 Relief inMerritt & Chapman service | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | Relief |
| Owner |
|
| Operator | 1918–19:United States Navy |
| Port of registry | New York |
| Builder | Harlan and Hollingsworth,Wilmington, DE |
| Completed | 1907 |
| Acquired | for US Navy, 8 August 1918 |
| Commissioned | into US Navy, 19 August 1918 |
| Decommissioned | 14 May 1919 |
| Identification |
|
| Fate | scrapped by 1953 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | salvage tug |
| Tonnage | 828 GRT, 563 NRT |
| Displacement | 1,386 tons |
| Length | |
| Beam | 30.2 ft (9.2 m) |
| Draft | 15 ft 5 in (4.70 m) |
| Depth | 20.6 ft (6.3 m) |
| Decks | 2 |
| Installed power | 137NHP |
| Propulsion | |
| Speed | 14+1⁄2 knots (27 km/h) |
| Complement | 58 |
| Sensors & processing systems | by 1930: wirelessdirection finding |
USSRelief (SP-2170) was asalvage tug that was built inDelaware in 1907 and scrapped in 1953. She served in theUnited States Navy in the First World War from 1918 to 1919, and provided civilian support to the Navy in the Second World War from 1942 to 1945. She belonged to the Merritt & Chapman Derrick & Wrecking Co, which in the 1920s becameMerritt-Chapman & Scott. She rescued thesteam yachtWarrior in 1914, and survived a collision with a US Navy patrol vessel in 1918.
Harlan and Hollingsworth ofWilmington, Delaware builtRelief, completing her in 1907. Her lengths were 200.0 ft (61.0 m)overall[1]
and 184.6 ft (56.3 m)between perpendiculars Herbeam was 30.2 ft (9.2 m); her depth was 20.6 ft (6.3 m); and herdraft was 15 ft 5 in (4.70 m). Hertonnages were 828 GRT; 563 NRT;[2] and 1,386 tonsdisplacement.[1] She had a singlescrew, driven by a three-cylindertriple-expansion engine that was rated at 137NHP[2] and gave her a speed of14+1⁄2 knots (27 km/h).[1]
Merritt & ChapmanregisteredRelief inNew York. Her USofficial number was 203988 and hercode letters were KWBH.[2] By 1910 she was equipped withwireless telegraphy.[3] By 1914 her wirelesscall sign was KRJ.[4]
On the morning of 26 January 1914,Frederick William Vanderbilt's steam yachtWarrior ran aground on a sand or mud bank near the mouth of theMagdalena River on theCaribbean coast ofColombia. She was carrying Mr andMrs FW Vanderbilt and their guests: theDuke and Duchess of Manchester, andLord Falconer.[5][6] The Tropical Fruit Company steamshipAlmirante reachedWarrior the next day, and sent a lifeboat which rescued the Vanderbilts, their guests, and their personal servants. The yacht's 48 crew chose to remain aboardWarrior to await the arrival of asalvage tug.[5][6]
Relief was sent fromKingston, Jamaica, and arrived on the afternoon of 29 January. By then the wind and sea were too heavy to allow a line to be thrown aboardWarrior.Almirante resumed her voyage, leavingRelief to continue to stand by the yacht.[5][6]
By 6 February, all but ten ofWarrior's crew had been rescued, and were aboard the Tropical Fruit Company steamshipMetapan, which took them back to the US.[7][8]
By 10 February, a hurricane had drivenWarrior further ashore; smashedRelief'swindlass; and caused the tug to lose both of her anchors.Relief went toSavanilla for repairs.[8] By 13 February another seven members of the yacht's crew had abandoned ship, leaving only thecaptain and two crewmen aboardWarrior.[9] The seven reached New York on 23 February aboard theHamburg America Line steamshipAlbingia.[10]
On 11 March it was reported thatRelief had hauledWarrior half a mile off the mud bank, but another hurricane came, forced the tug to let the yacht go, and drove the yacht back onto the mud.[11][12] On 9 AprilRelief reached Kingston withWarrior in tow, and only slightly damaged.[13]Relief then towedWarrior to New York, leaving Kingston on 14 April, and reaching New York on 21 April.[14][15]
Relief was acquired for US Navy service on 8 August 1918. She wascommissioned on 19 August as USSRelief, with thepennant number SP-2170. She was assigned to the3rd Naval District, and was a salvage and wrecking tug on the New York area. On 27 September 1918 she collided with thepatrol vesselUSS Williams, andWilliams was slightly damaged. Relief was returned to her owners on 14 May 1919.[1]
By 1930,Relief was equipped with wirelessdirection finding.[16] By 1934, her wireless call sign was WHCZ, and this had superseded her code letters.[17]
In the Second World War,Relief served the Navy again from 14 January 1942. Merritt-Chapman and Scott continued to operate her, but under the direction of theBureau of Ships. After the war she returned to civilian service.[1] She had been scrapped by 1953.[18]
This article incorporates text from thepublic domainDictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.
Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in September 1918 | |
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| Shipwrecks |
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| Other incidents |
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