USS ''Avis'' (SP-382) was a

patrol vessel A patrol boat (also referred to as a patrol craft, patrol ship, or patrol vessel) is a relatively small naval vessel generally designed for coastal defence, border security, or law enforcement. There are many designs for patrol boats, and the ...

that served in 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 ...

from 1917 to 1918.

Construction and acquisition

''Avis'' was built as a private

motorboat A motorboat, speedboat or powerboat is a boat that is exclusively 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 gea ...

of the same name in 1908 by Berger at

Manitowoc, Wisconsin Manitowoc () is a city in and the county seat of Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, United States. The city is located on Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Manitowoc River. According to the 2020 census, Manitowoc had a population of 34,626, with ove ...

. On 28 July 1917, the U.S. Navy acquired her from her owners, Richard W. Phillips and H. R. Phillips, for use as a 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 ...

. She was commissioned as USS ''Avis'' (SP-382) the same day.

Operational history

Assigned to the 9th, 10th, and 11th Naval Districts – a single administrative entity created by the almagation of the

9th 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 ...

, 10th Naval District, and 11th Naval District -- ''Avis'' departed

Waukegan, Illinois ''(Fortress or Trading Post)'' , image_flag = , image_seal = , blank_emblem_size = 150 , blank_emblem_type = Logo , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_type1 = State , subdivisi ...

, in September 1917 to take up

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 ...

duties at the section headquarters at

Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan Sault Ste. Marie ( ') is the only city in, and county seat of, Chippewa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. With a population of 13,337 at the 2020 census, it is the second-most populated city in the Upper Peninsula after Marquette. It i ...

, from which she patrolled the

canal Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface flo ...

system connecting

Lake Superior Lake Superior in central North America is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface areaThe Caspian Sea is the largest lake, but is saline, not freshwater. and the third-largest by volume, holding 10% of the world's surface fresh wa ...

and Lake Huron. She moved to

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...

, Michigan, on 10 November 1917 to prepare to be laid up over the winter of 1917-1918 while the Great Lakes were frozen over. On 15 November 1917 she turned over her logbooks to the section commander at Detroit and became inactive for the winter. On 9 May 1918, the

training ship A training ship is a ship used to train students as sailors. The term is mostly used to describe ships employed by navies to train future officers. Essentially there are two types: those used for training at sea and old hulks used to house class ...

departed Detroit with ''Avis'' under tow, bound for Sault Ste. Marie, where they arrived on 12 May 1918. ''Avis'' then began reactivation there, and resumed her patrols of the Sault Ste. Marie canal system on 1 June 1918. She continued them until the end of World War I on 11 November 1918.

Disposal

''Avis'' was decommissioned, 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 ...

, and returned to her owners on 15 November 1918.

References

*
Department of the Navy Naval History and Heritage Command Online Library of Selected Images: Civilian Ships: ''Avis'' (American Motor Boat, 1908). Served as USS ''Avis'' (SP-382) in 1917-1918
{{DEFAULTSORT:Avis (SP-382) Patrol vessels of the United States Navy World War I patrol vessels of the United States Ships built in Superior, Wisconsin 1908 ships Great Lakes ships