Summary
USS Tarantula (SP-124) was a patrol boat in the United States Navy. She was named after the tarantula.
 USS Tarantula
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | USS Tarantula |
| Builder | George Lawley and Son |
| Launched | 1912 |
| Acquired | 25 April 1917 |
| Fate | Sunk after collision, 28 October 1918 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Patrol boat |
| Displacement | 159.97 long tons (162.54 t) |
| Length | 128 ft 9 in (39.24 m) |
| Beam | 19 ft 3 in (5.87 m) |
| Draft | 9 ft (2.7 m) |
| Speed | 14 kn (16 mph; 26 km/h) |
| Armament |
|
East Coast Assignment edit
Tarantula was built as a motor yacht in 1912 at Neponset, Massachusetts, by George Lawley and Son Corp. She was acquired by the U.S. Navy on 25 April 1917 from W. K. Vanderbilt of New York City. Assigned to section patrol in the 3rd Naval District during World War I, Tarantula operated along the coastal waters of Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey until October 1918.
Collision and sinking edit
On 28 October 1918, Tarantula sank about 8 mi (13 km) southwest of the Fire Island light vessel after colliding with the Royal Holland Lloyd Line steamship SS Frisia. Her name was subsequently struck from the Naval Vessel Register.
Tarantula′s owner subsequently was paid $75,000 to cover her value.
References edit
This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
External links edit
- Photo gallery of USS Tarantula at NavSource Naval History
- Tarantula (American Motor Yacht, 1912). Served as USS Tarantula (SP-124) in 1917-1918