USS Malay

USS Malay (SP-735) was a United States Navy patrol vessel in commission from 1917 to 1919.

Malay as a private yacht sometime between 1898 and 1917.
History
United States
Name	USS Malay
Namesake	Previous name retained
Builder	Delaware River Iron Ship Building and Engine Works, Chester, Pennsylvania
Completed	1898
Acquired	28 April 1917
Commissioned	16 June 1917
Fate	Returned to owner 1 March 1919
Notes	Operated as private yacht Malay 1898-1917 and 1919-1921; sold 1921
General characteristics
Type	Patrol vessel
Tonnage	173 Gross register tons
Length	150 ft (46 m)
Beam	20 ft (6.1 m)
Draft	8 ft 7 in (2.62 m)
Propulsion	Steam engine
Speed	15 knots
Complement	29
Armament	2 × 3-pounder guns 1 × machine gun 1 × Y-gun

Malay was built as a private steam yacht of the same name in 1898 by Delaware River Iron Ship Building and Engine Works at Chester, Pennsylvania. On 28 April 1917, the U.S. Navy acquired her under a free lease from her owner, Hannah P. Weld of Boston, Massachusetts, for use as a section patrol vessel during World War I. She was commissioned as USS Malay (SP-735) on 16 June 1917.

Malay patrolled waters along the United States East Coast for the rest of World War I.

On 1 March 1919, the Navy returned Malay to Weld, who sold her to a buyer from Honduras in 1921.

References

•  This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
• Department of the Navy Naval History and Heritage Command Online Library of Selected Images: Civilian Ships: Malay (Steam Yacht, 1898); Later USS Malay (SP-735), 1917-1919
• Photo gallery of USS Malay at NavSource Naval History