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USS Joseph F. Bellows (SP-323)
Encyclopedia
USS Joseph F. Bellows (SP-323) was a fishing boat purchased by the U.S. Navy during World War I
. She was outfitted as an armed minesweeper
and was assigned to the Virginia
coast. Post-war she served as a tender
and supply ship
until sold in 1919.
, was acquired by the Navy from Bellows and Squires, Inc., Ocran, Virginia
, in May 1917. She commissioned 18 May 1917, Ens. T. C. Christopher, USNRF, in command.
, Joseph F. Bellows operated as a minesweeper off Cape Henry
and in the convoy
channel to Hampton Roads, Virginia.
ending World War I was signed, she acted as a lightship tender and a supply ship until July 1919.
.
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...
. She was outfitted as an armed minesweeper
Minesweeper (ship)
A minesweeper is a small naval warship designed to counter the threat posed by naval mines. Minesweepers generally detect then neutralize mines in advance of other naval operations.-History:...
and was assigned to the Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
coast. Post-war she served as a tender
Ship's tender
A ship's tender, usually referred to as a tender, is a boat, or a larger ship used to service a ship, generally by transporting people and/or supplies to and from shore or another ship...
and supply ship
Cargo ship
A cargo ship or freighter is any sort of ship or vessel that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year; they handle the bulk of international trade...
until sold in 1919.
Built in Maryland
Joseph F. Bellows (SP-323), a fishing steamer built in 1912 by E. J. Tull, Pocomoke City, MarylandPocomoke City, Maryland
Pocomoke City, dubbed "the friendliest town on the Eastern Shore", is a city in Worcester County, Maryland, United States. Although renamed in a burst of civic enthusiasm in 1878, the city is regularly referred to by its inhabitants simply as Pocomoke...
, was acquired by the Navy from Bellows and Squires, Inc., Ocran, Virginia
Ocran, Virginia
Ocran is an unincorporated community in Lancaster County in the U. S. state of Virginia....
, in May 1917. She commissioned 18 May 1917, Ens. T. C. Christopher, USNRF, in command.
World War I service
Assigned to the 5th Naval District at Norfolk, VirginiaNorfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
, Joseph F. Bellows operated as a minesweeper off Cape Henry
Cape Henry
Cape Henry is a cape on the Atlantic shore of Virginia north of Virginia Beach. It is the southern boundary of the entrance to Chesapeake Bay.Across the mouth of the bay to the north is Cape Charles...
and in the convoy
Convoy
A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support, though it may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.-Age of Sail:Naval...
channel to Hampton Roads, Virginia.
Post-war service
After the armisticeArmistice
An armistice is a situation in a war where the warring parties agree to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, but may be just a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace...
ending World War I was signed, she acted as a lightship tender and a supply ship until July 1919.
Decommissioning and sale
Joseph F. Bellows was sold 2 July 1919 to NcNeal Dodson Co., Inc., Reedville, VirginiaReedville, Virginia
Reedville is an unincorporated town in Northumberland County in the Northern Neck region of the U.S. state of Virginia. It is located at the eastern terminus of U.S...
.
See also
- USS Peter C. Struven (SP-332)USS Peter C. Struven (SP-332)USS Peter C. Struven was a patrol boat in the United States Navy, placed in service August 9, 1917. She was a steel-hulled steamboat and had been originally used as a fishing boat....
- U.S. Navy
- World War IWorld War IWorld 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...
External links
- photo gallery at navsource.org