USS Wakiva II (SP-160) was a steel-hulled steam yacht that was built in Scotland for Lamon V. Harkness in 1907, and converted into an armed yacht in 1917. She was a United States Navy convoy escort from Brest, France from October 1917. That November she attacked and almost certainly sank an enemy U-boat. She was sunk in May 1918 by a collision that killed two of her crew.
In 1903 Ramage & Ferguson of Leith, near Edinburgh, launched a 192-foot (59m) steam yacht for Lamon V. Harkness.[1] In 1907 the same builders launched a larger yacht for Harkness, also called Wakiva.[2] Both yachts were officially registered as "Wakiva",[3] but the second is commonly called Wakiva II to avoid confusion.
Wakiva II's lengths were 239ft 6in (73.0m)overall and 213.2ft (65.0m) registered. Her beam was 30.6ft (9.3m), her depth was 18.0ft (5.5m),[3] and her draft was 15ft 0in (4.57m).[4] Her tonnages were 853GRT and 337NRT.[3]
The ship had twin screws, each driven by a three-cylinder quadruple-expansion steam engine. The combined power of her twin engines was rated at 230 NHP,[3] and gave her a speed of 15 knots (28km/h).[4]
By 1914, Edward L. Doheny had acquired the earlier Wakiva.[5] Lamon Harkness remained the owner of Wakiva II until he died in 1915, whereupon she passed to his executors.[6]
On 26 August, Wakiva II and Squadron Four left Massachusetts for France. En route, the naval trawler USSP. K. Bauman broke down, so Wakiva II took her in tow. They called at Ponta Delgada in the Azores from 6 to 11 September, and reached Brest, France on 18 September. Nine days later, Captain Magruder hauled down his pennant from Wakiva II to establish his headquarters ashore.[4]
In 28 September Wakiva II began convoy escort duty, by putting to sea to meet a convoy 75 nautical miles (139km) west of Ushant. She remained on convoy duty until she was sunk the following year. On 28 October 1917, Wakiva II and USSAlcedo rescued survivors from the troopshipFinland, which had been disabled by a torpedo. Wakiva II launched two of her boats, and members of her crew also crewed one of Finland's lifeboats. Wakiva II picked up 126 of Finland's survivors and landed them at Brest.[4]
On 23 November 1917, Wakiva II sighted an object at 500 yards (460m) range that they took to be a U-boat conning tower. Her crew went to general quarters, she sped toward the object, and she opened fire. After firing seven rounds, Wakiva II got close enough for her crew to see that the object was a convincingly-painted dummy for target practice.[4]
On 28 November Wakiva II left Saint-Nazaire to join and escort a westbound convoy. An oiler in the convoy, USSKanawha, fired two Very flares and sounded her whistle. Wakiva II sounded general quarters and made full speed ahead to screen Kanawha's port beam, while the armed yacht USSNoma closed to screen her starboard beam. After 30 minutes no enemy was sighted, so the three ships rejoined the van of the convoy.[4]
As soon as they rejoined the convoy, Noma sounded the alarm and launched a depth charge at what her crew believed to be a U-boat. Wakiva II took up general quarters again, and headed for Noma. While still 1+1⁄2 nautical miles (3km) from Nova, Wakiva II sighted a periscope at a range of 100 yards (91m). She turned hard-a-port and opened fire with her after guns. Her third salvo was thought to have sheared the periscope.[4]
As Wakiva II passed over the suspected U-boat a second time, she launched a salvo of depth charges. As they exploded, oil and débris came to the surface. Her number one gun hit the wreckage with two shots. As Wakiva II made a third pass, she sighted three men clinging to wreckage. She turned full circle to pick them up, but by the time she reached the spot, only oil and wreckage remained.[4]
Wakiva II on convoy duty in 1917 or 1918.
In his action report after the engagement, Wakiva II's commanding officer praised his crew as a "perfect fighting unit" that showed "admirable coolness and courage", and did not manifest any nervousness or inefficiency. The UK Admiralty credited Wakiva II with only a "probably seriously damaged" U-boat. However, both Vice AdmiralHenry Wilson, who commanded US Navy forces on the French coast, and AdmiralWilliam Sims, who commanded US naval forces in European waters, commended Wakiva II.[4]
On 12 February 1918, Wakiva and two other armed yachts; USS Corsair and May; were escorting three cargo ships. Wakiva II sighted a U-boat running on the surface dead astern. She signalled a warning to the three cargo ships, and opened fire with her number two and number four 3-inch guns. Momentarily she had to suspend fire, to avoid hitting the USSB cargo ship Florence H., which was just beyond where the U-boat had appeared. The U-boat submerged, and Wakiva II hunted her for 90 minutes without finding her.[4]
Loss
Wakiva II continued to patrol from Brest. On 21 May she was part of the escort of a convoy of eight ships. Shortly after sunset, fog set in, so the convoy reduced speed. Wakiva II took station with the 5,448GRTcargo shipUSSWabash. The convoy had been zigzagging as an anti-submarine precaution, but this ceased as visibility reduced. The armed yacht Noma signalled the convoy commodore aboard the troopship USSBlack Arrow to this effect.[4]
By 03:00 hrs on 22 May, visibility briefly improved, but the convoy then entered another fog bank. At 03:10 hrs Wakiva II's crew heard Wabash's whistle, but could not see her. Wabash whistled again, whereupon Wakiva II's commanding officer, Lieutenant Commander EG Allen, ordered her helm on point (11.25 degrees) a-port. Ten seconds later, Wabash whistled a third time.[4]
Wabash now appeared from the fog. Allen telegraphed full ahead and ordered the helm to port. But Wabash's bow struck Wakiva II's starboard quarter, just abaft the mainmast and forward of the after guns, and cutting into the yacht's hull from her main deck down to her starboard propeller shaft. The general alarm was sounded aboard the yacht. The impact threw the starboard sides of the two ships against each other, and carried away Wabash's starboard lifeboats. Then the two ships parted, and Wabash slowly moved astern of Wakiva II.[4]
Wakiva II carried depth charges and mines on the fantail of her stern. Chief Gunner's Mate Oliver P. Cooper, USNRF, ran aft, removed the detonating pins from every mine, set every mine to "safe", and within five minutes reported that all was secure. Electrician Second Class Charles E. Kirkpatrick, UNSRF, was on duty as Wakiva II's wireless telegraphist. He remained at his post, transmitting distress signals, and did not abandon ship until the last possible moment. Chief Boatswain's Mate Thomas Olson, USNRF, rigged out the motor whaleboat and rousted out men from below decks. Then he and Allen inspected and cleared the ship. As the engine room flooded, Machinist Mate First Class Charles AA Smith began to start her pumps, then realised that they could not cope with the rate at which water was entering the hull.[4]
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References
↑ "Wakiva (yard number 189)". Scottish Built Ships. Caledonian Maritime Research Trust. Retrieved 11 September 2024.
↑ "Wakiva (yard number 209)". Scottish Built Ships. Caledonian Maritime Research Trust. Retrieved 11 September 2024.
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