USS Nahant (SP-1250)
USS Nahant (SP-1250) was a tugboat acquired by the U.S. Navy during World War I. She was employed as a tugboat in New York harbor. Post-war she was placed on loan with the City of New York until 1928, when she was disposed of by the Navy.
 Luckenbach No. 4 (U.S. Tug, 1913) photographed circa 1917, later renamed USS Nahant (SP-1250). | |
| History | |
|---|---|
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| Name: | USS Nahant |
| Namesake: | A seaside resort in Essex County, Massachusetts, located on a small peninsula on Massachusetts Bay. |
| Owner: | E. F. Luckenbach of New York, New York |
| Builder: | John H. Dialogue, Camden, New Jersey |
| Laid down: | date unknown |
| Christened: | as Thomas J. Scully; renamed Luckenbach No. 4 |
| Completed: | 1913 |
| Acquired: | by the Navy, 1 December 1917 |
| Commissioned: | 12 December 1917 as USS Nahant (SP 1250) |
| Decommissioned: | 1920 |
| In service: | 1920 (loaned to the City of New York) |
| Out of service: | 1928 (returned to the Navy) |
| Renamed: | as Service No. 3 and as John F. Harlan by the City of New York |
| Stricken: | 27 September 1928 |
| Homeport: | New York City |
| Fate: | sold to Joseph O’Boyle of New York City 24 December 1928; scrapped in 1962. |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Tugboat |
| Displacement: | 405 tons |
| Length: | 134' 7" |
| Beam: | 26' |
| Draft: | not known |
| Propulsion: | not known |
| Speed: | not known |
| Complement: | not known |
| Armament: |
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Constructed in Camden, New Jersey
Nahant, a 405 gross ton harbor tug built in 1913 by John H. Dialogue, Camden, New Jersey, as Luckenbach No. 4 was acquired by the Navy from the Luckenbach Steamship Company, New York City, on 1 December 1917. Renamed Nahant and given the registry number SP-1250, she was placed in commission at the beginning of December 1917.
World War I service
Operating in the 3rd Naval District, Nahant performed towing tasks in New York Harbor for the rest of World War I and into the early post-war era.
On loan to the City of New York
Decommissioning early in 1920, Nahant was transferred to the City of New York and served the Police Department as Service No. 3 and as John F. Harlan.
Final disposition
Returned to the Navy in 1928, Nahant was struck from the Naval Register 27 September 1928 and sold to Joseph O’Boyle of New York City 24 December 1928. Subsequently, she enjoyed a lengthy maritime history, changing her name a few times as: Gotham, W. E. Hunt, and Good Fortune. She was finally scrapped in 1962.
References
- This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
- Luckenbach Number 4 (Tug, 1913). Served as USS Nahant (SP-1250) in 1917-1920
- NavSource Online: Nahant (SP 1250)