USCGC Mohawk (WPG-78)
Encyclopedia
The fifth US Coast Guard cutter
named Mohawk (WPG-78) was built by Pusey & Jones Corp., Wilmington, Delaware, and launched 1 October 1934. She was commissioned on 19 January 1935.
On the evening of the 27 August 1942 the USS Laramie (AO-16)
was torpedoed while steaming in convoy at the eastern end of Belle Isle Strait. The Mohawk escorted the Laramie into port at Sydney, Nova Scotia on 30 August 1942.
One of Mohawk’s most famous deeds was being the last ship to radio General Dwight D. Eisenhower on the day before the Normandy invasion confirming that the weather was going to be clear enough to proceed. Unfortunately, she hit an iceberg shortly after the message was sent and sustained a hole in her side. After a temporary fix in Greenland
, she returned to the United States for permanent repairs to the hull.
Mohawk also survived a friendly fire attack from British planes. While on patrol near Iceland, she was misidentified by British planes, which bombed her, damaging the main deck. She returned to Boston for emergency repairs.
There was some discussion of converting Mohawk and her sister cutters into lightships but this was eventually deemed to be impractical. On 8 October 1947 Mohawk was ordered to be decommissioned and placed in storage at the Coast Guard Yard.
She was declared "surplus to needs of CG" on 13 July 1948 and was put up for sale. She was sold on 1 November 1948 to the Delaware Bay and River Pilots' Association, and was used as a pilot boat on the Delaware River for more than 30 years.
The Mohawk was taken in ownership by Caribbean Transport Lines in lieu of back payment for mooring fees on Staten Island. The ship's plight was shared with the nation via the National Trust for Historic Preservation's Preservation911 Program in 2001.
, at Truman Waterfront where it is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 7 days a week.
Mohawk was found in a Staten Island scrap yard by Frans Boetes, then president and CEO of Mohawk’s Memorial Museum. She had been there rusting for over 15 years. After some initial repairs, she was towed to Miami, where substantial repairs were made, and on to Key West where she is berthed today at the inner cay wall, at the old Navy pier in the Truman Waterfront.
The ship is open for "self guided" tours. All proceeds go directly towards restoration.
Like the Comanche, the Mohawk is slated to become an artificial reef as of this writing, 13 Nov 2011.
United States Coast Guard Cutter
Cutter is the term used by the United States Coast Guard for its commissioned vessels. A Cutter is or greater in length, has a permanently assigned crew, and has accommodations for the crew to live aboard...
named Mohawk (WPG-78) was built by Pusey & Jones Corp., Wilmington, Delaware, and launched 1 October 1934. She was commissioned on 19 January 1935.
Active service
She was first assigned patrol and general icebreaking duties on the Hudson and Delaware Rivers, and the outbreak of war found her stationed at Cape May, New Jersey. In accordance with Executive Order No. 89-29 of 1 November 1941, Mohawk was directed to serve as part of the naval forces of the United States. Assigned to North Atlantic escort operations with the Greenland Patrol, where she served for the entire war, Mohawk launched a total of 14 attacks against submarine contacts between 27 August 1942 and 8 April 1945.On the evening of the 27 August 1942 the USS Laramie (AO-16)
USS Laramie (AO-16)
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was torpedoed while steaming in convoy at the eastern end of Belle Isle Strait. The Mohawk escorted the Laramie into port at Sydney, Nova Scotia on 30 August 1942.
One of Mohawk’s most famous deeds was being the last ship to radio General Dwight D. Eisenhower on the day before the Normandy invasion confirming that the weather was going to be clear enough to proceed. Unfortunately, she hit an iceberg shortly after the message was sent and sustained a hole in her side. After a temporary fix in Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
, she returned to the United States for permanent repairs to the hull.
Mohawk also survived a friendly fire attack from British planes. While on patrol near Iceland, she was misidentified by British planes, which bombed her, damaging the main deck. She returned to Boston for emergency repairs.
Post war
At the end of the War, she was transferred to her old homeport of Cape May, after her war-time armament was removed, she was stationed at Cape May, from 25 November until 5 January 1946, when she proceeded to New York on special duty. She returned to Cape May on 19 February 1946. On 6 April 1946 Mohawk was ordered to be placed "in reserve, in commission" status, with a skeleton crew, at Cape May, New Jersey.There was some discussion of converting Mohawk and her sister cutters into lightships but this was eventually deemed to be impractical. On 8 October 1947 Mohawk was ordered to be decommissioned and placed in storage at the Coast Guard Yard.
She was declared "surplus to needs of CG" on 13 July 1948 and was put up for sale. She was sold on 1 November 1948 to the Delaware Bay and River Pilots' Association, and was used as a pilot boat on the Delaware River for more than 30 years.
The Mohawk was taken in ownership by Caribbean Transport Lines in lieu of back payment for mooring fees on Staten Island. The ship's plight was shared with the nation via the National Trust for Historic Preservation's Preservation911 Program in 2001.
USS Mohawk CGC Memorial Museum
The USS Mohawk CGC Memorial Museum was founded by the Miami Dade Historical Maritime Museum. The ship is berthed in Key WestKey West
Key West is an island in the Straits of Florida on the North American continent at the southernmost tip of the Florida Keys. Key West is home to the southernmost point in the Continental United States; the island is about from Cuba....
, at Truman Waterfront where it is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 7 days a week.
Mohawk was found in a Staten Island scrap yard by Frans Boetes, then president and CEO of Mohawk’s Memorial Museum. She had been there rusting for over 15 years. After some initial repairs, she was towed to Miami, where substantial repairs were made, and on to Key West where she is berthed today at the inner cay wall, at the old Navy pier in the Truman Waterfront.
The ship is open for "self guided" tours. All proceeds go directly towards restoration.
USCGC Mohawk's fate
The museum acquired a more imposing WW II cutter, the USCGC Ingham from the Patriots Point museum in South Carolina, making possession of the Mohawk redundant. This is ironic considering the acquisition of the 378' treasury class cutter by Patriots Point allowed that museum to replace the Mohawk's sister ship, the USCGC Comanche (WPG-76) as its coast guard cutter museum ship. The Comanche, damaged by Hurricane Hugo, was sunk as an artificial reef 12 miles outside of Charleston.Like the Comanche, the Mohawk is slated to become an artificial reef as of this writing, 13 Nov 2011.