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USS Zigzag (SP-106)
Encyclopedia
USS Zigzag (SP-106) was an armed motorboat
that served in the United States Navy
as a patrol vessel from 1917 to 1919.
_as_private_motorboat_1916-1917.jpg)
Zigzag was a wooden-hulled motorboat completed in May 1916 by the A. E. Luders Construction Company of Stamford
, Connecticut
. She was acquired by the U.S. Navy from T. J. Backman of Bradenton
, Florida
, for service in World War I
, and was delivered to the Navy on 27 June 1917. Assigned the classification SP-106, USS Zigzag was placed in commission on 8 August 1917.
Assigned to the 7th Naval District, Zigzag operated on local section patrol duties for the duration of World War I and probably until the cessation of all defensive patrols on 24 November 1918.
Zigzag subsequently was anchored in the North Beach Basin, Key West
, Florida
, awaiting disposition, when a hurricane battered the Florida Keys
on 9 September 1919 and swept through the yacht
basin. On 10 September 1919, eight section patrol (SP) boats, including Zigzag, were found dashed to pieces on the seawall
. Salvage crews later hauled the tangled wreckage from the water and burned it, retaining only the machinery to survey for future disposal.
Zigzag was struck from the Navy List
on 4 October 1919.
Motorboat
A motorboat is a boat which is powered by an engine. Some motorboats are fitted with inboard engines, others have an outboard motor installed on the rear, containing the internal combustion engine, the gearbox and the propeller in one portable unit.An inboard/outboard contains a hybrid of a...
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...
as a patrol vessel from 1917 to 1919.
Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city is 122,643, making it the fourth largest city in the state and the eighth largest city in New England...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
. She was acquired by the U.S. Navy from T. J. Backman of Bradenton
Bradenton, Florida
Bradenton is a city in Manatee County, Florida, United States. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city's 2007 population to be 53,471. Bradenton is the largest Principal City of the Bradenton-Sarasota-Venice, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had a 2007 estimated population of 682,833...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, 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...
, and was delivered to the Navy on 27 June 1917. Assigned the classification SP-106, USS Zigzag was placed in commission on 8 August 1917.
Assigned to the 7th Naval District, Zigzag operated on local section patrol duties for the duration of World War I and probably until the cessation of all defensive patrols on 24 November 1918.
Zigzag subsequently was anchored in the North Beach Basin, Key West
Key West, Florida
Key West is a city in Monroe County, Florida, United States. The city encompasses the island of Key West, the part of Stock Island north of U.S. 1 , Sigsbee Park , Fleming Key , and Sunset Key...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, awaiting disposition, when a hurricane battered the Florida Keys
Florida Keys
The Florida Keys are a coral archipelago in southeast United States. They begin at the southeastern tip of the Florida peninsula, about south of Miami, and extend in a gentle arc south-southwest and then westward to Key West, the westernmost of the inhabited islands, and on to the uninhabited Dry...
on 9 September 1919 and swept through the yacht
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...
basin. On 10 September 1919, eight section patrol (SP) boats, including Zigzag, were found dashed to pieces on the seawall
Seawall
A seawall is a form of coastal defence constructed where the sea, and associated coastal processes, impact directly upon the landforms of the coast. The purpose of a seawall is to protect areas of human habitation, conservation and leisure activities from the action of tides and waves...
. Salvage crews later hauled the tangled wreckage from the water and burned it, retaining only the machinery to survey for future disposal.
Zigzag was struck from the Navy List
Navy List
A Navy List or Naval Register is an official list of naval officers, their ranks and seniority, the ships which they command or to which they are appointed, etc., that is published by the government or naval authorities of a country....
on 4 October 1919.