USCGC Agassiz

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WHEC-126.png
USCGC Agassiz in 1957 at Cape May, New Jersey
History
Flag of the United States Coast Guard.svgUnited States
NameUSCGC Agassiz
OperatorUnited States Coast Guard United States Navy
Builder American Brown Boveri Electric Corporation, Camden, New Jersey
Cost$63,163 USD
Way numberYard #321
Laid down24 July 1926
Launched30 November 1926
AcquiredDelivered 19 January 1927
Commissioned12 January 1927
Decommissioned13 October 1969
In service1927
Out of service1969
Reclassified1 May 1966
Stricken13 October 1969
FateTransferred to the United States Merchant Marine Academy
General characteristics
Class and type Active-class patrol boat
Displacement232 tons (trial)
Length125 ft (38 m)
Beam23 ft 6 in (7.16 m)
Draft7 ft 6 in (2.29 m)
Propulsion2 × 6-cylinder, 300  hp (220  kW) engines
SpeedAs built: 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph)
Range3,500  nmi (6,500 km; 4,000 mi) At max. speed: 2,500 nmi (4,600 km; 2,900 mi)
Complement3 officers, 17 men at launch; 22 (1938); 38 (1944)
Armament
  • In 1927: 1 × 3-inch (76 mm) 27-caliber gun
  • In 1941: 1 × 3-inch (76 mm) 23-caliber gun, 2 × depth charge tracks, 10 x depth charges

USCGC Agassiz (WSC-126) later WMEC-126, was a steel hulled, single screw Active-class patrol boat of the United States Coast Guard which served between 1927 and 1969.

Contents

Design

USCGC Agassiz (WSC-126) was the second of 35 ships in the Active class, designed to serve as a "mother ship" in support of Prohibition against bootleggers and smugglers along the coasts. These ships would shadow and pursue large smuggling vessels away from American shores. [1] They were meant to be able to stay at sea for long periods of time in any kinds of weather, and were able to expand berthing space via hammocks of the need arises, such as if a large amount of survivors were on board. [2]

She was built by the American Brown Boveri Electric Corporation of Camden, New Jersey at a cost of $63,163. The cutter was laid down on 24 July 1926 as yard number 321 and launched on 30 November 1926 from slipway L. [3] The ship was commissioned on 12 January 1927. Like the rest of her class, she was 125 feet (38 m) long, had a 22-foot-6-inch (6.86 m) beam and a 7-foot-6-inch (2.29 m) draft. A single 3-inch (76 mm) gun was mounted as the offensive weapon as launch. [2]

Agassiz was named for Jean Louis Rodolphe Agassiz, a paleontologist, glaciologist, geologist and naturalist who taught at the University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland and Harvard University, Massachusetts. [4]

Ship history

After being commissioned on 12 January 1927, Agassiz was stationed at Boston as part of Division One, Squadron One of the Offshore Patrol Force, Boston with five other cutters. On 1 August 1933 the ship operated from Fernandina, Florida as part of the Jacksonville Division. In 1936 she was attached to Curtis Bay, Maryland, and during 1940 she operated out of Charleston, South Carolina. She was assigned to the Caribbean Sea Frontier [CARIBSEAFRON] during the Second World War. On 12 March 1942 the cutter saved 11 survivors from the torpedoed tanker SS John D. Gill. Once the war ended the vessel was sent to Morehead City, North Carolina until 1956. In January 1956 the Agassiz aided in the disabled Manitou275 miles (443 km) southeast of Cape Henry, Virginia. Another unnamed merchant vessel was aided 40 miles (64 km) east off Cape Fear, Virginia the same month. The homeport was changed to Cape May, New Jersey in 1956. The ship was redesignated from WSC, Coast Guard Submarine Chaser, to WMEC-126, Coast Guard Medium Endurance Cutter. [3] The grounded Septic Nerve was aided by Agassiz off Little Egg Inlet on 18 October 1961. The disabled Canadian fishing vessel Clara and Linda was aided 160 miles (260 km) east of New York in 1967 during a storm. The fishing vessel Bright Star was escorted to safety 25 miles (40 km) southeast of Cape May on 1 March 1968. [4]

The Agassiz was decommissioned and struck from Coast Guard service on 13 October 1969 and was transferred to the United States Merchant Marine Academy on 16 October 1969 [4] as the vessel Agassiz #607283. [3] The ship's fate after being transferred is unknown.

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References

  1. ↑ Willoughby, Malcolm (1964). Rum War at Sea. Fredonia Books.
  2. 1 2 Flynn, James (2012). "U. S. Coast Guard Patrol Craft Major Classes -100-feet to 150 feet in Length" (PDF).
  3. 1 2 3 "Comments and Corrections: Ask Infoser". Warship International. 55 (1): 23–25. 26 September 2023. JSTOR   44894866 . Retrieved 10 October 2021– via JSTOR.
  4. 1 2 3 "Agassiz, 1927 (WSC / WMEC-126)". United States Coast Guard. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
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