Active-class patrol boat

This article is about the United States patrol boat class. For other ship classes, see Active class.

The Active-class patrol boat was one of the most useful and long-lasting classes of United States Coast Guard cutters. Of the 35 built in the 1920s, 16 were still in service during the 1960s. The last to be decommissioned from active service was the Morris in 1970; the last in actual service was the Cuyahoga, which sank after an accidental collision in 1978.^[1]

Active-class patrol boat General Greene, 1962
Class overview
Name	Active class
Builders	American Brown Boveri Electric Corporation, Camden, New Jersey
Operators	United States Coast Guard  United States Navy (WWII)
Built	1926–1927
In commission	1927–1978
Completed	35
Lost	4
Retired	32
Scrapped	2 confirmed
Preserved	2
General characteristics
Type	Patrol boat
Displacement	232 long tons (236 t)
Length	125 ft (38 m)
Beam	23 ft 6 in (7.16 m)
Draft	7 ft 6 in (2.29 m)
Propulsion	At launch: 2 × 6-cylinder, 300 hp (224 kW) Winton Model 114-6 diesel engines 1938: 2 x Cooper-Bessemer EN-9 600 bhp diesel engines 2 Propellers
Speed	1945 Maximum: 13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph) Cruise: 8 kn (15 km/h; 9.2 mph)
Range	3,500 nmi (6,500 km; 4,000 mi) At max. speed: 2,500 nmi (4,600 km; 2,900 mi)
Boats & landing craft carried	As built: 2 20' Pulling Boats 1976: 1 14' Utility Boat
Complement	1938: 22 1944: 38 1960: 3 officers, 17 men
Armament	1927: 1 × 3"/27 caliber gun 1941: 1 × 3"/23 caliber gun 2 × depth charge tracks, 10 depth charges 1945: 1 × 40 mm/60 (single) 2 × 20 mm/70 (single) 2 × depth charge tracks 2 × Mousetrap ASW 1960: 1 × 40 mm/60
Notes	1 600-watt 12" spotlight

Design and construction

The Active-class was designed for trailing the "mother ships" along the outer line of patrol during Prohibition. They were constructed at a cost of $63,173 USD each ($979,038.74 in 2021 rates). They gained a reputation for durability that was only enhanced by their re-engined in the late 1930s; their original 6-cylinder Winton 114-6^[2] diesels were replaced by significantly more powerful 8-cylinder units that used the original engine beds and gave the vessels an additional 3 knots.^[1] They were meant to be able to stay at sea for long periods of time in any kind of weather, and were able to expand berthing space via hammocks if the need arises, such as if a large number of survivors were on board.^[3]

Each ship was 125 feet [28.1 m] long, 23 feet 6 inches [7.1 m] wide, and had a draft of 7 feet 6 inches [2.1 m].^[4]

Equipment

At launch, each cutter was fitted with a Winton Model 109 air compressor and Model 99 oil pump. A carbon dioxide fire suppression system was built by the Kidde Company, which in addition to water hoses powered by a seven and a half horsepower electric motors composed the ships' fire suppression. A 8,00-watt, 32 volt generator by the Hill Diesel Engine Company of Lansing, Michigan was driven by a 12 horsepower diesel engine which provided ship wide power.^[2]

History

All the ships served in World War II, however the Jackson and Bedloe were lost in a storm in 1944. USCGC McLane is credited with the sinking of the inactive IJN submarine Ro-32.^[5] Ten^[a] were refitted as buoy tenders between 1941 and 1942^[6] and reverted to patrol work afterward.^[1]

Originally designated WPC, (Coast Guard patrol craft), they were re-designated WSC, for Coast Guard sub chaser, in February 1942. The "W" appended to the SC (Sub Chaser) designation identified vessels as belonging to the U.S. Coast Guard. Those remaining in service in May 1966 were re-designated as medium endurance cutters, or WMEC.

The ships were informally nicknamed "Buck & a Quarters" in reference to their length, 100 feet (a buck, or $1.00) plus an additional 25 (A quarter, or 25 cents).^[3]

Notable events

1944 sinking of Jackson and Bedloe

On 14 September 1944, USCGC Jackson (WSC-142) was instructed to rendezvous with the cutter USCGC Bedloe (WSC-128) and the tug USS Escape (ARS-6) to assist in the towing of the Liberty ship SS George Ade which had been torpedoed by the German submarine U-518 and driven ashore in a storm. After arriving in the area near the Outer Banks, weather conditions quickly deteriorated to hurricane conditions throughout the morning. Known as the Great Hurricane of 1944, the storm reportedly brought waves up to 100–125 feet (30–38 m) and 50-mile-per-hour winds. The ships were repeatedly thrown from the top of swells into the wave trough, causing heavy listing and impacting maneuverability and communications. At 10:30 AM Jackson capsized followed by Bedloe at 1:30. 37 crew members from Jackson and all 38 from Bedloe successfully made it off their ships, yet only 30 from Bedloe gained a hold on life rafts. High winds, waves, and sea pests hampered survival efforts as lifeboats were flipped and survivors scattered. The crews of both cutters believed they would be saved by the other, not knowing both ships had sunk. The lifeboats of Bedloe were spotted 51 hours after sinking and the Jackson's was seen 58 hours later. The rafts were spotted by a Coast Guard aircraft operating from Elizabeth City, North Carolina. Rescue aircraft began landing along with the crew members as the United States Navy blimps dropped emergency food and coordinated a rescue. A third 38-foot cutter from Oregon Inlet Lifeboat Station picked up survivors to be transferred to a navy minesweeper before being hospitalized at Norfolk, Virginia. 26 crew members from Bedloe and an additional 21 from Jackson died during the ordeal.^[7][8] The original mission, to tow George Ade into port, succeeded in the sense that the ship suffered minimal damage and no casualties.^[9]

1978 sinking of Cuyahoga

On 20 October 1978 USCGC Cuyahoga (WIX-157) was underway in the Chesapeake Bay to train officer cadets with intentions to turn into port for the night. The cutter was the oldest in-service ship in the Coast Guard's fleet and had fallen into a state of disrepair from lack of maintenance.^[10] Natural low light levels made navigation harder with ships relying on signal lights for identification. The Cuyahoga was planning to turn into port when the lights of Argentine bulk cargo vessel M/V Santa Cruz II were spotted. The captain of the cutter considered the lights displayed to be that of a small fishing boat and failed to alter plans.^[11] This belief was further aided by the radar showing a small contact at range.^[10] The captain of Santa Cruz II believed the cutter would continue on course, allowing them to pass parallel to each other without incident. Cuyahoga believed the assumed smaller sailboat would see the large cutter turn and change course accordingly and committed to the plan. The Santa Cruz II sounded a whistle to notify that it would be the cutter's duty to maneuver out of a collision, yet received no response. It was only when a collision was inevitable that both captains realized the situation as a whole and attempted to respond. The Santa Cruz II sounded horns and signals, ordering all engines reversed and hard port while the cutter attempted to reverse. The two ships were too close to allow for any meaningful action. The bow of Santa Cruz II penetrated the starboard corner of the cutter's wheelhouse, cutting a three-foot hole in the hull as it moved aft at 2107 local time. A one-foot high by two-foot wide hole opened four feet below the waterline which doomed the ship.^[11] The shock caused the Cuyahoga to tip 50 degrees to one side, throwing men and equipment overboard. Survivors were able to gain a hold on the 14 foot [4.2 m] utility boat which had broken off and risen to the surface.^[10] The ship sank in 2 minutes, killing 11 of 29 crew members. The surviving 18 sailors were rescued by the Santa Cruz II. An official investigation by the U.S. Coast Guard blamed the collision on Cuyahoga's captain for his failure to correctly identify signal lights of the oncoming vessel and ensuing decision to turn into a path for collision as the reason.^[11]

2021 sinking of Alert

It has been reported that the former USCGC Alert (WMEC-127) sank on 1 November 2021^[12] west of the I5 Bridge in Portland, Oregon in the Columbia River after being moored off Hayden Island. The ship fell into disrepair after a homeless encampment moved onboard, hampering hopes for preservation.^[13] The homeless groups and dock were removed December 2020, although officials had no long term plan for the ship as potential costs were too high.^[12][14] The vessel was heavily damaged by graffiti and stripped parts. Although not fully sunk, a light on top of the pilothouse can be seen in images^[12] as the ship rests in mud. No cause of sinking has been announced.

Ships preserved

• USCGC McLane is preserved at the Great Lakes Naval Memorial and Museum in Muskegon, Michigan.^[15]
• USCGC Morris is preserved at the Liberty Maritime Museum in Sacramento, California.^[16]

Ship naming

Each Active-class boat adopted the names of either officers or former cutters of the US Revenue Cutter Service, a predecessor of the Coast Guard.^[2] Several names were new for the time, while a name such as the Alert has been on the sides of six cutters by 1927.^[17] Most of the former cutters the boats were named after carried the name of a United States Secretary of the Treasury.^[18]

Ships in class

Ship name	Hull symbol	Yard number[19]	Slipway launched[19]	Laid down[19]	Launched[19]	Delivered[19]	Commissioned[20]	Decommissioned[20]	Fate[20][19]	Notes
Active	WPC-125	#320	L	24 July 1926	30 November 1926	12 January 1927	30 November 1926	2 April 1962	Sold, 6 September 1963	Used as buoy tender between 1941 and 1942.[21]
	WSC-125
Agassiz	WSC-126	#321		24 July 1926	30 November 1926	19 January 1927	20 January 1927	13 October 1969	Sold, 16 October 1969	Damaged in collision with MV Prince George off Cape Ann, 7 July 1928.[6]
	WMEC-126
Alert	WSC-127	#322		24 July 1926	30 November 1926	25 January 1927	27 January 1927	10 January 1969	Sold, 6 October 1969 Museum ship before being abandoned and sinking on November 1, 2021, in Portland, Oregon
	WMEC-127
Antietam Later renamed Bedloe	WPC-128	#323		24 July 1926	30 November 1926	22 January 1927	January 1927	n/a	Foundered in storm, 14 September 1944
	WSC-128
Bonham	WPC-129	#324		24 July 1926	30 November 1926	27 January 1927	29 January 1927	20 April 1959	Sold, 30 December 1959 to Northland Marine Lines as Polar Star[19] Sold to Mark Benert Marine Services as Mindy B in 2005[19]
	WSC-129
Boutwell	WPC-130	#325	J	28 August 1926	27 January 1927	8 February 1927	21 February 1927	7 May 1963	Sold, 16 May 1964 as State Bell #296169[22] before becoming Rebel in 1972 and Activa in 1979[19]
	WSC-130
Cahoone	WPC-131			28 August 1926[23]	27 January 1927[23]		21 February 1927	11 March 1968	Sold, 12 December 1968
	WSC-131
	WMEC-131
Cartigan	WSC-132	#327		28 August 1926	27 January 1927	2 March 1927	3 March 1927	12 October 1968	Sold, 9 April 1969 to private owner for $26,000[24] Lifted for scrapping in 2004.[24]	Released 300 gallons of fuel oil in 2003 while berthed at New York City[24]
	WPC-132
	WMEC-132
Montgomery Later renamed Colfax	WPC-133	#340	O	4 December 1926	22 March 1927	4 April 1927	7 April 1927	9 November 1954	Sold, 5 January 1956 as Colfax 271836	Used as buoy tender between 1941 and 1942.[21]
	WSC-133
Crawford	WPC-134	#328	J	28 August 1926	27 January 1926	17 February 1927	21 February 1927	15 August 1947	Donated to Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 28 November 1955 Later sold to the University of Puerto Rico, 1970 Seized by USCGC Manitou (WPB-1302) for drug smuggling, 1986 Fate unknown	Used as buoy tender between 1941 and 1942.[21]
	WSC-134
Diligence	WPC-135	#330		28 August 1926	27 January 1927	18 February 1927	22 February 1927	30 September 1961	Sold, 30 January 1963	Used as buoy tender between 1941 and 1942.[21]
	WSC-135
Dix	WPC-136	#331	M	28 August 1926	27 January 1927	4 March 1927	5 March 1927	13 January 1948	Sold, 16 June 1948
	WSC-136
Ewing	WPC-137	#332	L	1 December 1926	15 March 1927	23 March 1927	26 March 1927	23 June 1967	Sold, 23 January 1969 as Pacific Raider to Decorative Surfacing Centers Inc. Extant as Pacific Hunter as of 2019; renamed 1994[25] For sale at $124,000; moored at Ballard, California as of 2021	Lacked the single 3 inch gun at launch[26] Used as buoy tender between 1941 and 1942.[21]
	WSC-137
	WMEC-137
Faunce	WPC-138	#333	J	1 December 1926	15 March 1927	29 March 1927	1 April 1927	13 January 1948	Sold, 16 June 1948 to Humble Oil Refinery as Humble AC-2 #257810, then Myra White in 1961 and Vitow II in 1964
	WSC-138
Frederick Lee	WPC-139	#334	L	1 December 1926	15 March 1927	2 April 1927	4 April 1927	15 December 1964	Sold, 19 May 1966 as Virgil E #505701
	WSC-139
	WMEC-139
General Greene	WPC-140	#335		2 December 1926	14 February 1927	15 March 1927	7 April 1927	15 November 1968	Sold to Guatemala, 1976 Seized by the US Coast Guard for drug smuggling, 1979 Fate unknown
	WSC-140
	WMEC-140
Harriet Lane	WPC-141	#319		24 July 1926	30 November 1926	31 December 1926	1 January 1927	29 April 1946	Sold into merchant service and renamed MV Humble AC-4 #270632, 16 June 1948 to Humble Oil & Refining Fate unknown	Used as buoy tender between 1941 and 1942.[21]
	WSC-141
Jackson	WPC-142	#336		2 December 1926	4 February 1927	9 March 1927	14 March 1927	n/a	Foundered in storm, 14 September 1944
	WSC-142
Kimball	WPC-143	#349		1 February 1927	25 April 1927	4 May 1927	7 May 1927	31 December 1968	Sold, 24 February 1970	Served as a training ship for the Merchant Marine Academy in 1939[6]
	WSC-143
Legare	WPC-144	#337		2 December 1926	14 February 1927	14 March 1927	17 March 1927	5 March 1968	Sold, 29 November 1968 Fate unknown	Used as buoy tender between 1941 and 1942.[21]
	WSC-144
	WMEC-144
Marion	WPC-145	#338	O	4 December 1926	15 March 1927	4 April 1927	6 April 1927	15 February 1962	Sold into merchant service and renamed MV Top Cat, 8 March 1963 Fate unknown
	WSC-145
McLane	WPC-146	#339		4 December 1926	22 March 1927	6 April 1927	8 March 1927	31 December 1968	Used as buoy tender between 1941 and 1942.[21] Sold, 14 November 1969 Museum ship in Muskegon, Michigan
	WSC-146
	WMEC-146
Morris	WPC-147	#341		4 December 1926	4 April 1927	9 April 1927	19 April 1927	7 August 1971	Sold, August 1970 Operated by the West Sacramento Sea Scouts from 1971[27] before being sold Museum ship in Galveston, Texas	Lacked the single 3-inch gun at construction[26]
	WSC-147
	WMEC-147
Nemaha	WPC-148	#342		4 December 1926	4 April 1927	13 April 1927	19 April 1927	21 July 1947	Sold, 14 June 1948[28]
	WSC-148
Pulaski	WPC-149	#343		4 December 1926	4 April 1927	13 April 1927	30 April 1927	4 December 1946	Sold, 14 July 1948
	WSC-149
Reliance	WPC-150	#344	J	1 February 1927	18 April 1927	22 April 1927	26 April 1927	11 March 1968	Sold for scrap, 16 June 1948
	WSC-150
Rush	WPC-151	#345		1 February 1927	18 April 1927	26 April 1927	27 April 1927	21 August 1947	Sunk in collision with M/V J. A. Moffett Jr. in Ambrose Channel, 29 December 1927, later refloated[6] Sold, 16 January 1948. Renamed Humble AC-1 with the Humble Oil & Refining Co. in 1949. Renamed Vitow I with Virgin Islands Towing Co in 1964.[29]
	WSC-151
Tiger	WPC-152	#346		1 February 1927	18 April 1927	29 April 1927	3 May 1927	12 November 1947	Sold, 14 June 1948 as Polar Merchant #257391 Completely stripped, 2018 serving as a floating hull at Tacoma, Washington.[30]
	WSC-152
Travis	WPC-153	#347		1 February 1927	18 April 1927	26 April 1927	29 April 1927	5 June 1962	Sold, 15 November 1962 as State Chief #294664	Collided with M/V East Breeze off Halifax, Nova Scotia, 30 November 1944.[6]
	WSC-153
Vigilant	WPC-154	#348		1 February 1927	25 April 1927	29 April 1927	3 May 1927	9 November 1954	Sold, 3 January 1956 as Vigilant #271208	Used as buoy tender between 1941 and 1942.[21]
	WSC-154
Woodbury	WPC-155	#350	L	16 February 1927	2 May 1927	5 May 1927	11 May 1927	9 November 1954	Sold, 3 January 1956 Renamed Humble AC-3 with Humble Oil Company as a tug. Renamed Challenge with Caribbean Towing Inc. where she serves to this day.[31]	Used as buoy tender between 1941 and 1942.[21]
	WSC-155
Yeaton	WPC-156	#351		16 February 1927	2 May 1927	7 May 1927	10 May 1927	18 May 1969	Sold, 16 July 1970
	WSC-156
	WMEC-156
Cuyahoga	WSC-157	#329	J	28 August 1926	27 January 1926	17 February 1927	3 March 1927	3 November 1978 JSTOR	Sunk in collision, 20 October 1978 Refloated, 29 October 1978 Scuttled, 29 March 1979	Transferred to United States Navy 29 May 1933, returned 17 May 1941 as AG-2.
	AG-2
	WIX-157

Gallery

• 
  USCGC Cahoone (WSC-131)
• 
  USCGC Faunce (WSC-138) in World War II camouflage
• 
  USCGC Cuyahoga (WIX-157)
• 
  USCGC Agassiz in 1957 at Cape May, New Jersey.
• 
  Cutter USCGC Antietam, later Bedloe (WSC-128). Date and location unknown
• 
  The US Office of Naval Intelligence recognition image for the Active-class cutter during 1943.
• 
  USCGC Jackson on 31 March 1927 on the Delaware River
• 
  USCGC Active (WPC-125) participating in line-carrying experiments by aviation unit from Base 7, Gloucester, Massachusetts
• 
  Model of an Active-class cutter in its post World War II configuration

Footnotes

1. The ten Actives used as buoy tenders were Active (WPC-125), Colfax (WPC-133), Crawford (WPC-134), Ewing (WPC-137), Harriet Lane (WPC-141), Legare (WPC-144), McLane (WPC-146), Vigilant (WPC-154), Diligence (WPC-135), and Woodbury (WPC-155).