USS ''Chingachgook'' () was a

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 ...

acquired by the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

during

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 global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting took place mainly in Europe and th ...

. She was outfitted as an armed

patrol craft A patrol boat (also referred to as a patrol craft, patrol ship, or patrol vessel) is a relatively small naval vessel generally designed for coastal defence, border security, or law enforcement. There are many designs for patrol boats, and they ...

for the

3rd Naval District United States Naval Districts is a system created by the United States Navy to organize military facilities, numbered sequentially by geographic region, for the operational and administrative control of naval bases and shore commands in the Unit ...

and assigned to patrol

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 ...

waterways. After several months of operation by the Navy, an on-board gasoline explosion destroyed the craft.

A fast motorboat for the era

''Chingachgook'' – a fast motorboat () – was built in 1916 by the

Greenport Basin and Construction Company The Greenport Basin and Construction Company, known by various names throughout its history, but most recently named the Greenport Yacht & Shipbuilding Company, is a shipbuilder in Greenport, Suffolk County, New York. It was established in the 19th ...

of Greenport, Long Island, New York.

World War I service

Her owner – T. W. Brigham of Greenport – had her armed as a patrol craft as part of the preparedness movement then active in the United States. She was acquired by the Navy for World War I service in May 1917, and on 6 June 1917 she was placed in commission as USS ''Chingachgook'' (), named after James Fenimore Cooper's ''Last of the Mohicans'' character, and assigned to the 3rd Naval District for patrol duty. The boat briefly performed patrol service in the New York City area, but on 31 July 1917 her gasoline tank exploded, injuring members of the crew and igniting the ship. A survey of 13 October found her hull worthless and beyond repair.

Decommissioning and disposal

Decommissioned at the beginning of October, her remains were disposed of by burning on 19 February 1918.

External links

*
Chingachgook (American Motor Boat, 1916). Served as USS Chingachgook (SP-35) in 1917
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Chingachgook World War I patrol vessels of the United States Motorboats of the United States Navy Ships built in Greenport, New York 1916 ships Maritime incidents in 1917 Ship fires