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The designation of high endurance cutter (WHEC) was created in 1965 when the United States Coast Guard adopted its own designation system. High endurance cutters encompass the largest cutters previously designated by the United States Navy as gunboats, destroyer escorts, and seaplane tenders. [1] The term High Endurance Cutter may refer to any of five individual ship classes that have seen service in the Coast Guard.
The US Coast Guard's predecessor, the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service designated cutters and craft based on classes. From approximately 1890 through to the formation of the US Coast Guard in 1915, the largest cutters were considered "First" class, coastal cutters and large tugs "Second" class, and small tugs and cutters "Third" class. Small harbor craft and similar vessels were referred to as "Launches".
With the formation of the US Coast Guard in 1915 classes were replaced by names. First class vessels became Cruising Cutters, while second and third class vessels became Harbor Cutters. This was further divided in 1920 when former second class ships were designated Inshore Patrol Cutters. Small craft continued to be referred to as Launches.
Starting during Prohibition as part of the US Coast Guard's response to liquor smuggling, the service commissioned a number of ex-US Navy destroyers to enhance the fleet. These vessels were classified as Coast Guard Destroyers until 1942 when the Coast Guard adopted Navy-style ship classifications. To distinguish US Navy ships from Coast Guard ships, the prefix letter "W" was affixed in front of all Coast Guard ship classifications. "W" was selected as it was unused in the Navy, and was thus free to be assigned without changing or confusing existing classifications.
Following the conclusion of World War II, the Coast Guard was transferred back to control of the US Treasury Department, but retained the ship classification system.
In 1965 the Coast Guard began classifying all large cutters as High Endurance Cutters (WHEC).
During prohibition and post-World War II, several destroyers and destroyer escorts were transferred to the Coast Guard.
Sampson-class destroyers
Tucker-class destroyers
O'Brien-class destroyers
Cassin-class destroyers
Paulding-class destroyers
Clemson-class destroyers
Edsall-class destroyer escorts
The United States Navy, United States Coast Guard, and United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) use a hull classification symbol to identify their ships by type and by individual ship within a type. The system is analogous to the pennant number system that the Royal Navy and other European and Commonwealth navies use.
USS Paulding (DD-22) was the lead ship of Paulding-class destroyers in the United States Navy. She was named for Rear Admiral Hiram A. Paulding (1797-1878). She was in commission from 1910 to 1919 and saw service in World War I.
The Medium Endurance Cutter or WMEC is a type of United States Coast Guard Cutter mainly consisting of the 270-foot (82 m) Famous- and 210-foot (64 m) Reliance-class cutters. These larger cutters are under control of Area Commands. These cutters have adequate accommodations for crew to live on board and can do 6 to 8 week patrols.
The O'Brien class of destroyers was a class of six ships designed by and built for the United States Navy shortly before the United States entered World War I. The O'Brien class was the third of five classes of destroyers that were known as the "thousand tonners", because they were the first U.S. destroyers over 1,000 long tons (1,016 t) displacement.
The Tucker class of destroyers was a ship class of six ships designed by and built for the United States Navy shortly before the United States entered World War I. The Tucker class was the fourth of five classes of destroyers that were known as the "thousand tonners", because they were the first U.S. destroyers over 1,000 long tons (1,016 t) displacement.
The Treasury-class cutter was a group of seven high endurance cutters launched by the United States Coast Guard between 1936 and 1937. The class were called the "Treasury class" because they were each named for former Secretaries of the Treasury. These ships were also collectively known as the "327's" as they were all 327 feet (100 m) in length. The Treasury-class cutters proved versatile and long-lived warships. Most served the United States for over 40 years, including with distinction through World War II, Korea, and Vietnam.
The Defoe Shipbuilding Company was a small ship builder established in 1905 in Bay City, Michigan, United States. It ceased to operate in 1976 after failing to renew its contracts with the United States Navy. The site of the former company is now being developed for business and housing on the bank of the Saginaw River.
USS Biscayne (AVP-11), later AGC-18, was a United States Navy Barnegat-class seaplane tender in commission as a seaplane tender from 1941 to 1943 and as an amphibious force flagship from 1943 to 1946. She saw service during World War II. Transferred to the United States Coast Guard after the war, she was in commission as the Coast Guard cutter USCGC Dexter (WAGC-385), later WAVP-385 and WHEC-385, from 1946 to 1952 and from 1958 to 1968.
USS Coos Bay (AVP-25) was a United States Navy Barnegat-class small seaplane tender in commission from 1943 to 1946 that saw service during the latter half of World War II. After the war, she was in commission in the United States Coast Guard from 1949 to 1966 as the cutter USCGC Coos Bay (WAVP-376), later WHEC-376.
USS Unimak (AVP-31) was a United States Navy Barnegat-class small seaplane tender in commission from 1943 to 1946 that saw service in World War II. After the war, she was in commission in the United States Coast Guard as the cutter USCGC Unimak (WAVP-379), later WHEC-379, WTR-379, and again WHEC-379, from 1949 to 1975 and from 1977 to 1988.
USCG Chautauqua (WHEC-41) was an Owasco-class high endurance cutter which served with the US Coast Guard from 1945 to 1973. Originally intended for World War II service, she was commissioned only days before the end of hostilities and consequently never saw combat.
USCGC Wachusett (WHEC-44) was an Owasco-class high endurance cutter built for World War II service with the United States Coast Guard. She was commissioned too late for service in that war and consequently did not see wartime service until the Vietnam War.
USCGC Winona (WHEC-65) was an Owasco class high endurance cutter built for World War II service with the United States Coast Guard. The war ended before the ship was completed and consequently she did not see wartime service until the Vietnam War.
USCGC Klamath (WHEC-66) was an Owasco-class high endurance cutter built for World War II service with the United States Coast Guard. The war ended before the ship was completed and consequently Klamath did not see wartime service until the Vietnam War.
USCGC Androscoggin (WHEC-68) was an Owasco-class high endurance cutter built for World War II service with the United States Coast Guard. The war ended before the ship was completed and consequently Androscoggin did not see wartime service until the Vietnam war.
USCGC Mendota (WHEC-69) was an Owasco class high endurance cutter built for World War II service with the United States Coast Guard. The ship was commissioned three months before the end of the war and did not see combat action until the Vietnam war.
USS Humboldt (AVP-21) was a United States Navy Barnegat-class small seaplane tender in commission from 1941 to 1947 that served in the Atlantic during World War II. She was briefly reclassified as a miscellaneous auxiliary and redesignated AG-121 during 1945. After the war, she was in commission in the United States Coast Guard as the cutter USCGC Humboldt (WAVP-372), later WHEC-372, from 1949 to 1969,
The second USS Barataria (AVP-33) was a United States Navy Barnegat-class seaplane tender in commission from 1944 to 1946. She saw service in the later stages of World War II and was decommissioned postwar. She then was transferred to the United States Coast Guard and was in commission as the Coast Guard cutter USCGC Barataria (WAVP-381), later WHEC-381 from 1949 to 1969, serving in the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Vietnam War during her lengthy Coast Guard career.
The Casco class was a large class of United States Coast Guard cutters in commission from the late 1940s through the late 1980s. They saw service as weather reporting ships in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans until the early 1970s, and some saw combat service during the Vietnam War.
USS Cherokee (AT-66) was a US Navy fleet tug of the Navajo class, later renamed the Cherokee class. She was launched on 10 November 1939 by Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp., Staten Island, New York and sponsored by Miss E. Mark; and commissioned 26 April 1940. Cherokee served during World War II in the North African campaign. She was redesignated ATF-66 on 15 May 1944.