Treasury Class Cutter

The Treasury-class cutter was a group of seven high endurance cutters launched by the United States Coast Guard between 1936 and 1937. The class were called the "Treasury class" because they were each named for former Secretaries of the Treasury. These ships were also collectively known as the ''"327's"'' as they were all in length.Silverstone 1968 p.373 The Treasury-class cutters proved versatile and long-lived warships. Most served the United States for over 40 years, including with distinction through World War II, Korea, and Vietnam.

In the words of naval historian John M. Waters, Jr., they were their nation's "maritime workhorses. The 327s battled through the 'Bloody Winter' of 1942–43 in the North Atlantic," with the ships fighting off and destroying German U-boats, and rescuing survivors from torpedoed convoy ships. Roles of the 327s included serving as amphibious task force flagships in World War II, pilot search and rescue (SAR) during the Korean War, and a critical component of Operation Market Time during the Vietnam War. "Most recently, these ships-that-wouldn't-die have done duty in fisheries patrol and drug interdiction. Built for only $2.5 million each, in terms of cost effectiveness we may never see the likes of these cutters again."

Commencing in the late 1970s the Treasury-class cutters were gradually replaced or their duties taken over by newer and larger high endurance cutters.

Design and construction

The 327s were designed to meet changing missions of the service as it emerged from the Prohibition era. Because the air passenger trade was expanding both at home and overseas, the Coast Guard believed that cutter-based aircraft would be essential for future high-seas search and rescue. Also, during the mid-1930s, narcotics smuggling, mostly opium, was on the increase, and long-legged, fairly fast cutters were needed to curtail it. The Treasury class were an attempt to develop a cutter capable of carrying an airplane in a hangar.

The final design was based on the ''Erie''-class US Navy gunboats; the machinery plant and hull below the waterline were identical. This standardization would save money—always paramount in the Coast Guard's mind, as the cutters were built in U.S. Navy shipbuilding yards. Thirty-two preliminary designs based upon the Erie class were drawn up before one was finally selected. The healthy sheer forward and the high slope in the deck in the wardrooms was known as the ''"Hunnewell Hump."'' Commander (Constructor) F. G. Hunnewell, USCG, was the head of the Construction and Repair Department at that time.

The seven Treasury-class Coast Guard Cutters were:

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Displacing 2,350 tons with a draft, these ships had a maximum speed of . They had crews of between 120 and 230 depending on whether they were serving in peace or wartime. The ships were originally built with two open centerline 5"/51 caliber gun mounts forward, and carried a single aircraft, either a Grumman JF-2 Duck or Curtiss SOC-4, aft. Various arrangements of 3"/50 and 5"/51 guns and depth charge throwers were installed aft when the planes were removed in 1940–41.Fahey 1942 p.56 Postwar armament typically included Hedgehog and an enclosed 5"/38 caliber gun mount forward and MK 32 torpedo tube systems tubes aft.

World War II service

The 327s were known for their high kill rate during World War II. ''Campbell'' demonstrated Treasury-class anti-submarine warfare suitability escorting convoy HX 159 in November 1941. With a kill rate of 0.57 per ship, the Treasury class were the most successful American anti-submarine warships. (US Navy Destroyer Escorts had a kill rate of 0.1) Treasury-class cutters served as leaders of Mid-Ocean Escort Force group A3 during the winter of 1942–43.
* ''Ingham'' escorted westbound convoy ONS 92.
* ''Campbell'' and ''Ingham'' escorted eastbound HX 190.
* ''Campbell'', ''Ingham'' and ''Duane'' escorted westbound ONS 102.
* ''Spencer'' escorted eastbound SC 95 and westbound ON 125.
* ''Campbell'' and ''Spencer'' escorted eastbound SC 100 and westbound ON 135.
* ''Campbell'' escorted eastbound HX 212 and westbound ON 145.
* ''Spencer'' escorted eastbound SC 111 and westbound ONS 156.
* ''Campbell'' and ''Spencer'' escorted eastbound HX 223 and westbound Convoy ON 166.
* ''Spencer'' escorted eastbound Convoy SC 121 and westbound ON 175.
* ''Spencer'' and ''Duane'' escorted the final A3 convoy HX 233 eastbound.
''Bibb'' and ''Ingham'' participated in the battles of Convoy SC 118 and Convoy SC 121.

''Taney'' served in the Pacific and was uniquely armed with four enclosed 5"/38 gun mounts in centerline positions where the ''Erie''-class gunboats mounted 6"/47 guns. The six surviving cutters were converted to amphibious force flagships towards the end of World War II. ''Taney'' also has the distinction of being one of only two military vessels still afloat that was present during the Pearl Harbor attack, 7 December 1941.

Fate

With the exception of ''Hamilton'', which was torpedoed and sunk off Iceland 29 January 1942, all of the Treasury-class ships led very long lives.Morison 1975 p.109 ''Bibb'' and ''Duane'' were sunk as artificial reefs off the coast of Florida in 1987. ''Campbell'' was sunk by the US Navy in a training exercise on 29 November 1984. ''Spencer'' was sold 8 October 1981 for scrap. ''Taney'' is currently a museum ship at the Baltimore Maritime Museum, in Baltimore, Maryland, and ''Ingham'' is part of the Key West Maritime Museum in Key West, Florida.

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{{Treasury class cutter

Patrol ship classes
High endurance cutters
Battle of the Atlantic
North Atlantic convoys of World War II