USS ''Tech III'' (SP-1055) 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 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 ...

in commission from August to October 1917. ''Tech III'' 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 1916 by Adolph Apel at

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New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

. On 6 August 1917, the U.S. Navy

lease A lease is a contractual arrangement calling for the user (referred to as the ''lessee'') to pay the owner (referred to as the ''lessor'') for the use of an asset. Property, buildings and vehicles are common assets that are leased. Industrial ...

d her from her owner, the

engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the l ...

and

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...

T. Coleman du Pont (1863–1930) of Wilmington,

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...

, for use as 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 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 on 7 August 1917 as USS ''Tech III'' (SP-1055). Assigned to the 4th Naval District, ''Tech III'' served on patrol duties there. Although Navy inspectors had described her as a "Very fast and desirable boat for general use" prior to her acquisition, she apparently proved unsatisfactory, and her service ended after less than months. ''Tech III'' was decommissioned on 19 October 1917 and ordered returned to du Pont "when repaired".Department of the Navy Naval History and Heritage Command Online Library of Selected Images: Civilian Ships: ''Tech III'' (American Motor Boat, 1916). Served as USS ''Tech III'' (SP-1055) in 1917
Her name did not disappear from the 4th Naval District list of district vessels until the 1 September 1918 issue of the ''

Navy Directory 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 author ...

'', so she seems to have remained in the possession of the Navy until the summer of 1918. Presumably, she was returned to her owner sometime in mid-1918 and her name 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 ...

at that time.

Notes

References

*
Department of the Navy Naval History and Heritage Command Online Library of Selected Images: Civilian Ships: ''Tech III'' (American Motor Boat, 1916). Served as USS ''Tech III'' (SP-1055) in 1917
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tech Iii (Sp-1055) Patrol vessels of the United States Navy World War I patrol vessels of the United States Ships built in Atlantic City, New Jersey 1916 ships