Rum Patrol
Encyclopedia
The Rum Patrol was an operation of the United States
Coast Guard
to interdict liquor smuggling vessels, known as "rum runners" in order to enforce prohibition
in American waters. On 18 December 1917, the 18th Amendment to the Constitution
was submitted to the states by Congress
. On 16 January 1919, the amendment was ratified and the Liquor Prohibition Amendment
, which prohibited the manufacture, sale, transportation, importation, or exportation of intoxicating liquors, came into effect on 16 January 1920.
and, to deal with this problem, twenty-five destroyer
s were transferred by the United States Navy
to the Treasury Department
for service with the Coast Guard. Some began to show signs of wear and tear after the often arduous pace of operations on the Rum Patrol and required replacement. Accordingly, five of the newer flush deck destroyers were transferred to the Treasury Department in 1930-1931.
It was thought that adapting these older vessels for Coast Guard service would be less costly than building new ships. In the end, however, the rehabilitation of the vessels became a saga in itself because of the exceedingly poor condition of many of these war-weary ships. In many instances, it took nearly a year to bring the vessels up to seaworthiness. Additionally, these were by far the largest and most sophisticated vessels ever operated by the service, and trained personnel were nearly nonexistent. As a result, Congress authorized hundreds of new enlistees. These inexperienced men generally made up the destroyer crews.
Some of the destroyers were pre-World War I 742-ton "flivvers", capable of over 25 kn (30.4 mph; 49 km/h) — an advantage in the rum-chasing business. They were, however, easily outmaneuvered by smaller vessels. The destroyers’ mission, therefore, was to picket the larger mother ship
s and prevent them from off-loading their cargo onto the smaller, speedier contact boats that ran the liquor into shore.
On 20 February 1933, the 21st Amendment to the Constitution
, the repeal of Amendment 18, was proposed by Congress and ratification was completed on 5 December 1933. This eliminated the need for the Rum Patrol. The remaining destroyers were returned to the Navy and sold for scrap.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
to interdict liquor smuggling vessels, known as "rum runners" in order to enforce prohibition
Prohibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
in American waters. On 18 December 1917, the 18th Amendment to the Constitution
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
was submitted to the states by Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
. On 16 January 1919, the amendment was ratified and the Liquor Prohibition Amendment
Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Eighteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution established Prohibition in the United States. The separate Volstead Act set down methods of enforcing the Eighteenth Amendment, and defined which "intoxicating liquors" were prohibited, and which were excluded from prohibition...
, which prohibited the manufacture, sale, transportation, importation, or exportation of intoxicating liquors, came into effect on 16 January 1920.
Origin
The establishment of prohibition gave rise to smuggling of illicit liquor into the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and, to deal with this problem, twenty-five destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
s were transferred by the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
to the Treasury Department
United States Department of the Treasury
The Department of the Treasury is an executive department and the treasury of the United States federal government. It was established by an Act of Congress in 1789 to manage government revenue...
for service with the Coast Guard. Some began to show signs of wear and tear after the often arduous pace of operations on the Rum Patrol and required replacement. Accordingly, five of the newer flush deck destroyers were transferred to the Treasury Department in 1930-1931.
It was thought that adapting these older vessels for Coast Guard service would be less costly than building new ships. In the end, however, the rehabilitation of the vessels became a saga in itself because of the exceedingly poor condition of many of these war-weary ships. In many instances, it took nearly a year to bring the vessels up to seaworthiness. Additionally, these were by far the largest and most sophisticated vessels ever operated by the service, and trained personnel were nearly nonexistent. As a result, Congress authorized hundreds of new enlistees. These inexperienced men generally made up the destroyer crews.
Some of the destroyers were pre-World War I 742-ton "flivvers", capable of over 25 kn (30.4 mph; 49 km/h) — an advantage in the rum-chasing business. They were, however, easily outmaneuvered by smaller vessels. The destroyers’ mission, therefore, was to picket the larger mother ship
Mother ship
A mother ship is a vessel or aircraft that carries a smaller vessel or aircraft that operates independently from it. Examples include bombers converted to carry experimental aircraft to altitudes where they can conduct their research , or ships that carry small submarines to an area of ocean to be...
s and prevent them from off-loading their cargo onto the smaller, speedier contact boats that ran the liquor into shore.
On 20 February 1933, the 21st Amendment to the Constitution
Twenty-first Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Twenty-first Amendment to the United States Constitution repealed the Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which had mandated nationwide Prohibition...
, the repeal of Amendment 18, was proposed by Congress and ratification was completed on 5 December 1933. This eliminated the need for the Rum Patrol. The remaining destroyers were returned to the Navy and sold for scrap.
Ships of the Patrol
| Coast Guard designation | Navy designation | USCG Commissioning | USCG Decommissioning |
|---|---|---|---|
| USCGD Cassin (CG-1) | |||
| USCGD Conyngham (CG-2) | |||
| USCGD Cummings (CG-3) | |||
| USCGD Downes (CG-4) | |||
| USCGD Ericsson (CG-5) | |||
| USCGD Porter (CG-7) | |||
| USCGD Ammen (CG-8) | |||
| USCGD Burrows (CG-10) | |||
| USCGD Fanning (CG-11) | |||
| USCG Henley (CG-12) | |||
| USCGD McCall (CG-14) | |||
| USCGD Monaghan (CG-15) | |||
| USCGD Patterson (CG-16) | |||
| USCGD Paulding (CG-17) | |||
| USCGD Roe (CG-18) | |||
| USCGD Hunt (CG-18) | |||
| USCGD Terry (CG-19) | |||
| USCGD Wood (CG-19) | |||
| USCGD Trippe (CG-20) | |||
| USCGD Semmes (CG-20) | |||
| USCGD Davis (CG-21) | |||
| USCGD Shaw (CG-22) | |||
| USCGD Tucker (CG-23) | |||
| USCGD Wainwright (CG-24) | |||
| USCGD Wilkes (CG-25) |