USS W. F. Babcock (ID-1239)
Encyclopedia
USS W. F. Babcock (ID-1239) was a collier
that served in the United States Navy
from 1917-1919.
W. F. Babcock was a wood
en-hull
ed, schooner
-rigged barge
launched in 1882 at Bath
, Maine
by A. Sewall and Company. She was acquired by the U.S. Navy from the Luckenbach Steamship Company on 18 October 1917 for service in World War I
. Given Id. No. 1239 and commissioned
on 8 November 1917, W. F. Babcock operated as a collier at the 5th Naval District until 8 August 1918, when she was assigned to the Naval Overseas Transportation Service (NOTS). Plying the United States East Coast between New England
and Norfolk
, Virginia
. W. F. Babcock served as a coastwise collier through the end of World War I. Reassigned to the 1st Naval District on 15 August 1919, she was struck from the Naval Vessel Register
on 20 November and simultaneously sold to Reinhard and Hall. Her name disappeared from the shipping registers about that time.
Collier (ship type)
Collier is a historical term used to describe a bulk cargo ship designed to carry coal, especially for naval use by coal-fired warships. In the late 18th century a number of wooden-hulled sailing colliers gained fame after being adapted for use in voyages of exploration in the South Pacific, for...
that served in 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...
from 1917-1919.
W. F. Babcock was 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-hull
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...
ed, schooner
Schooner
A schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....
-rigged barge
Barge
A barge is a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods. Some barges are not self-propelled and need to be towed by tugboats or pushed by towboats...
launched in 1882 at Bath
Bath, Maine
Bath is a city in Sagadahoc County, Maine, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 9,266. It is the county seat of Sagadahoc County. Located on the Kennebec River, Bath is a port of entry with a good harbor. The city is popular with tourists, many drawn by its...
, Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
by A. Sewall and Company. She was acquired by the U.S. Navy from the Luckenbach Steamship Company on 18 October 1917 for service in 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...
. Given Id. No. 1239 and commissioned
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...
on 8 November 1917, W. F. Babcock operated as a collier at the 5th Naval District until 8 August 1918, when she was assigned to the Naval Overseas Transportation Service (NOTS). Plying the United States East Coast between New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
and Norfolk
Norfolk, 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....
, 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...
. W. F. Babcock served as a coastwise collier through the end of World War I. Reassigned to the 1st Naval District on 15 August 1919, she was struck from the Naval Vessel Register
Naval Vessel Register
The Naval Vessel Register is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from the time a vessel is authorized through its life cycle and...
on 20 November and simultaneously sold to Reinhard and Hall. Her name disappeared from the shipping registers about that time.
External links
- Photo gallery at navsource.org