USS ''Robert H. McCurdy'' (SP-3096 or ID-3157)According to the ''Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships'' at http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/r7/robert_h_mccurdy_.htm an

''Robert H. McCurdy'' has the section patrol number SP-3157; according t
of the Navy Naval History and Heritage Command Online Library of Selected Images: U.S. Navy Ships: USS ''Robert H. McCurdy'' (ID # 3157), 1918-1919 Originally the civilian schooner ''Robert H. McCurdy'' (1903)
she had the naval registry identification number 3157 (ID-3157). was a

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

patrol vessel in commission from 1918 to 1919.

Construction, acquisition, and commissioning

''Robert H. McCurdy'' was built as a

civilian Civilians under international humanitarian law are "persons who are not members of the armed forces" and they are not "combatants if they carry arms openly and respect the laws and customs of war". It is slightly different from a non-combatant, b ...

wooden four-

mast Mast, MAST or MASt may refer to: Engineering * Mast (sailing), a vertical spar on a sailing ship * Flagmast, a pole for flying a flag * Guyed mast, a structure supported by guy-wires * Mooring mast, a structure for docking an airship * Radio mast ...

schooner A schooner () is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: fore-and-aft rigged on all of two or more masts and, in the case of a two-masted schooner, the foremast generally being shorter than the mainmast. A common variant, the topsail schoon ...

of the same name in 1903 by Cobb, Butler & Company at

Rockland Rockland may refer to: People *Per Bergsland, nicknamed Peter Rockland, one of three successful escapees from Stalag Luft III (the "Great Escape") Places ;In Canada *Rockland, Greater Victoria *Rockland, Nova Scotia *Rockland, Ontario ;In the Uni ...

Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and north ...

. In 1918, the U.S. Navy purchased her from W. S. Job & Company for use as a section patrol boat during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. The Navy took control of her on 25 July 1918 at

Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

, and commissioned her the same day at as USS ''Robert H. McCurdy'' (SP-3096 or ID-3096).

Operational history

''Robert H. McCurdy'' remained in the Norfolk area until mid-August 1918, when she moved to

Lewes Lewes () is the county town of East Sussex, England. It is the police and judicial centre for all of Sussex and is home to Sussex Police, East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service, Lewes Crown Court and HMP Lewes. The civil parish is the centre of ...

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...

, joining the submarine tender USS ''Savannah'' (Submarine Tender No. 8) there as a unit of Division 8 of the

United States Atlantic Fleet United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Arts and entertainment Films * ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film * ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two fi ...

submarine force. She operated from Lewes as a decoy ship teamed with a U.S Navy

submarine A submarine (or sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely op ...

following her during antisubmarine patrols off the

United States East Coast The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, the Atlantic Coast, and the Atlantic Seaboard, is the coastline along which the Eastern United States meets the North Atlantic Ocean. The eastern seaboard contains the coa ...

. It was hoped that her innocent appearance would lure unsuspecting

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

submarines to the surface to attack her with gunfire, allowing the submerged U.S. Navy submarine nearby to

torpedo A modern torpedo is an underwater ranged weapon launched above or below the water surface, self-propelled towards a target, and with an explosive warhead designed to detonate either on contact with or in proximity to the target. Historically, su ...

and sink them. However, ''Robert H. McCurdy'' never encountered a German submarine. In late October 1918, ''Robert H. McCurdy'' was rebased at Cold Spring Inlet at Cape May, New Jersey. On 29 November 1918 she moved to

Atlantic City Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, Boardwalk (entertainment district), boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020 United States censu ...

, New Jersey, where she assisted in minesweeping work until 8 December 1918. She then returned to Cold Spring Inlet.

Disposal

Late in January 1919, ''Robert H. McCurdy'' was towed to

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

, where she arrived on 29 January 1919 for inactivation. She was both decommissioned there in February 1919 and subsequently stricken from the

Navy List A Navy Directory, formerly the Navy List or Naval Register is an official list of naval officers, their ranks and seniority, the ships which they command or to which they are appointed, etc., that is published by the government or naval author ...

. She was sold in June 1919.

Notes

Bibliography

External links

of the Navy Naval History and Heritage Command Online Library of Selected Images: U.S. Navy Ships: USS ''Robert H. McCurdy'' (ID # 3157), 1918-1919 Originally the civilian schooner ''Robert H. McCurdy'' (1903)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Robert H. McCurdy (SP-3157) Schooners of the United States Navy Patrol vessels of the United States Navy World War I patrol vessels of the United States Minesweepers of the United States Navy World War I minesweepers of the United States Ships built in Rockland, Maine 1903 ships Four-masted ships Q-ships of the United States Navy