USS Noma (SP-131)
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USS ''Noma'' (SP-131) was the private
steam yacht A steam yacht is a class of luxury or commercial yacht with primary or secondary steam propulsion in addition to the sails usually carried by yachts. Origin of the name The English steamboat entrepreneur George Dodd (1783–1827) used the term ...
''Noma'', built in 1902 on
Staten Island Staten Island ( ) is the southernmost of the boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County and situated at the southernmost point of New York (state), New York. The borough is separated from the ad ...
and loaned to the U.S. Navy 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 World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
as a patrol craft assigned to protect shipping from German
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 war’s end she served the American Relief Commission in Constantinople and the
Black Sea The Black Sea is a marginal sea, marginal Mediterranean sea (oceanography), mediterranean sea lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bound ...
before being returned to her owner after decommissioning. In the 1930s she was converted to a salvage tug, owned in Italy as ''Salvatore Primo'', and torpedoed 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 ...
.


Construction and service as a private yacht

''Noma'' was a large steam yacht, designed by Tams, Lemoine & Crane and built by the Burlee Dry Dock Co. of
Staten Island Staten Island ( ) is the southernmost of the boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County and situated at the southernmost point of New York (state), New York. The borough is separated from the ad ...
, New York, Yard No. 235, and launched on 11 February 1902. She was built for William Bateman Leeds, the "Tin Plate King", who had married Nonnie May Stewart Worthington in 1900 and the following year sold his tin-plate business to
US Steel The United States Steel Corporation is an American steel company based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It maintains production facilities at several additional locations in the U.S. and Central Europe. The company produces and sells steel products, ...
for $40 million. The yacht measured when built, with a lengths of ( pp) and ( oa), a beam of , and a draught of . ''Nomas two 4-cylinder triple expansion steam engines, also made by Burlee Dry Dock, totalled 518 nhp, drove twin
screws A screw is an externally helical threaded fastener capable of being tightened or released by a twisting force (torque) to the screw head, head. The most common uses of screws are to hold objects together and there are many forms for a variety ...
and gave her a speed of 19 knots. Leeds died in 1908 and in 1911 ''Noma'' was bought by
John Jacob Astor IV John Jacob Astor IV (July 13, 1864 – April 15, 1912) was an American business magnate, real estate developer, investor, writer, lieutenant colonel in the Spanish–American War, and a prominent member of the Astor family. He was among the most ...
, though his ownership was short-lived as he died in the sinking of ''Titanic'' the following year, and the yacht passed to his son, Vincent Astor.


United States Navy service

After the United States entered World War I in April 1917, ''Noma'' was loaned to the Navy by Vincent Astor, who was commissioned as an officer in the Navy and served aboard her as a junior officer. The yacht was outfitted by the Navy with military equipment, including heavy guns, and commissioned as USS ''Noma'' (SP–131) on 10 May 1917 and assigned to the North Atlantic. She was ordered to
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
as the
flagship A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of navy, naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically ...
of Capt. William B. Fletcher, Commander U.S. Patrol Squadrons operating in
Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
an waters. She sailed from
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 ...
9 June 1917 accompanied by five other ships of her squadron: ''Christabel'', ''Harvard'', ''Kanawha II'', ''Sultana'', and ''Vedette''.


Anti-submarine duty

Upon arriving at Brest on 4 July 1917, ''Noma'' immediately commenced operating in the
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 ...
danger zone, convoying troop transports and cargo vessels. While patrolling off Cape Finisterre on 20 July 1917, she sighted a German
U-boat U-boats are Submarine#Military, naval submarines operated by Germany, including during the World War I, First and Second World Wars. The term is an Anglicization#Loanwords, anglicized form of the German word , a shortening of (), though the G ...
running awash and attacked it. On 25 July ''Noma'' escorted a large American
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 ...
from
Belle Île Belle-Île (), Belle-Île-en-Mer (), or Belle Isle (, ; ) is a French island off the coast of Brittany in the ''département in France, département'' of Morbihan, and the largest of Brittany's islands. It is from the Quiberon peninsula. Admini ...
to the River Loire. ''Noma'' next encountered a German submarine when she went to the aid of British
Q-ship Q-ships, also known as Q-boats, decoy vessels, special service ships, or mystery ships, were heavily armed merchantman, armed merchant ships with concealed weaponry, designed to lure submarines into making surface attacks. This gave Q-ships the c ...
on 8 August. At the time the vessel was being shelled and torpedoed by the enemy submarine. ''Dunraven''’s
commanding officer The commanding officer (CO) or commander, or sometimes, if the incumbent is a general officer, commanding general (CG), is the officer in command of a military unit. The commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually give ...
, Capt. Gordon Campbell, RN, credited ''Noma’s'' arrival and prompt
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 ...
attack with saving his ship. ''Noma'' stood by ''Dunraven'' until two British
destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, maneuverable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy, or carrier battle group and defend them against a wide range of general threats. They were conceived i ...
s arrived, and took off several wounded sailors. ''Noma'' came upon a large German U-boat recharging her batteries on 16 August and engaged her in a vigorous gun duel until the U-boat submerged. On 17 September she next sighted a medium-sized German submarine watching for convoys close inshore, and in a dawn attack, straddled it with many
salvo A salvo is the simultaneous discharge of artillery or firearms including the firing of guns either to hit a target or to perform a salute. As a tactic in warfare, the intent is to cripple an enemy in many blows at once and prevent them from f ...
s. While escorting store ships ''Koln'' and ''Medina'', westbound for France on 28 November, ''Noma'' in company with ''Wakiva II'' engaged two German submarines. ''Noma'' depth charged her contact while ''Wakiva II'' seriously damaged the other U-boat. ''Noma'' and ''Wakiva II'' were commended for distinguished service by both Rear Admiral Henry B. Wilson and Admiral William S. Sims. Lt. Comdr. Leahy was awarded the Navy Cross for his role in the battle. ''Noma'' continued to screen convoys in 1918, and escorted to St. Nazaire on 25 January. She later accompanied a
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 ...
of 13 merchant ships westbound for the U.S. and returned on 21 May with a group of 8 ships bound for La Pallice. ''Noma'''s last combat with German submarines occurred 15 August when two ships of eastbound Convoy HB–8, and , were torpedoed; ''Montanan'' sank, but ''West Bridge'' was towed in to Brest.


Post-war operations

After the war ''Noma'' was temporarily stationed at
Plymouth, England Plymouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Devon, South West England. It is located on Devon's south coast between the rivers River Plym, Plym and River Tamar, Tamar, about southwest of Exeter and ...
until she was transferred to U.S. Forces based at
Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...
in early 1919. She passed
Gibraltar Gibraltar ( , ) is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory and British overseas cities, city located at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, on the Bay of Gibraltar, near the exit of the Mediterranean Sea into the A ...
on 26 January; stopped at
Taranto Taranto (; ; previously called Tarent in English) is a coastal city in Apulia, Southern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Taranto, serving as an important commercial port as well as the main Italian naval base. Founded by Spartans ...
and
Malta Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is an island country in Southern Europe located in the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily and North Africa. It consists of an archipelago south of Italy, east of Tunisia, and north of Libya. The two ...
; and arrived Constantinople on 13 February, bringing with her members of the American Relief Commission. Between February and May 1919 she supported the American Relief Commission during its operations in the
Black Sea The Black Sea is a marginal sea, marginal Mediterranean sea (oceanography), mediterranean sea lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bound ...
. Once at Constantinople her duties involved carrying commission members to Constanţa,
Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...
9–14 March; to Varna,
Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...
3–6 April, and to Batum,
Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
21 April–1 May. ''Noma'' also removed American gold funds from Varna and took on board U.S. Army personnel at all three ports. ''Noma'' departed Constantinople for the U.S. on 21 May. She was decommissioned in mid-July 1919 and was returned to her pre-war condition and then returned to her owner at
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 15 July 1919.


Later service as a yacht and salvage tug

After ''Nomas return to Vincent Astor he sold her to the department store magnate Rodman Wanamaker and by early 1920 she was being extensively overhauled and improved at South Brooklyn, again supervised by Tams, Lemoine & Crane. In 1923 ''Noma'' was chartered to William Beebe for his first expedition to the
Galápagos Islands The Galápagos Islands () are an archipelago of volcanic islands in the Eastern Pacific, located around the equator, west of the mainland of South America. They form the Galápagos Province of the Republic of Ecuador, with a population of sli ...
. In about 1927, ''Noma'' was sold to Nelson B. Warden and renamed ''Vega''. In 1933 ''Vega'' was sold to Wilhelm Schuchmann of Hamburg, owner of the German towage and salvage company Bugsier Reederei-u. Bergungs AG, for conversion to a salvage tug. Later that year she was sold to the
Trieste Trieste ( , ; ) is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is the capital and largest city of the Regions of Italy#Autonomous regions with special statute, autonomous region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, as well as of the Province of Trieste, ...
-based company Unione Italiana di Salvataggio, in which Bugsier had a 25% holding, then renamed ''Salvatore Primo'' and stationed at
Messina Messina ( , ; ; ; ) is a harbour city and the capital city, capital of the Italian Metropolitan City of Messina. It is the third largest city on the island of Sicily, and the 13th largest city in Italy, with a population of 216,918 inhabitants ...
. Requisitioned by the
Italian Navy The Italian Navy (; abbreviated as MM) is one of the four branches of Italian Armed Forces and was formed in 1946 from what remained of the ''Regia Marina'' (Royal Navy) after World War II. , the Italian Navy had a strength of 30,923 active per ...
in May 1940, ''Salvatore Primo'' was sunk at
Palermo Palermo ( ; ; , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan province. The ...
on 24 May 1941 by
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bombing. She was raised by the Italians, repaired and returned to service. On 21 June 1943, on passage between
Gaeta Gaeta (; ; Southern Latian dialect, Southern Laziale: ''Gaieta'') is a seaside resort in the province of Latina in Lazio, Italy. Set on a promontory stretching towards the Gulf of Gaeta, it is from Rome and from Naples. The city has played ...
and
Sardinia Sardinia ( ; ; ) is the Mediterranean islands#By area, second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, and one of the Regions of Italy, twenty regions of Italy. It is located west of the Italian Peninsula, north of Tunisia an ...
she was again attacked by British planes and sunk with a torpedo about north-northeast of Capo Figari, Sardinia.


See also

*
USS Noma (SP-131), 1917–1919. Originally Steam Yacht Noma (1902)


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Noma Steam yachts Ships built in Staten Island Patrol vessels of the United States Navy World War I patrol vessels of the United States 1902 ships