USS ''Luster'' (IX‑82), was a yacht which 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 ...

as a patrol boat during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. She was built as ''Ko‑Asa'' in 1936 by M. M. Davis & Sons of

Solomons, Maryland Solomons, also known as Solomons Island, is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Calvert County, Maryland, United States. The population was 2,368 at the 2010 census, up from 1,536 in 2000. Solomons is a popular weekend ...

, and purchased by the Navy from George Marshall Allen of

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

on 21 July 1942; and placed in service on 14 August 1942.

Service history

Renamed ''Luster'' on 2 September 1942, the converted yacht was assigned to the

7th 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 ...

Local Defense Force,

Port Everglades Port Everglades is a seaport in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, located in Broward County. Port Everglades is one of South Florida's foremost economic engines, as it is the gateway for both international trade and cruise vacations. In 2019, Port Eve ...

section, on 14 August. She was attached to the

Gulf Sea Frontier Sea Frontiers were several, now disestablished, commands of the United States Navy as areas of defense against enemy vessels, especially submarines, along the U.S. coasts. They existed from 1 July 1941 until in some cases the 1970s. Sea Frontiers ...

Force primarily for ASW patrols on the east coast of Florida. She was placed out of service on 24 March 1943, and assigned to the Supervisor of Salvage, USN, Miami, on 22 January 1944 to be operated by

Merritt-Chapman & Scott Merritt-Chapman & Scott, nicknamed "The Black Horse of the Sea", was a noted marine salvage and construction firm of the United States, with worldwide operations. The chief predecessor company was founded in the 1860s by Israel Merritt, but a l ...

Corp. with a civilian crew. She was placed out of service a second time on 26 June 1944 and laid up at Coast Guard Patrol Base, Port Everglades. She was transferred to the

War Shipping Administration The War Shipping Administration (WSA) was a World War II emergency war agency of the US government, tasked to purchase and operate the civilian shipping tonnage the United States needed for fighting the war. Both shipbuilding under the Maritime Co ...

on 20 December 1944 and sold.

References

External links

Photo gallery
at navsource.org {{DEFAULTSORT:Luster (IX-82) Unclassified miscellaneous vessels of the United States Navy Ships built in Solomons, Maryland 1936 ships