USS ''Arroyo'' (SP-197) was a U.S. Navy
patrol vessel in commission from 1917 to 1918.
''Arroyo'' was built as a
civilian
A civilian is a person who is not a member of an armed force. It is war crime, illegal under the law of armed conflict to target civilians with military attacks, along with numerous other considerations for civilians during times of war. If a civi ...
motorboat
A motorboat or powerboat is a boat that is exclusively powered by an engine; faster examples may be called "speedboats".
Some motorboats are fitted with inboard engines, others have an outboard motor installed on the rear, containing the inter ...
of the same name in 1913 by the
Luders Marine Construction Company at
Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford () is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, outside of New York City. It is the sixth-most populous city in New England. Stamford is also the largest city in the Western Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut, Weste ...
. The U.S. Navy
lease
A lease is a contractual arrangement calling for the user (referred to as the ''lessee'') to pay the owner (referred to as the ''lessor'') for the use of an asset. Property, buildings and vehicles are common assets that are leased. Industrial ...
d her for one
dollar
Dollar is the name of more than 25 currencies. The United States dollar, named after the international currency known as the Spanish dollar, was established in 1792 and is the first so named that still survives. Others include the Australian d ...
from her owner, Mr. A. M. Huntington, on 21 April 1917 for
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
service as a patrol vessel. She was
commissioned as USS ''Arroyo'' (SP-197) at the
New York Navy Yard at
Brooklyn, New York
Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
, on 25 June 1917.
''Arroyo'' was assigned to the
Naval Coast Defense Reserve of the
3rd Naval District and attached to the
radio
Radio is the technology of communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 3 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmitter connec ...
office at the New York Navy Yard. She was laid up at the
Marine Basin, New York, on 2 January 1918.
''Arroyo'' was recommissioned on 18 April 1918. She departed
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
on 31 May 1918 bound for the
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes spanning the Canada–United States border. The five lakes are Lake Superior, Superior, Lake Michigan, Michigan, Lake Huron, H ...
. There she worked with the
section patrol
A Section Patrol Craft was a civilian vessel registered by the United States Navy for potential wartime service before, during, and shortly after World War I.
Historical overview The SP/ID registration system
In 1916, with World War I raging ...
, operating out of
Detroit
Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
and
St. Clair, Michigan.
''Arroyo'' returned to New York City just after the
armistice
An armistice is a formal agreement of warring parties to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, as it may constitute only a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace. It is derived from t ...
with
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
of 11 November 1918 that ended World War I. On 16 December 1918, she was
decommissioned and returned to her owner. Her name was stricken from the
Navy Directory that same day.
References
*
Department of the Navy: Navy History and Heritage Command: Online Library of Selected Images: U.S. Navy Ships: USS ''Arroyo'' (SP-197), 1917-1918
{{DEFAULTSORT:Arroyo (SP-197)
Patrol vessels of the United States Navy
World War I patrol vessels of the United States
Great Lakes ships
Ships built in Stamford, Connecticut
1913 ships