| History | |
|---|---|
.svg)  United States | |
| Name | USSGypsum Queen |
| Namesake | A former name retained |
| Owner | J. B. King Transportation Co. ofNew York City |
| Builder | Dialogue & Company,Camden, New Jersey |
| Laid down | date unknown |
| Completed | 1890 |
| Acquired | by the Navy, September 1917 |
| Commissioned | 4 December 1917 atNew York City |
| Decommissioned | sunk on 28 April 1919 |
| Stricken | 1919 (est.) |
| Fate | Sunk after striking a rock near Armen Light House offBrest, France, 28 April 1919 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Tugboat |
| Displacement | 361 long tons (367 t) |
| Length | 135 ft (41 m) |
| Beam | 27 ft (8.2 m) |
| Draft | 14 ft 5 in (4.39 m) |
| Speed | 14 kn (16 mph; 26 km/h) |
| Armament | 1 × 3 in (76 mm) gun, 2 × .30 in (7.6 mm)machine guns |
USSGypsum Queen (SP-430) was atugboat acquired by theUnited States Navy duringWorld War I. She was assigned to the French coast as a minesweeper, as well as a tugboat to provide assistance to disabled Allied ships. Performing this dangerous work,Gypsum Queen struck a rock nearBrest, France, and sunk, sending 15 crew members to their deaths.
Gypsum Queen — a sea-going tug — was built byDialogue & Company,Camden, New Jersey in 1890, acquired from her owners, J. B. King Transportation Co. ofNew York City in September 1917; and commissioned on 4 December 1917 atNew York City.
Turned over to the3d Naval District,Gypsum Queen was fitted out for overseas service atNew York Navy Yard and subsequently served in French ports as a towing vessel and a minesweeper.
While returning from rendering assistance to minesweepers foundering off the coast ofFrance,Gypsum Queen struck a rock near Armen Light House offBrest on 28 April 1919 and sank with a loss of two officers and 13 men.
This article incorporates text from thepublic domainDictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be foundhere.
