USS ''Monomoy'' (AG-40) was a commercial

cargo ship A cargo ship or freighter is a merchant ship that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's List of seas, seas and Ocean, oceans each year, handling the bulk of international trade. ...

acquired by the

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during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. She was outfitted with guns and

depth charge A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) weapon designed to destroy submarine A submarine (often shortened to sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. (It differs from a submersible, which has more limited ...

s and sent into the dangerous waters of the North

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to furnish data used to predict storm movement and severe weather conditions to safeguard the continuous movement of merchant convoys, naval warships, and airplanes between North America and the United Kingdom, Murmansk, and other destinations. She served as an escort vessel when required. She was crewed by the U.S. Coast Guard and was eventually transferred to that agency as USCGC ''Monomoy'' (WAG-275).

Built in Duluth, Minnesota

''Monomoy'' (AG-40) was built in 1918 by Globe Shipbuilding Co.,

Duluth, Minnesota Duluth ( ) is a Port, port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of St. Louis County, Minnesota, St. Louis County. Located on Lake Superior in Minnesota's Arrowhead Region, the city is a hub for cargo shipping. The population ...

; acquired as ''J. Floyd Massey, Jr'' 15 September 1941 from Steel Products Transportation Company,

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is a Administrative divisions of New York (state), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York and county seat of Erie County, New York, Erie County. It lies in Western New York at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of ...

; renamed ''Monomoy'' 15 October 1941; and commissioned 24 December 1941.

World War II Navy service

''Monomoy'', crewed and operated by the U.S. Coast Guard, joined the Weather Patrol,

U.S. Atlantic Fleet The United States Fleet Forces Command (USFFC) is a service component command of the United States Navy that provides naval forces to a wide variety of U.S. forces. The naval resources may be allocated to Combatant Commanders such as United Sta ...

, in 1942. From her base at

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, she periodically sailed to weather stations 1 and 2, where she provided weather reports vital for the safety of

convoy A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support and can help maintain cohesion within a unit. It may also be used ...

s and air commerce. Operating in dangerous waters, she made frequent contact with enemy

submarine A submarine (often shortened to sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. (It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability.) The term "submarine" is also sometimes used historically or infor ...

s. At 9:07 PM on 24 July 1942 after spotting wake from two torpedoes crossing ten yards off the bow, the Officer of the Deck (Albert L. Preston) spotted a U-Boat periscope and conning tower. Four shots were fired from the 4" gun at 9:09 PM. The second, targeted at 2,000 yards, resulted in a metallic thud and a fire at the location of the U-Boat, which then disappeared from view. Two more shots were fired, followed by depth charges. No survivors were seen. She continued patrolling the North Atlantic, the North Sea, and the Bay of Biscay for the next 15 months. At times it took two men to control the ship's wheel in the rough seas. The ship rendered valuable service to Allied ships and planes in the North Atlantic.

Transferred to the Coast Guard

She was formally transferred to the Coast Guard 22 October 1943, and stricken from the

Naval Register A Navy Directory, Navy List or Naval Register is an official list of naval officers, their ranks and seniority, the ships which they command or to which they are appointed, etc., that is published by the government or naval authorities of a co ...

30 October. Redesignated ''WAG-275'', ''Monomoy'' served the Coast Guard through the remainder of the war and was then transferred to the U.S. Maritime Commission. She was scrapped in 1951.

References

* * * Background information obtained from NARA I (National Archives and Records Administration) file: USCGC Monomoy, which includes the ship's log, letters, and special reports written by officers on board. {{DEFAULTSORT:Monomoy Ships built in Duluth, Minnesota Steamships of the United States Navy Weather ships World War II patrol vessels of the United States Ships of the United States Coast Guard 1918 ships Lake ships Ships transferred from the United States Navy to the United States Coast Guard