 Among boats photographed on 16 May 1917 after their acquisition by the U.S. Navy is Gypsy, second from left. The boat on the far left is unidentified. The rest, left to right, are USS Doris B. IV (SP-625), USS Venture (SP-616), and USS Comber (SP 344). | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Name: | Gypsy (planned) |
| Namesake: | Previous name retained |
| Builder: | George Lawley and Sons, Neponset, Massachusetts |
| Completed: | 1912 |
| Acquired: | 11 May 1917 |
| Commissioned: | Never |
| Struck: | 23 November 1917 |
| Fate: | Burned while fitting out 20 June 1917 |
| Notes: | Operated as private motorboat Gypsy 1912-1917 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Patrol vessel (planned) |
| Displacement: | 22 tons |
| Length: | 61 ft (19 m) |
| Beam: | 10 ft 3 in (3.12 m) |
| Draft: | 3 ft 6 in (1.07 m) |
| Speed: | 11 knots |
Gypsy (SP-55) was the planned designation for a motorboat the United States Navy acquired in 1917 for use as a patrol vessel but which was destroyed by a fire before she could be commissioned. [1]
A motorboat, speedboat, or powerboat is a boat which is powered by an engine. Some motorboats are fitted with inboard engines, others have an outboard motor installed on the rear, containing the internal combustion engine, the gearbox and the propeller in one portable unit.
The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most capable navy in the world and it has been estimated that in terms of tonnage of its active battle fleet alone, it is larger than the next 13 navies combined, which includes 11 U.S. allies or partner nations. with the highest combined battle fleet tonnage and the world's largest aircraft carrier fleet, with eleven in service, and two new carriers under construction. With 319,421 personnel on active duty and 99,616 in the Ready Reserve, the Navy is the third largest of the service branches. It has 282 deployable combat vessels and more than 3,700 operational aircraft as of March 2018, making it the second largest and second most powerful air force in the world.
Gypsy was built in 1912 by George Lawley and Sons at Neponset, Massachusetts as a private motorboat. [1] The U.S. Navy purchased Gypsy on 11 May 1917 for World War I service for $9,000 from Robert F. Herrick of Boston, who also owned Apache that was also purchased by the Navy on 23 May 1917 just before completion. [1] [2] The craft was intended to use her as a patrol boat in the Section Patrol. However, before she could be commissioned, she was completely destroyed by an accidental fire while fitting out, on 20 June 1917 off coast of the U.S. Coast Guard Station Allerton Point, south east of Boston, Massachusetts. [1]
Massachusetts, officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It borders on the Atlantic Ocean to the east, the states of Connecticut and Rhode Island to the south, New Hampshire and Vermont to the north, and New York to the west. The state is named after the Massachusett tribe, which once inhabited the east side of the area, and is one of the original thirteen states. The capital of Massachusetts is Boston, which is also the most populous city in New England. Over 80% of Massachusetts's population lives in the Greater Boston metropolitan area, a region influential upon American history, academia, and industry. Originally dependent on agriculture, fishing and trade, Massachusetts was transformed into a manufacturing center during the Industrial Revolution. During the 20th century, Massachusetts's economy shifted from manufacturing to services. Modern Massachusetts is a global leader in biotechnology, engineering, higher education, finance, and maritime trade.
World War I, also known as the First World War or the Great War, was a global war originating in Europe that lasted from 28 July 1914 to 11 November 1918. Contemporaneously described as "the war to end all wars", it led to the mobilisation of more than 70 million military personnel, including 60 million Europeans, making it one of the largest wars in history. It is also one of the deadliest conflicts in history, with an estimated nine million combatants and seven million civilian deaths as a direct result of the war, while resulting genocides and the 1918 influenza pandemic caused another 50 to 100 million deaths worldwide.
The third USS Apache (SP-729), later USS SP-729, was an armed motorboat that served in the United States Navy as a patrol vessel from 1917 to 1919.
Gypsy was stricken from the Navy List on 23 November 1919. [1]
A Navy List or Naval Register is an official list of naval officers, their ranks and seniority, the ships which they command or to which they are appointed, etc., that is published by the government or naval authorities of a country.
