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USS Arawan II (SP 1)

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Name
  
USS Arawan II

Completed
  
1912

Commissioned
  
9 April 1917

Length
  
22 m

Builder
  
J. S. Shepard

Namesake
  
Previous name retained

Acquired
  
27 March 1917

Decommissioned
  
29 November 1918

Weight
  
62 tons

USS Arawan II (SP-1)

USS Arawan II (SP-1) was a motor yacht that served in the United States Navy as a patrol vessel from 1917 to 1918.

Arawan II was constructed as a private motor yacht of the same name in 1912 at Essington, Pennsylvania, by J. S. Shepard. In 1916, she became the first of what would eventually be thousands of civilian ships and craft the U.S. Navy inspected prior to and during the American participation in World War I for possible service as a patrol craft, and she was registered in the Naval Coast Defense Reserve; her owner, Mr. Charles Longstreth, painted her gray and used her in Preparedness Movement exercises in the months preceding the April 1917 entry of the United States into World War I.

On 27 March 1917, the Navy acquired Arawan II from Longstreth. She was commissioned at the Philadelphia Navy Yard in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on 9 April 1917 as USS Arawan II (SP-1), the first of over 4,000 craft to receive a Section Patrol (SP) number during World War I. Her commanding officer throughout her period of naval service was her owner, who served as Lieutenant Commander Charles Longstreth, USNRF, during the war.

Arawan II served in the 4th Naval District on the section patrol throughout the time the United States participated in World War I, patrolling Delaware Bay and the Delaware River.

On 29 November 1918, Arawan II was decommissioned at Philadelphia and returned to her owner.

References

USS Arawan II (SP-1) Wikipedia