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USS ''Wakiva II'' (SP-160) was a steel-hulled steam yacht that was built in Scotland for Lamon V. Harkness in 1907, and converted into an armed yacht in 1917. She was a United States Navy convoy escort from Brest, France from October 1917. That November she attacked and almost certainly sank an enemy U-boat. She was sunk in May 1918 by a collision that killed two of her crew.
The US Navy acquired ''Wakiva'' on 20 July 1917, and Ship commissioning, commissioned her at Boston Navy Yard on 6 August as USS ''Wakiva II'', with the pennant number SP-160 Lieutenant commander (United States), Lieutenant Commander Thomas R Kurtz, United States Navy Reserve, USNRF was appointed as her commanding officer. On 18 August, before her conversion into a warship was complete, Captain (United States O-6), Captain Thomas P Magruder, the Commander of Squadron Four, Patrol Force, raised his burgee Pennon, pennant aboard her to maker his flagship. A week later, ''Wakiva II'' left Boston for Provincetown, Massachusetts with Squadron Four, which included six French Navy submarine chasers and several patrol boats and Naval trawler, converted fishing craft.
On 26 August, ''Wakiva II'' and Squadron Four left Massachusetts for French Third Republic, France. En route, the naval trawler broke down, so ''Wakiva II'' took her in tow. They called at Ponta Delgada in the Azores from 6 to 11 September, and reached Brest, France on 18 September. Nine days later, Captain Magruder hauled down his pennant from ''Wakiva II'' to establish his headquarters ashore.
In 28 September ''Wakiva II'' began Convoys in World War I, convoy escort duty, by putting to sea to meet a convoy west of Ushant. She remained on convoy duty until she was sunk the following year. On 28 October 1917, ''Wakiva II'' and rescued survivors from the troopship , which had been disabled by a torpedo. ''Wakiva II'' launched two of her boats, and members of her crew also crewed one of ''Finland''s lifeboats. ''Wakiva II'' picked up 126 of ''Finland''s survivors and landed them at Brest.
On 23 November 1917, ''Wakiva II'' sighted an object at range that they took to be a U-boat Conning tower#Submarines, conning tower. Her crew went to general quarters, she sped toward the object, and she opened fire. After firing seven rounds, ''Wakiva II'' got close enough for her crew to see that the object was a convincingly-painted dummy for target practice.
On 28 November ''Wakiva II'' left Saint-Nazaire to join and escort a westbound convoy. An Replenishment oiler, oiler in the convoy, , fired two Flare gun, Very flares and sounded her Steam whistle, whistle. ''Wakiva II'' sounded general quarters and made full speed ahead to screen ''Kanawha''s Port and starboard, port beam, while the armed yacht closed to screen her Port and starboard, starboard beam. After 30 minutes no enemy was sighted, so the three ships rejoined the van of the convoy.
As soon as they rejoined the convoy, ''Noma'' sounded the alarm and launched a depth charge at what her crew believed to be a U-boat. ''Wakiva II'' took up general quarters again, and headed for ''Noma''. While still from ''Nova'', ''Wakiva II'' sighted a Periscope#Navaluse, periscope at a range of . She turned hard-a-port and opened fire with her after guns. Her third salvo was thought to have sheared the periscope.
As ''Wakiva II'' passed over the suspected U-boat a second time, she launched a salvo of depth charges. As they exploded, oil and débris came to the surface. Her number one gun hit the wreckage with two shots. As ''Wakiva II'' made a third pass, she sighted three men clinging to wreckage. She turned full circle to pick them up, but by the time she reached the spot, only oil and wreckage remained.
In his action report after the engagement, ''Wakiva II''s commanding officer praised his crew as a "perfect fighting unit" that showed "admirable coolness and courage", and did not manifest any nervousness or inefficiency. The Admiralty (United Kingdom), UK Admiralty credited ''Wakiva II'' with only a "probably seriously damaged" U-boat. However, both Vice admiral, Vice Admiral Henry Braid Wilson, Henry Wilson, who commanded US Navy forces on the French coast, and Admiral William Sims, who commanded US naval forces in European waters, commended ''Wakiva II''.
On 12 February 1918, ''Wakiva'' and two other armed yachts; USS Oceanographer (AGS-3), USS ''Corsair'' and ; were escorting three cargo ships. ''Wakiva II'' sighted a U-boat running on the surface dead astern. She signalled a warning to the three cargo ships, and opened fire with her number two and number four 3-inch guns. Momentarily she had to suspend fire, to avoid hitting the United States Shipping Board, USSB cargo ship ''Florence H.'', which was just beyond where the U-boat had appeared. The U-boat submerged, and ''Wakiva II'' hunted her for 90 minutes without finding her.
By 03:00 hrs on 22 May, visibility briefly improved, but the convoy then entered another fog bank. At 03:10 hrs ''Wakiva II''s crew heard ''Wabash''s whistle, but could not see her. ''Wabash'' whistled again, whereupon ''Wakiva II''s commanding officer, Lieutenant Commander EG Allen, ordered her helm on Points of the compass, point (11.25 Degree (angle), degrees) a-port. Ten seconds later, ''Wabash'' whistled a third time.
''Wabash'' now appeared from the fog. Allen Engine order telegraph, telegraphed full ahead and ordered the helm to port. But ''Wabash''s bow struck ''Wakiva II''s starboard quarter, just abaft the mainmast and forward of the after guns, and cutting into the yacht's hull from her main deck down to her starboard propeller shaft. The general alarm was sounded aboard the yacht. The impact threw the starboard sides of the two ships against each other, and carried away ''Wabash''s starboard lifeboats. Then the two ships parted, and ''Wabash'' slowly moved astern of ''Wakiva II''.
''Wakiva II'' carried depth charges and Naval mine, mines on the fantail of her stern. Chief Gunner's Mate Oliver P. Cooper, USNRF, ran aft, removed the detonating pins from every mine, set every mine to "safe", and within five minutes reported that all was secure. Electrician Second Class Charles E. Kirkpatrick, UNSRF, was on duty as ''Wakiva II''s Wireless telegraphy, wireless telegraphist. He remained at his post, transmitting distress signals, and did not abandon ship until the last possible moment. Chief Boatswain's Mate Thomas Olson, USNRF, rigged out the motor whaleboat and rousted out men from below decks. Then he and Allen inspected and cleared the ship. As the engine room flooded, Machinist Mate First Class Charles AA Smith began to start her pumps, then realised that they could not cope with the rate at which water was entering the hull.
Two of ''Wakiva II''s crew were killed. At 03:30 hrs the survivors pulled clear in her boats. Six minutes later she sank by the stern off Île d'Yeu at position . ''Wabash'' lowered her boats and rescued the survivors.
Private steam yacht
In 1903 Ramage & Ferguson of Leith, near Edinburgh, launched a steam yacht for Lamon V. Harkness. In 1907 the same builders launched a larger yacht for Harkness, also called ''Wakiva''. Both yachts were officially registered as "''Wakiva''", but the second is commonly called ''Wakiva II'' to avoid confusion. ''Wakiva II''s lengths were Length overall, overall and registered. Her Beam (nautical), beam was , her depth was , and her Draft (hull), draft was . Her tonnages were and . The ship had twin Propeller, screws, each driven by a three-cylinder Marine steam engine#Triple or multiple expansion, quadruple-expansion steam engine. The combined power of her twin engines was rated at 230 Horsepower#Nominal horsepower, NHP, and gave her a speed of . Harkness Ship registration, registered ''Wakiva II'' at Port of New York and New Jersey, New York. He and his family, including his son Harry Harkness, Harry, used her in waters ranging from the North Sea to the Dutch East Indies. By 1914, Edward L. Doheny had acquired the earlier ''Wakiva''. Lamon Harkness remained the owner of ''Wakiva II'' until he died in 1915, whereupon she passed to his executors.Naval armed yacht
The US Navy acquired ''Wakiva'' on 20 July 1917, and Ship commissioning, commissioned her at Boston Navy Yard on 6 August as USS ''Wakiva II'', with the pennant number SP-160 Lieutenant commander (United States), Lieutenant Commander Thomas R Kurtz, United States Navy Reserve, USNRF was appointed as her commanding officer. On 18 August, before her conversion into a warship was complete, Captain (United States O-6), Captain Thomas P Magruder, the Commander of Squadron Four, Patrol Force, raised his burgee Pennon, pennant aboard her to maker his flagship. A week later, ''Wakiva II'' left Boston for Provincetown, Massachusetts with Squadron Four, which included six French Navy submarine chasers and several patrol boats and Naval trawler, converted fishing craft.
On 26 August, ''Wakiva II'' and Squadron Four left Massachusetts for French Third Republic, France. En route, the naval trawler broke down, so ''Wakiva II'' took her in tow. They called at Ponta Delgada in the Azores from 6 to 11 September, and reached Brest, France on 18 September. Nine days later, Captain Magruder hauled down his pennant from ''Wakiva II'' to establish his headquarters ashore.
In 28 September ''Wakiva II'' began Convoys in World War I, convoy escort duty, by putting to sea to meet a convoy west of Ushant. She remained on convoy duty until she was sunk the following year. On 28 October 1917, ''Wakiva II'' and rescued survivors from the troopship , which had been disabled by a torpedo. ''Wakiva II'' launched two of her boats, and members of her crew also crewed one of ''Finland''s lifeboats. ''Wakiva II'' picked up 126 of ''Finland''s survivors and landed them at Brest.
On 23 November 1917, ''Wakiva II'' sighted an object at range that they took to be a U-boat Conning tower#Submarines, conning tower. Her crew went to general quarters, she sped toward the object, and she opened fire. After firing seven rounds, ''Wakiva II'' got close enough for her crew to see that the object was a convincingly-painted dummy for target practice.
On 28 November ''Wakiva II'' left Saint-Nazaire to join and escort a westbound convoy. An Replenishment oiler, oiler in the convoy, , fired two Flare gun, Very flares and sounded her Steam whistle, whistle. ''Wakiva II'' sounded general quarters and made full speed ahead to screen ''Kanawha''s Port and starboard, port beam, while the armed yacht closed to screen her Port and starboard, starboard beam. After 30 minutes no enemy was sighted, so the three ships rejoined the van of the convoy.
As soon as they rejoined the convoy, ''Noma'' sounded the alarm and launched a depth charge at what her crew believed to be a U-boat. ''Wakiva II'' took up general quarters again, and headed for ''Noma''. While still from ''Nova'', ''Wakiva II'' sighted a Periscope#Navaluse, periscope at a range of . She turned hard-a-port and opened fire with her after guns. Her third salvo was thought to have sheared the periscope.
As ''Wakiva II'' passed over the suspected U-boat a second time, she launched a salvo of depth charges. As they exploded, oil and débris came to the surface. Her number one gun hit the wreckage with two shots. As ''Wakiva II'' made a third pass, she sighted three men clinging to wreckage. She turned full circle to pick them up, but by the time she reached the spot, only oil and wreckage remained.
In his action report after the engagement, ''Wakiva II''s commanding officer praised his crew as a "perfect fighting unit" that showed "admirable coolness and courage", and did not manifest any nervousness or inefficiency. The Admiralty (United Kingdom), UK Admiralty credited ''Wakiva II'' with only a "probably seriously damaged" U-boat. However, both Vice admiral, Vice Admiral Henry Braid Wilson, Henry Wilson, who commanded US Navy forces on the French coast, and Admiral William Sims, who commanded US naval forces in European waters, commended ''Wakiva II''.
On 12 February 1918, ''Wakiva'' and two other armed yachts; USS Oceanographer (AGS-3), USS ''Corsair'' and ; were escorting three cargo ships. ''Wakiva II'' sighted a U-boat running on the surface dead astern. She signalled a warning to the three cargo ships, and opened fire with her number two and number four 3-inch guns. Momentarily she had to suspend fire, to avoid hitting the United States Shipping Board, USSB cargo ship ''Florence H.'', which was just beyond where the U-boat had appeared. The U-boat submerged, and ''Wakiva II'' hunted her for 90 minutes without finding her.
Loss
''Wakiva II'' continued to patrol from Brest. On 21 May she was part of the escort of a convoy of eight ships. Shortly after sunset, fog set in, so the convoy reduced speed. ''Wakiva II'' took station with the cargo ship . The convoy had been zigzagging as an anti-submarine precaution, but this ceased as visibility reduced. The armed yacht ''Noma'' signalled the convoy commodore aboard the troopship to this effect.
By 03:00 hrs on 22 May, visibility briefly improved, but the convoy then entered another fog bank. At 03:10 hrs ''Wakiva II''s crew heard ''Wabash''s whistle, but could not see her. ''Wabash'' whistled again, whereupon ''Wakiva II''s commanding officer, Lieutenant Commander EG Allen, ordered her helm on Points of the compass, point (11.25 Degree (angle), degrees) a-port. Ten seconds later, ''Wabash'' whistled a third time.
''Wabash'' now appeared from the fog. Allen Engine order telegraph, telegraphed full ahead and ordered the helm to port. But ''Wabash''s bow struck ''Wakiva II''s starboard quarter, just abaft the mainmast and forward of the after guns, and cutting into the yacht's hull from her main deck down to her starboard propeller shaft. The general alarm was sounded aboard the yacht. The impact threw the starboard sides of the two ships against each other, and carried away ''Wabash''s starboard lifeboats. Then the two ships parted, and ''Wabash'' slowly moved astern of ''Wakiva II''.
''Wakiva II'' carried depth charges and Naval mine, mines on the fantail of her stern. Chief Gunner's Mate Oliver P. Cooper, USNRF, ran aft, removed the detonating pins from every mine, set every mine to "safe", and within five minutes reported that all was secure. Electrician Second Class Charles E. Kirkpatrick, UNSRF, was on duty as ''Wakiva II''s Wireless telegraphy, wireless telegraphist. He remained at his post, transmitting distress signals, and did not abandon ship until the last possible moment. Chief Boatswain's Mate Thomas Olson, USNRF, rigged out the motor whaleboat and rousted out men from below decks. Then he and Allen inspected and cleared the ship. As the engine room flooded, Machinist Mate First Class Charles AA Smith began to start her pumps, then realised that they could not cope with the rate at which water was entering the hull.
Two of ''Wakiva II''s crew were killed. At 03:30 hrs the survivors pulled clear in her boats. Six minutes later she sank by the stern off Île d'Yeu at position . ''Wabash'' lowered her boats and rescued the survivors.
References
Bibliography
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* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Wakiva II 1907 ships Maritime incidents in 1918 Ships built in Leith Ships sunk in collisions Shipwrecks in the Bay of Biscay Steam yachts Steamships of the United States Navy World War I patrol vessels of the United States World War I shipwrecks in the Atlantic Ocean