USS Mohican (SP-117)

For other ships with the same name, see USS Mohican.

USS SP-117, formerly USS Mohican (SP-117), refitting at Tebo's Yacht Works in Brooklyn, New York in the spring of 1919 after decommissioning there in February 1919.
History
United States
Name	USS Mohican
Namesake	Mohicans (previous name retained)
Port of registry	New York
Builder	Laird Brothers, Birkenhead
Launched	1890
Completed	1890
Acquired	19 April 1917
Commissioned	7 June 1917
Decommissioned	15 February 1919
Renamed	USS SP-117 April 1918
Fate	Returned to owner 17 February 1919
Notes	Operated as private yacht Norseman, Lady Godiva and Mohican 1890-1917 and as Mohican from 1919. Then Waluchia II, Apache. WW2 service with Royal Navy as Inquisitor and in 1947 registered as Ourania
General characteristics
Class and type	Aux steam yacht
Type	Patrol vessel
Tonnage	231 GRT, 157 NRT
Length	144 ft (44 m) overall 138.6 ft (42.2 m) registered
Beam	23.0 ft (7.0 m)
Draft	14 ft 6 in (4.42 m)
Depth	13.35 ft (4.07 m)
Installed power	53 NHP
Propulsion	1 × triple-expansion engine 1 × screw
Speed	8.6 knots
Complement	48
Armament	1 × 3-inch (76.2-millimeter) guns 2 × 6-pounder guns 2 × machine guns
Aircraft carried	1 × observation balloon (kite balloon) from August 1918

The third USS Mohican (SP-117), later USS SP-117, was an armed yacht that served in the United States Navy as a patrol vessel from 1917 to 1919.

History

Mohican as a private steam yacht before her US Navy service.

Mohican was designed by St Clare John Byrne, built as the civilian steam yacht Norseman and launched in 1890 by Laird Brothers in Birkenhead, Wirral, for Engineer Samuel Radcliffe Platt. When sold by Platt, she was renamed SS Lady Godiva and later when purchased by New Yorker Tracy Dows he named her Mohican.^[1] Oliver and J. Borden Harriman purchased her from Tracy Dows in October 1905.^[2]

US Navy

The US Navy acquired Mohican on a free lease from her next owner, Robert Perkins of New York City, on 19 April 1917 for use as a patrol boat during World War I. She was commissioned at New York City on 7 June 1917 as USS Mohican (SP-117).

Mohican was assigned to the 3rd Naval District as guard boat on 1 July 1917. She engaged in patrol and escort duty in New York Harbor and off New York City until 21 August 1918, at times directing the heavy maritime traffic in Lower New York Bay and at others aiding vessels in distress due to fire or collision. On 1 October 1917, she joined the patrol boat USS Sabalo (SP-225) in coming to the assistance of the sinking patrol vessel USS Mohawk, which had collided with the British tanker Vennacher off Sandy Hook, New Jersey, and she and Sabalo rescued all 77 members of Mohawk′s crew.^[3] Mohican was renamed USS SP-117 in April 1918 to avoid confusion with another Navy ship of the same name, the sloop-of-war USS Mohican.

On 23 August 1918, SP-117 took on board an air observation balloon and aviators and began observation kite balloon duty at the entrance to New York Harbor and Ambrose Channel. She remained on this duty through 25 November 1918 and then, following repairs, departed on 14 December 1918 to assume guard boat and kite balloon duty at Gravesend Bay, Long Island, New York.

Decommissioned

SP-117 ceased operations on 17 January 1919 and on 15 February 1919 was decommissioned at Tebo's Yacht Basin at Brooklyn, New York. The Navy returned her to her owner on 17 February 1919.

Norseman, later Mohican - first vessel to navigate the Manchester Ship Canal when opened in 1894

References

1. "USS Mohican (SP-117)". Lloyds Yacht Register. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
2. Bureau of Navigation, 1911 Report of the Commissioner of Navigation, at p. 173 (US Department of Commerce and Labor 1911).
3. njscuba.net R.C. Mohawk

External links

•  This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
• Department of the Navy Naval Historical Center Online Library of Selected Images: Civilian Ships: Mohican (Steam Yacht, 1890). Previously named Lady Godiva and Norseman. Served as USS Mohican (SP-117) and USS SP-117 in 1917-1919
• NavSource Online: Section Patrol Craft Photo Archive: SP-117 ex-Mohican (SP 117)