 Talofa as a private yacht sometime between 1910 and 1917. | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | USS Talofa |
| Namesake | Previous name retained |
| Builder | George Lawley & Son, Neponset, Massachusetts |
| Completed | 1910 |
| Acquired | 16 [1] or 28 [2] April [3] 1917 |
| Commissioned | 16 April [4] or 8 May [5] 1917 |
| Fate | Returned to owner 24 April 1919 [6] |
| Notes | Operated as private yacht Talofa 1910-1917 and from 1919 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Patrol vessel |
| Tonnage | 82 Gross register tons |
| Length | 101 ft 0 in (30.78 m) |
| Beam | 15 ft 0 in (4.57 m) |
| Draft | 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) mean |
| Propulsion | Steam engine |
| Speed | 12 knots |
| Complement | 19 |
| Armament | 2 × 3-pounder guns |
USS Talofa (SP-1016) was a United States Navy patrol vessel in commission from 1917 to 1919.
Talofa was built in 1910 as a private steam yacht of the same name by George Lawley & Son at Neponset, Massachusetts. In April 1917, the U.S. Navy acquired her under a free lease from her owner, Eben H. Ellison, for use as a section patrol boat during World War I; sources disagree on the date of acquisition, claiming both 16 [7] and 28 [8] April [9] 1917. She was commissioned as USS Talofa (SP-1016); sources also disagree on her commissioning date, claiming both 16 April [10] and 8 May [11] 1917.
Assigned to the 1st Naval District in northern New England, Talofa carried out patrol duties through the end of World War I and into 1919.
The Navy returned Talofa to Ellison by no later than 24 April 1919, [12] and her name subsequently was stricken from the Navy List.
