''Swan'' was a Conservation Commission of Maryland motorboat. The

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 ...

approached the Conservation Commission shortly after the nation's entry into World War I proposing the commission's boats be used to maintain constant local patrols. The state legislature agreed that the boats and men of the state force would become part of the U.S. Naval Reserve providing they patrol the same districts for fisheries enforcement as well as federal interests with the benefit that patrol time would be increased and the expense for all be paid by the federal government. ''Swan'' was thus acquired by the U.S. Navy on 17 August 1917 for

section patrol A Section Patrol Craft was a civilian vessel registered by the United States Navy for potential wartime service before, during, and shortly after World War I. Historical overview The SP/ID registration system In 1916, with World War I raging a ...

duty in the

5th Naval District The naval district was a U.S. Navy military and administrative command ashore. Apart from Naval District Washington, the Districts were disestablished and renamed Navy Regions about 1999, and are now under Commander, Naval Installations Command ...

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 boat was apparently never commissioned or placed in service and was 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 autho ...

in April 1918 and subsequently returned to the Conservation Commission.Under terms of the agreement the Commission would maintain use of the boat throughout so that "return" is probably inaccurate. ''Swan'' was sold in 1920 for $190 with receipts put into the commission's Purchasing and Refitting Account.

Footnotes

References

External links

NavSource Online: Section Patrol Craft Photo Archive Swan (SP 1437)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Swan Maritime history of Maryland Chesapeake Bay boats Cancelled ships of the United States Navy