USCGC 95003
(ex-Aberdeen)
Builder: American Pacific Whaling Company, Seattle, WA
Built: 1912
Commissioned:
Decommissioned: March 16, 1944
Length: 88 feet
Navigation draft: 11 feet 5 inches
Beam: 19 feet
Displacement: 59 tons
Propulsion: Unknown
Shaft horsepower: 370 horsepower
Maximum speed: Unknown
Economical speed: Unknown
Endurance (@ 8 knots): Unknown
Complement: 10 person crew
Electronics: Unknown
Armament: Unknown
History:
USCGC 95003, formerly the fishing the whaling vessel Aberdeen, was one of several ships transferred under the Coast Guard’s authority during World War II. Technological advances of the time made whaling vessels like the Aberdeen obsolete, so many of them were under emergency acquisition. Upon receipt from emergency transfer, vessels were used for coastal patrols and minesweeping operations.
Within the first six months the United States became involved in World War II, German U-boats began taking a heavy toll on merchantmen close to the U.S. East Coast. The Coast Guard took large numbers of boats to patrol coastal waters. These vessels primary responsibilities included port security from enemy mines laid by U-boats, defense against enemy vessels, search and rescue operations, and coastal escort duties. These wood-hulled ships were ideal for mine sweeping duties because did not attract magnetic minds, and as patrol boats for their size.
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