- USS Harvard (SP-209)
USS "Harvard" (SP-209) was a
yacht leased by theU.S. Navy duringWorld War I . She was outfitted as apatrol craft and assigned to patrol duty in the NorthAtlantic Ocean , protecting civilian ships from Germansubmarine s andQ-ship s. In addition, she saved the lives of a number of survivors from ships that had been torpedoed. Post-war she was decommissioned, and was returned to her owner in her original civilian shipboard configuration.Constructed in Bath, Maine
The second ship to be named "Harvard" by the
U.S. Navy , the vessel was a steel yacht, was built as "Elecmar" byBath Iron Works ,Bath, Maine , in1904 and was leased as "Wacouta" by the Navy from G. F. Baker,New York, New York ,23 April 1917 . "Waoouta" was renamed "Harvard" and commissioned10 May 1917 at New York City, Lt. A. G. Sterling in command.World War I service
Assigned to the dangerous North Atlantic
After being fitted out for overseas service, "Harvard" departed New York City
9 June 1917 with aconvoy , and arrived atBrest, France ,4 July .She then engaged in patrol duties out of Brest, and on
16 July picked up 59 survivors from the ill-fated British steamship "Trelissick". "Trelissiok" had been torpedoed and sunk15 July , after having rescued some 30 men from another torpedoed British ship, "Exford", the day before. "Harvard" returned the survivors from both ships safely to Brest. Continuing her duties around Brest, "Harvard" performed as a harbor patrol and coastal convoy ship. She assisted the torpedoed merchantman "Texas"29 November 1917 and searched for survivors of the sinking of "Hundaago", a Norwegian steamship,4 August 1918 .Post-war return to owner
"Harvard" departed for
England 21 November 1918 and remained there until June1919 , when she returned to New York City viaBermuda . The yacht was decommissioned and turned over to her owner26 July 1919 .See also
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United States Navy
*World War I Reference
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* [http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-h/sp209.htm USS Harvard (SP-209), 1917-1919]
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