Name USS Christabel Laid down date unknown Commissioned May 1917 Length 50 m Builder D. and W. Henderson | Namesake A name retained Acquired 30 April 1917 Launched 1893 Place built Glasgow, United Kingdom | |
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Owner Irving T. Bush of New York City | ||
USS Christabel (SP-162) was a civilian yacht purchased by the U.S. Navy during the start of World War I. She was outfitted with military equipment, including heavy 3” guns, and was then assigned to patrol duty in the North Atlantic Ocean. She served as a patrol craft with honor during the war, surviving an attack on a German U-Boat. Post-war she was stripped of her military hardware and sold in 1919.
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Built in Scotland
Christabel (No. 162), an iron yacht, was built in 1893 by D. and W. Henderson, Glasgow, Scotland; purchased by the Navy 30 April 1917 from Irving T. Bush; commissioned at New York Navy Yard 31 May 1917, Lieutenant H. B. Riebe in command; and assigned to U.S. Patrol Squadrons Operating in European Waters.
World War I service
She was placed in commission a month later, following conversion to a warship, and during June and early July crossed the Atlantic Ocean to Brest, France, after clearing New York City 9 June 1917.
For the remainder of the conflict, Christabel was employed on escort and patrol work off western France, and took part in at least two actions with German U-Boats. One of which was the Action of 21 May 1918 when she was credited with sinking a German submarine off Spain. However, later it was found that the U-boat was only damaged but had to be interned by Spain a few days later.
Service as a training ship
After returning to the United States in December 1918, she was based at New London, Connecticut, and served with reserve antisubmarine squadrons as an anti-submarine training ship.
Awards and honors
As an officer on board the Christabel, Ensign Daniel Augustus Joseph Sullivan was awarded the Medal of Honor for "extraordinary heroism" during combat action on 21 May 1918. He exhibited "extraordinary heroism" in securing live depth charges that had come loose during combat with a German U-Boat. For this act, he was awarded the Medal of Honor. Officer of the Deck Lt. j.g. Howard Rutherford Shaw was awarded the Navy Cross for "promptly heading for the submarine with the intent to ram, with the result that it was possible to drop depth charges at the right time and place, damaging the submarine so severely that she was obliged to intern at Santander, Spain, for the remainder of the war."
Post-war decommissioning
Decommissioned 19 May 1919, Christabel was sold at the end of June to the Savannah Bar Pilots Association, of Savannah, Georgia on 30 June 1919.