| History | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Name: | USS Gretchen |
| Namesake: | Previous name retained |
| Completed: | 1902 |
| Acquired: | 20 August 1917 |
| Commissioned: | 24 August 1917 |
| Decommissioned: | 1 January 1919 |
| Fate: | Returned to owners 1 January 1919 |
| Notes: | Operated as civilian motorboat Gretchen 1902-1917 and from 1919 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Patrol vessel |
| Tonnage: | 11 gross register tons |
| Length: | 54 ft (16 m) |
| Beam: | 12 ft (3.7 m) |
| Draft: | 3 ft 6 in (1.07 m) |
| Speed: | 9 knots |
| Armament: | 2 × 6-pounder guns |
The second USS Gretchen (SP-1181) was a United States Navy patrol vessel in commission from 1917 to 1919.
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 air force in the world, after the United States Air Force.
Gretchen was built as a civilian motorboat of the same name in 1902 by White of Belhaven, North Carolina. On 20 August 1917, the U.S. Navy acquired her from her owners, the North Carolina Fisheries Commission, for use as a section patrol boat during World War I. She was commissioned as USS Gretchen (SP-1181) at Oriental, North Carolina, on 24 August 1917 with Master I. H. Scarborough, USNRF, in command.
In general, a civilian is "a person who is not a member of the military or of a police or firefighting force". The definition distinguishes from persons whose duties involves risking their lives to protect the public at large from hazardous situations such as terrorism, riots, conflagrations, or wars. It also does not include "criminals" in the category, as authorities and the media wants to distinguish between those who are law-abiding and those who are not.
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.
Belhaven is a town in Beaufort County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 1,688 at the 2010 Census. Belhaven is located in North Carolina's Inner Banks region.
After fitting out at Norfolk, Virginia, Gretchen was assigned to the 5th Naval District and based at the patrol station at Wanchese, North Carolina. She cruised Albemarle Sound and Pamlico Sound on section patrol duty for the remainder of World War I. She also performed inspection and patrol duties for the North Carolina Fisheries Commission during the period.
Fitting-out, or "outfitting”, is the process in shipbuilding that follows the float-out of a vessel and precedes sea trials. It is the period when all the remaining construction of the ship is completed and readied for delivery to her owners. Since most of the fitting-out process is interior work, this stage can overlap with latter stages, such as the sea trials.
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. At the 2010 census, the population was 242,803; in 2017, the population was estimated to be 244,703 making it the second-most populous city in Virginia after neighboring Virginia Beach.
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States located between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" due to its status as the first English colonial possession established in mainland North America and "Mother of Presidents" because eight U.S. presidents were born there, more than any other state. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are shaped by the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Chesapeake Bay, which provide habitat for much of its flora and fauna. The capital of the Commonwealth is Richmond; Virginia Beach is the most populous city, and Fairfax County is the most populous political subdivision. The Commonwealth's estimated population as of 2018 is over 8.5 million.
Gretchen was decommissioned and simultaneously returned to the fisheries commission on 1 January 1919.
Gretchen should not be confused with USS Gretchen (SP-423), another patrol vessel in U.S. Navy service at the same time.
The first USS Gretchen (SP-423) was a patrol vessel acquired by the United States Navy in 1917.
