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USS De Grasse (ID-1217)
Encyclopedia
USS De Grasse (ID-1217) was the projected name for an armed yacht
that the United States Navy
acquired for service as a patrol vessel in 1918 but, according to some sources, never commissioned, although other sources claim she saw brief naval service in 1918.
De Grasse was under construction as a wood
en-hulled
, steam turbine
-powered private yacht by George Lawley and Sons at Neponset
, Massachusetts
, for J. L. Redmond of New York City
on 7 June 1917 when the U.S. Navy ordered her taken over for World War I
service upon completion and assigned her the Naval Registry Identification Number
(Id. No.) 1217. She was completed in 1918, and Commandant
, 1st Naval District, took control of her on 18 July 1918 in anticipation of commissioning
her as USS De Grasse.
On 27 July 1918, the Commandant received orders to have De Grasse inspected for naval service. Tests and sea trials quickly took place at the Boston Navy Yard
in Boston, Massachusetts
, and revealed, as stated in a report dated 31 July 1918, that De Grasse was “unseaworthy” and of “no value for naval operations.”
Sources differ on whether De Grasse saw any naval service at all. Some say that she was commissioned in July 1918 and briefly served in coastal waters along the central portion of the United States East Coast, while others claim that the negative 31 July 1918 inspection report led to her never being commissioned or seeing naval service.
Directed on 17 August 1918 to return De Grasse to her owner, Commandant, 1st Naval District, returned her to Redmond on 7 November 1918 and provided him with $500.00 (USD) “for restoration of [the] ship [to] its former condition.”
Yacht
A yacht is a recreational boat or ship. The term originated from the Dutch Jacht meaning "hunt". It was originally defined as a light fast sailing vessel used by the Dutch navy to pursue pirates and other transgressors around and into the shallow waters of the Low Countries...
that the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
acquired for service as a patrol vessel in 1918 but, according to some sources, never commissioned, although other sources claim she saw brief naval service in 1918.
De Grasse was under construction as a wood
Wood
Wood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression...
en-hulled
Hull (watercraft)
A hull is the watertight body of a ship or boat. Above the hull is the superstructure and/or deckhouse, where present. The line where the hull meets the water surface is called the waterline.The structure of the hull varies depending on the vessel type...
, steam turbine
Steam turbine
A steam turbine is a mechanical device that extracts thermal energy from pressurized steam, and converts it into rotary motion. Its modern manifestation was invented by Sir Charles Parsons in 1884....
-powered private yacht by George Lawley and Sons at Neponset
Neponset, Massachusetts
Neponset, Massachusetts is a district in the southeast corner of Dorchester, Massachusetts which is the most populous neighborhood of Boston....
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, for J. L. Redmond of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
on 7 June 1917 when the U.S. Navy ordered her taken over for World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
service upon completion and assigned her the Naval Registry Identification Number
Naval Registry Identification Number
A Naval Registry Identification Number is a unique identifier that the U.S. Navy used for privately owned and naval vessels in the first half of the 20th century....
(Id. No.) 1217. She was completed in 1918, and Commandant
Commandant
Commandant is a senior title often given to the officer in charge of a large training establishment or academy. This usage is common in anglophone nations...
, 1st Naval District, took control of her on 18 July 1918 in anticipation of commissioning
Ship commissioning
Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service, and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military...
her as USS De Grasse.
On 27 July 1918, the Commandant received orders to have De Grasse inspected for naval service. Tests and sea trials quickly took place at the Boston Navy Yard
Boston Navy Yard
The Boston Navy Yard, originally called the Charlestown Navy Yard and later Boston Naval Shipyard, was one of the oldest shipbuilding facilities in the United States Navy. Established in 1801, it was officially closed as an active naval installation on July 1, 1974, and the property was...
in Boston, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, and revealed, as stated in a report dated 31 July 1918, that De Grasse was “unseaworthy” and of “no value for naval operations.”
Sources differ on whether De Grasse saw any naval service at all. Some say that she was commissioned in July 1918 and briefly served in coastal waters along the central portion of the United States East Coast, while others claim that the negative 31 July 1918 inspection report led to her never being commissioned or seeing naval service.
Directed on 17 August 1918 to return De Grasse to her owner, Commandant, 1st Naval District, returned her to Redmond on 7 November 1918 and provided him with $500.00 (USD) “for restoration of [the] ship [to] its former condition.”