The first USS ''Pocomoke'' (SP-571), later USS ''SP-571'', 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 1917 to 1918. ''Pocomoke'' 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 ...

freight boat of the same name by Brewster Brothers at

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

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 U.S. Navy acquired her from her owner, the Fish Commission of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in 1917 for

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 ...

service as a patrol vessel. She was commissioned on 24 April 1917 as USS ''Pocomoke'' (SP-571). ''Pocomoke'' operated on section patrol duty for the rest of World War I. The Navy returned ''Pocomoke'' to the Fish Commission on 22 October 1918. ''Pocomoke'' should not be confused with USS ''Pocomoke'' (SP-265), a minesweeper also in commission during World War I.

References

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NavSource Online: Section Patrol Craft Photo Archive: SP-571 ex-Pocomoke (SP 571)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pocomoke (SP-571) Patrol vessels of the United States Navy World War I patrol vessels of the United States Ships built in Baltimore