USS ''Music'' (SP-1288) was a Maryland State Fishery Force power boat owned by the Conservation Commission of Maryland that operated as 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 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 they ...

in a dual state/Navy role during 1917—1918. The boat 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 ...

motor launch in 1914 by the Chance Marine Construction Company at

Annapolis Annapolis ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Maryland and the county seat of, and only incorporated city in, Anne Arundel County. Situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east o ...

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

. The Navy approached the Conservation Commission shortly after the nation's entry into

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 ...

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. The Maryland State Fishery Force boats began operating under a contract in which they were under a free lease to the

in August 1917, serving as Squadron Number 8 of 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 ...

, patrolling their regular areas enforcing state conservation law and federal laws. They were under the command of a Conservation Commission member who was also a Lieutenant in the Navy with all expenses, wages, supplies and repairs paid by the federal government. On 17 August 1917 ''Music'' became a

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 ...

boat under the agreement and was commissioned as USS ''Music'' (SP-1288) assigned to the 5th Naval District. ''Music'' served on patrol and inspection duties in

Hampton Roads Hampton Roads is the name of both a body of water in the United States that serves as a wide channel for the James River, James, Nansemond River, Nansemond and Elizabeth River (Virginia), Elizabeth rivers between Old Point Comfort and Sewell's ...

and on the Elizabeth River in

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 ...

during World War I. ''Music'' returned to exclusive use by the Conservation Commission on 24 September 1918. On return to the state force the boat was assigned to patrol out of

Port Republic, Maryland Port Republic is a small, rural unincorporated community located at the crossroads of MD routes 2/ MD 4, MD 264, MD 509, MD 765, and Parkers Creek Road in Calvert County, Maryland, United States. It is approximately five miles south of Prince F ...

along with the power boat ''Dorothy''. In 1920 older boats were sold with ''Music'' being sold for $625.

References

(

Other Maryland Fishery Force vessels

''Bessie Jones'', ''Buck'', ''Daisy Archer'', ''Dorothy'', ''Frolic'', , ''Julia Hamilton'', '' Helen Baughman'', ''Murray'', ''Music'', ''Nellie Jackson'', ''Nettie'', ''Severn'', ''St. Mary's'', and ''Swan'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Music (SP-1288) Maritime history of Maryland Chesapeake Bay boats Patrol vessels of the United States Navy World War I patrol vessels of the United States Ships built in Annapolis, Maryland 1914 ships

See also

References

Other Maryland Fishery Force vessels