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Photo # NH 102046: S.S. Luckenbach No. 4

U.S. NAVY TEMPORARY AUXILIARY SHIPS, 1917-1919

WORLD WAR I ERA OCEAN-GOING TUGS

During World War I the U.S. Navy temporarily acquired seven tugs of ocean-going dimensions that it did not retain in service beyond early 1920.
It retained four other World War I era tugs of similar size beyond 1920 but as district tugs (YT) rather than as ocean-going tugs (AT).
In addition, six smaller tugs were assigned ocean-going duties (with the fleet or on convoy escort) during World War I but were either disposed of or classified as district tugs after the war.

This page features a table (with links to individual tugs) of World War I era U.S. Navy ocean-going tugs and smaller tugs assigned ocean-going duties, plus a photograph of each tug.


Click the small photographs to prompt a larger view of the same image with a descriptive header.


SEVEN LARGE TUGS NOT RETAINED

  • Barnegat, USN 1917-1919 (ex American S.S. Luckenbach No. 1, 1898).
    • 439 Gross Tons, Length 138.8', Beam 27.0', Comm. 12 Oct 17, Decom. 30 Nov 19, ID # 1232
    Built as M. E. Luckenbach. To Army 1920, merc. 1923, abandoned 1935.
    No image is available of USS Barnegat
  • Cherokee, USN 1917-1918 (ex American S.S. Luckenbach No. 2, 1891).
    • 273 Gross Tons, Length 120.2', Beam 25.0', Comm. 5 Dec 17, Lost 26 Feb 18, ID # 458
    Built as Edgar F. Luckenbach. Foundered off the East Coast.
  • Goliah, USN 1918-1919 (ex American S.S. Goliah, 1907).
    • 414 Gross Tons, Length 134.8', Beam 27.1', Comm. 31 Jan 18, Decom. 30 Nov 19, ID # 1494
    Loaned to U.S. Shipping Board 30 Nov 19, to District Unclassified (file YX-20) 17 Jul 20, trf. to USSB 7 Oct 21. Merc. 1926, scrapped 1952. Her sister Hercules (see 1906 photo below) is preserved at San Francisco.
  • Gypsum Queen, USN 1917-1919 (ex American S.S. Gypsum Queen, 1890).
    • 361 Gross Tons, Length 135.0', Beam 27.0', Comm. 4 Dec 17, Lost 28 Apr 19, ID # 430
    Built as Carbonero. Wrecked near Brest.
  • Montauk, USN 1917-1919 (ex American S.S. Luckenbach No. 3, 1899)
    • 434 Gross Tons, Length 134.4', Beam 26.0', Comm. 6 Dec 17, Decom. 10 Dec 19, ID # 1213.
    Built as Walter A. Luckenbach. Merc. 1920, foundered 19 Sep 47.
  • Nahant, USN 1917-1920 (ex American S.S. Luckenbach No. 4, 1913).
    • 405 Gross Tons, Length 134.6', Beam 26.0', Comm. 1 Dec 17, Decom. 23 Feb 20, ID # 1250.
    Built as Thomas J. Scully. Loaned to N.Y. Police Dept. 24 Feb 20, to District Unclassified (file YX-14) 17 Jul 20, stk. 27 Sep 28. Merc. 1928, scrapped 1963.
  • R. W. Wilmot, USN 1918-1918 (ex American S.S. R. W. Wilmot, 1898).
    • 569 Gross Tons, Length 156.7' oa, 143.3' pp, Beam 30.0', Comm. 26 Jan 18, Decomm. & trf. to France 4 Apr 18, ID # 604
    Built to replace USS Potomac (1898, later AT-50), of which she was an enlarged copy. Launched 27 Aug 98, completed Sep 98. Transferred to French Navy at New York as Loup Cervier, stricken 1931.

     S.S. Luckenbach No. 2:
     S.S. Hercules (sister to Goliah):
     S.S. Gypsum Queen:
     USS Montauk:
     S.S. Luckenbach No. 4:
     S.S. R. W. Wilmot:


    FOUR LARGE TUGS RETAINED AS DISTRICT TUGS (YT)

  • Concord, USN 1917-1937 (ex American S.S. Concord, 1898).
    • 353 Gross Tons, Length 140.0', 128.0' pp, Beam 26.0', Comm. 20 Nov 17, To YT-33 17 Jul 20, Stk. 8 Jan 37, ID # 773
    Renamed USS Mendota 20 Nov 20 and USS Muscotah 30 Jan 32. Near sister to Osceola (AT-47).
  • Dreadnaught, USN 1918-1944 (ex American S.S. Dreadnaught, 1917).
    • 450 Gross Tons, Length 143.0', Beam 28.0', Comm. 31 Jan 18, To YT-34 17 Jul 20, To YNG-21 7 Nov 40, Stk. 16 Sep 44, ID # 1951.
    Sister to Undaunted (AT-58).
  • Navigator, USN 1918-1946 (ex American S.S. Navigator, 1898).
    • 414 Gross Tons, Length 134.3', Beam 26.0', Acq. 20 Aug 18, To YT-39 17 Jul 20, to YTB-39 15 May 44, Stk. 30 Dec 46, ID # 2225
  • Penobscot, USN 1917-1946 (ex American S.S. Luckenbach No. 5, 1903).
    • 269 Gross Tons, Length 121.4', Beam 24.4', Comm. 5 Dec 17, To YT-42 17 Jul 20, to YTB-42 15 May 44, Stk. 17 Apr 46, ID # 982
    Built as Dauntless.

    .
     USS Muscotah, ex Concord:
     USS Dreadnaught:

    		 .
    .
     USS Navigator:
     USS Penobscot:

    		 .


    SIX SMALLER TUGS ASSIGNED OCEAN-GOING DUTIES

  • Arctic, USN 1918-1919 (ex American S.S. Arctic, 1913).
    • 197 Gross Tons, Length 111.5' oa, Beam 25.25', Comm. 15 Jan 18, Returned to owner 8 Jul 19, ID # 1158
  • Chase S. Osborn, USN 1918-1921 (ex American S.S. Chase S. Osborn, 1906).
    • 492 Gross Tons, Length 128.4' oa, Beam 25.2', Comm. 16 Apr 18, To YT-41 17 Jul 20, Sold back to owner 5 Aug 21, ID # 1121
  • Francis B. Hackett, USN 1918-1946 (ex American S.S. Francis B. Hackett, 1909).
    • 194 Gross Tons, Length 108.0' oa, Beam 24.5', Comm. 1 Apr 18, To YT-36 17 Jul 20 and YTM-36 13 Apr 44, Stk. 30 Dec 46, ID # 1161
    Renamed USS Shenandoah 20 Nov 20 and USS Choptank 15 Oct 23.
  • Gorgona, USN 1917-1919 (ex American S.S. Gorgona, built by the Panama Canal Co. 1915).
    • 295 Gross Tons, Length 125.5' oa, Beam 30.0', Comm. 24 Jul 17, Returned to Panama Canal Co. 25 Jul 19, ID # 2164
  • Mariner, USN 1917-1918 (ex American S.S. Jack T. Scully, 1899).
    • 220 Gross Tons, Length 109.4' oa, Beam 24.6', Comm. 19 Dec 17, Foundered 26 Feb 18, ID # 1136
  • Tavernilla, USN 1917-1919 (ex American S.S. Tavernilla, built by the Panama Canal Co. 1915).
    • 295 Gross Tons, Length 125,5', Beam 30.0', Comm. 19 Jul 17, Returned to Panama Canal Co. 8 Feb 19, ID # 3000

     S.S. Arctic:
     S.S. Chase S. Osborn:
     S.S. Francis B. Hackett:
     S.S. Gorgona:
     S.S. Jack T. Scully:
     S.S. Tavernilla:

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