165' Cutters
Click on any image to enlarge
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| Courtesy of Jerry Underwood |
CGC Ariadne WPC101
Taken about 1968 at Key West, Fl
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| Collection of Larry Welker |
USCGC DIONE WPC-107
1962
Larry mentioned that picture was taken in 1962. The Dione had escorted some sailboats on some sort of race from Corpus
Christi to Tampico.
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Over time there were two classes of 165-foot cutters, This one was sometimes referred to as the Thetis-Class. All were
named after Greek Mythology 18 of these vessels were built between 1931 and 1934.
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USCGC ICARUS WPC-10
Another "Thetis"
class 165 footer. ICARUS was commissioned on March 19, 1932.
She sunk U-352 off Cape Lookout on May 9, 1942.. She was decommissioned
21 Oct. 1946
USCGC ESCANABA WPG-77
February 2, 1943
This is what North Atlantic convoy duty might have looked like in 1943. The USCGC Escanaba, a 165 foot gunboat was escorting
convoy SG-19 consisting of six ships. One, the U.S. Army Transport Dorchester, can be seen in the background while another
escort ship, the CGC Comanche, is barely visible on the horizon. The date is February 2, 1943 and about 100 miles west of
Cape Farewell Greenland. It was a bitter cold and gloomy day typical of that time of year. A short time after midnight the
following day the Dorchester was torpedoed and sank in about 15-20 minutes. She carried 902 crew and passengers. 675 men were
lost including the four Army Chaplains that were aboard praying for the safety of the men. Tragically, about 4 months later
the Escanaba herself sank, probably the victim of a drifting mine. The explosion and sinking was so rapid that no distress
call was sent. Only two men survived, Melvin Baldwin who died in 1964 and Ray O'Malley who died on March 8, 2007 in Chicago.
The citizens of Grand Haven Michigan, the Escanaba's homeport, were so distraught that they raised funds to have another Escanaba
built. Every summer they conduct what is now known as the Coast Guard Festival in honor of the crew and all Coast Guard personnel.
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| Courtesy of Bill Collette |
Possibly the USCGC ELECTRA WPC187
The ELECTRA had a rather short lived Coast Guard career. She was commissioned on October 25 1934 but acquired by the
Navy on November 12, 1935 and commissioned March 2, 1936 as the USS POTOMAC AG-25 for use as the Presidential Yacht. She was
outfitted with a hand operated elevator in her after stack for President Franklin Roosevelt's use. She was used primarily
in the Chesapeake Bay area but she also traveled to Cape Cod carrying the President for a conference with Prime Minister Churchill
aboard the USS AUGUSTA. It was here that the Atlantic Charter was formed.
She also made occasional trips to the Bahamas and Florida.
In 1941 it was determined that the added equipment above decks rendered her unsafe for open waters and was finally decommissioned
on November 15, 1945 being replaced by the USS WILLIAMSBURG a much larger vessel. She was returned to the Coast Guard on November
23 1945.
In 1946 she was transferred to the state of Maryland for service with the Tidewater Fisheries Commission and then resold
to Warren G. Toone in April 1960 for service as a ferry boat in the Caribbean and resold to Hydro Capitol Company. She was
eventually sold to Elvis Presley and donated to Saint Jude's Hospital in Memphis TN.
She eventually ended up in San Francisco where she was seized in 1980 by the U.S. Customs for her role as a front for
drug smugglers and towed to Treasure Island and sank at her berth but raised by the Navy two weeks later. The Port of Oakland
(CA) purchased her for $15,000. Today she is full restored and open to the public operated as a History and Cruise ship by
the Association for the Preservation of the Presidential Yacht Potomac at Jack London Square in Oakland CA.
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| Courtesy of the Courier Gazette, Rockland ME |
USS POTOMAC AG-25
Shown as the Presidential Yacht. The Presidential seal can be seen on the bridge along with the presidential flag flying
from the mast. FDR is standing between two naval officers by the forward stack.
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| Alvis Hendley courtesy of NoeHill.com |
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| Capt Jack Goldthorpe USCG (ret) photo |
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| Capt Jack Goldthorpe USCG (ret) photo |
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| Capt Jack Goldthorpe USCG (ret) photo |
The POTOMAC (EX CGC ELECTRA) as she looks today.
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| Courtesy of BMCS Ron Dudley USCG (ret) |
USCGC ALGONQUIN WPG-75
1937
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| Courtesy of BMCS Ron Dudley USCG (ret) |
USCGC ALGONQUIN WPG-75
Circa 1941
Shown in her WWII "war colors".
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| USCG Photo courtesy of Tyler Burdick |
USCGC COMANCHE WPG-76
Circa 1940
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USCGC NEMESSIS WPG-111
1950
She is a class A 165 footer. This class was narrower then the Class B 165's.
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USCGC TRITON WPC-116
c 1960
Corpus Christi, TX
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| Courtesy of Don Hanley USCG (ret) |
USCGC TRITON WPC-116
1955
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| Courtesy of Don Hanley USCG (ret) |
USCGC PANDORA WPC-113
December 10, 1943
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| Courtesy of Don Hanley USCG (ret) |
USCGC PANDORA WPC-113
December 18, 1949
Off of Nassau
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| Don Hanley USCG (ret) photo |
USCGC PANDORA WPC-113
1955
Anchored off Mayaguez, Puerto Rico.
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| Don Hanley USCG (ret) photo |
USCGC PANDORA WPC-113
1955
Off of Mayaguez, Puerto Rico
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| Courtesy of Don Hanley USCG (ret) |
COAST GUARD BASE SAN JUAN WITH MOORED CGC PANDORA WPC-113
1959
The Pandora was decommission on May 1, 1959
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