USS Josephine (SP-913)

The first USS Josephine (SP-913), later USS SP-913, was a United States Navy patrol vessel in commission from 1917 to 1918.

Josephine as a civilian motorboat in New York Harbor in 1916 or 1917, prior to her U.S. Navy service.
For other ships with the same name, see USS Josephine and USS Josephine H. II.
USS Josephine during World War I.
History
United States
Name:
  • USS Josephine (1917-1918)
  • USS SP-913 (1918)
Namesake:
  • Josephine was her previous name retained
  • SP-913 was her section patrol number
Builder: New York Yacht, Launch, and Engine Company, Morris Heights, the Bronx, New York
Completed: 1916
Acquired: 9 August 1917
Commissioned: 20 September 1917
Renamed: USS SP-913 11 April 1918
Fate: Returned to owner 20 December 1918
Notes: Operated as civilian motorboat Josephine 1916-1917 and from December 1918
General characteristics
Type: Patrol vessel
Length: 60 ft (18 m)
Beam: 13 ft 6 in (4.11 m)
Draft: 3 ft 3 in (0.99 m)
Propulsion: Gasoline engine
Armament:

Josephine was built as a civilian motorboat of the same name in 1916 by the New York Yacht, Launch, and Engine Company at Morris Heights in the Bronx, New York. The U.S. Navy acquired her from her owner, L. A. Lehmaier, on 9 August 1917 for World War I service as a patrol vessel. She was commissioned as USS Josephine (SP-913) at the New York Navy Yard at Brooklyn, New York, on 20 September 1917 with Boatswain J. D. Cremin, USNRF, in command.

Attached to the 3rd Naval District, Josephine performed section patrol duty in the New York City area, including Long Island Sound. She was renamed USS SP-913 on 11 April 1918.

"Having proved unsuit(able)"[1] for naval service, on 6 July 1918 the Navy directed that SP-913 be returned to her owner. She was returned to Lehmaier on 20 December 1918.

Josephine (SP-913) should not be confused with two other patrol vessels, USS Josephine (SP-1243) and USS Josephine (SP-3295), which also were in commission in the U.S. Navy during World War I.

Notes
  1. This quotation, from the Naval History and Heritage Command Online Library of Selected Images (at http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-j/sp913.htm) is unattributed.

References
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