use as USS West Caruth (ID-2850) but was neither taken into the Navy nor ever commissioned under that name. Before being sold to Japanese owners in 1928, she was also known as SS Exmoor and SS Antonio Tripcovich.

USS <i>Texan</i> Cargo ship of the United States Navy

USS Texan (ID-1354) was a United States Navy cargo ship and troop transport in commission from 1918 to 1919.

USS West Gambo (ID-3220) was a steel-hulled, single-screw cargo ship that served in the United States Navy from 1918 to 1919. She later saw commercial service as SS West Gambo and SS Empire Hartebeeste, and under the latter name was sunk during World War II.

USS <i>Dreadnaught</i> (YT-34) Tugboat of the United States Navy

USS Dreadnaught (ID-1951), later YT-534 and YNG-21, was a United States Navy tug that was in service from 1918 to 1944.

USS West Mead (ID-3548), also spelled Westmead, was a United States Navy cargo ship in commission from 1918 to 1919.

<i>SC-1</i>-class submarine chaser

The SC-1 class was a large class of submarine chasers built during World War I for the United States Navy. They were ordered in very large numbers in order to combat attacks by German U-boats, with 442 boats built from 1917 to 1919.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Navy operations during World War I</span>

United States Navy operations during World War I began on April 6, 1917, after the formal declaration of war on the German Empire. The American navy focused on countering enemy U-boats in the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea while convoying men and supplies to France and Italy. Because of United States's late entry into the war, her capital ships never engaged the German fleet and few decisive submarine actions occurred.

USS <i>Westpool</i> (ID-3675) Cargo ship of the United States Navy

USS Westpool (ID-3675) – sometimes written as West Pool – was a cargo ship of the United States Navy that served during World War I and its immediate aftermath. As SS Westpool, she was sunk during World War II after being sold to the United Kingdom for use as a merchant ship.

USS <i>Western Chief</i> (ID-3161) Cargo ship of the United States Navy

USS Western Chief (ID-3161) was a cargo ship of the United States Navy that served during World War I and its immediate aftermath. As SS Western Chief, she was sunk during World War II after being sold to the United Kingdom for use as a merchant ship.

USS <i>SC-209</i>

USS SC-209, prior to July 1920 known as USS Submarine Chaser No. 209 or USS S.C. 209, was an SC-1-class submarine chaser in commission in the United States Navy during 1918. She was the victim of the deadliest friendly fire incident involving the U.S. Navy during World War I.

USS SC-94, prior to July 1920 known as USS Submarine Chaser No. 94 or USS S.C. 94, was an SC-1-class submarine chaser built for the United States Navy during World War I. She operated as part of the Otranto Barrage during the war.

USS SC-151, prior to July 1920 known as USS Submarine Chaser No. 151 or USS S.C. 151, was an SC-1-class submarine chaser built for the United States Navy during World War I. She operated as part of the Otranto Barrage during the war.

USS <i>SC-227</i> US naval vessel in WWI and WWII

USS SC-227, prior to July 1920 known as USS Submarine Chaser No. 227 or USS S.C. 227, was an SC-1-class submarine chaser built for the United States Navy during World War I. She operated as part of the Otranto Barrage during the war.

References

Footnotes

Bibliography