USS ''Genesee'' (AT-55), formerly ''Monocacy'', was a fleet tug in the

U.S. 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 o ...

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and

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built in 1905. She was scuttled on 5 May 1942 at Corregidor to avoid capture. Nevertheless, she was raised by the

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and designated as ''Patrol Boat No. 107''. She was sunk by American planes on 5 November 1944.

Operational history

''Monocacy'' was built in 1905 by the Maryland Steel Co. of Sparrow's Point, Maryland. She was acquired by the Navy on 27 July 1917 from the Philadelphia and Reading Railway Co., in

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

, and placed in service at the

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on 25 September 1917, designated SP-1116. She was commissioned 10 November 1917 as USS ''Genesee'' (Fleet Tug No. 55). ''Genesee'' sailed from Philadelphia 20 November 1917 and, after joining a convoy at

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, reached Queenstown, Ireland, 27 January 1918. Until the end of World War I she operated in the

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-Queenstown areas patrolling, towing, and serving as standby for deep sea rescue work. After towing from Queenstown to

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, ''Genesee'' arrived

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, Portugal, 31 December 1918 and served as a tug at that port until 1 April 1919 when she sailed for Brest. She provided tug services and aid to stricken ships and finally got underway 30 September for a 7-month tour of duty off

Spalato )'' , settlement_type = City , anthem = ''Marjane, Marjane'' , image_skyline = , imagesize = 267px , image_caption = Top: Nighttime view of Split from Mosor; 2nd row: Cathedra ...

, Dalmatia, and in Castella Bay. On 17 July 1920 ''Genesee'' was designated AT-55. Next assigned to the Far East, ''Genesee'' arrived

Cavite Cavite, officially the Province of Cavite ( tl, Lalawigan ng Kabite; Chavacano: ''Provincia de Cavite''), is a province in the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region in Luzon. Located on the southern shores of Manila Bay and southwest ...

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, 7 September 1920 for permanent duty on the Asiatic Station. She spent the summer of 1921 with the fleet at

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, China, and returned to Cavite 19 September. Subsequently she operated as a tug, a ferry, and a target tow in the Philippines until she was scuttled at Corregidor 5 May 1942 to avoid capture. Subsequently raised by the Japanese, she was designated ''Patrol Boat No. 107''. On 5 November 1944, American

F6F Hellcat The Grumman F6F Hellcat is an American carrier-based fighter aircraft of World War II. Designed to replace the earlier F4F Wildcat and to counter the Japanese Mitsubishi A6M Zero, it was the United States Navy's dominant fighter in the second ha ...

s from Task Group 38.3 sank ''Patrol Boat No. 107'' off

Lubang Island Lubang Island is the largest island in the Lubang Group of Islands, an archipelago which lies to the northwest of the northern end of Mindoro in the Philippines. The Lubang Islands are about southwest of Manila. There are seven islands in the gro ...

(). ''Genesee'' was awarded one

battle star A service star is a miniature bronze or silver five-pointed star inch (4.8 mm) in diameter that is authorized to be worn by members of the eight uniformed services of the United States on medals and ribbons to denote an additional award or ser ...

for World War II service in the U.S. Navy.

References

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Genesee (AT-55) Ships built in Sparrows Point, Maryland World War I auxiliary ships of the United States World War II auxiliary ships of the United States World War II patrol vessels of Japan 1905 ships Scuttled vessels Ships sunk by US aircraft Naval ships of the United States captured by Japan during World War II Maritime incidents in May 1942 Maritime incidents in November 1944