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USCGC Seneca (1908)
Encyclopedia
USCGC Seneca (1908) had an interesting and varied history. Fighting submarines in World War I
, making the International Ice Patrol, capturing rum runners in the Prohibition
era, saving lives from Greenland
to Puerto Rico
, from Gibraltar
to the Gulf of Mexico
, participating in colorful ceremonies and sporting events—these are all a part of the Seneca 's story.
Named for the Senecas, a Native American
tribe of Iroquoian
Indians of western New York
, the ship was christened by Miss Edith E. Hepburn and launched 18 March 1908. The builders, Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company of Newport News, Virginia
, received a contract price of $244,500. She was designed as a "derelict destroyer," her principal mission being to locate and then destroy abandoned shipwrecks that were still afloat and were a menace to navigation. She was designed with excellent seakeeping qualities, a long cruising range, good towing capabilities, and by necessity the capacity to store a large amount of munitions.
, to Sable Island, Nova Scotia, thence to the Bermuda Islands, and then to Charleston, South Carolina
.
On 29 November she destroyed her first derelict, a wreck off Hog Island
, and then returned to Tompkinsville. In February 1909 the cutter visited Washington, D.C.
and in June visited Philadelphia. On 21 September she was in New York for the Fulton-Hudson celebration. On 17 May 1910 Seneca visited West Point, and on 28 June she patrolled the Harvard-Yale Regatta
at New London, Connecticut
. In June 1911, she escorted the presidential yacht Mayflower
, which had President William Taft and his party on board, from Manhattan Beach
to Fall River
.
On 23 May 1912, she was at Philadelphia representing the Revenue Cutter Service at the Convention of Permanent International Association of Navigation Congresses. On 29 June she patrolled the course of the Intercollegiate Rowing Association
at Poughkeepsie, New York
. During 4-6 September Seneca was at New London, Connecticut for the Fifth Convention of Atlantic Deeper Waterways Association. From 12-15 October, she patrolled the Navy Mobilization at New York City. On 2 September she patrolled the British International Trophy
races at Huntington, Long Island. During the winter of 1912-1913 she took the place of USRC Mohawk on winter cruising.
. The Titanic disaster of 14 April 1912 had resulted in the loss of 1,517 lives and a universal demand for a patrol of the ice zone had arisen. Two U.S. Navy scout cruisers, and , had performed this patrol for the remainder of the 1912 ice season, after which the duty was turned over to the Revenue Cutter Service. Seneca and Miami were the first two cutters to perform this duty in 1913. They made these patrols out of Halifax, Nova Scotia
.
which had been drifting in the North Atlantic for ten days. Originally 14 survivors of the British freighter Columbian had put to sea in this boat, but ten had died of hunger, thirst, and exposure. On 5 July 1914 she proceeded to Labrador
to observe and investigate conditions governing the origins of the ice flows.
On 10 August 1914 she was ordered to cooperate with the USS Florida in the enforcement of the neutrality of the United States after the outbreak of war on the European continent. In the winter of 1914-1915 she was again on winter cruising from Gay Head to the Delaware
breakwater.
at Philadelphia. The winter of 1916-1917 was her last winter cruise before the war.
. The cutter was assigned to the Atlantic Patrol Fleet, Squadron Four, with headquarters at Key West, Florida. She arrived there on 22 May, and was assigned the duty to search the waters of Cuba and the Bahama Islands for enemy submarines.
on 4 September 1917 and was assigned to Squadron Two of the patrol forces there. She began escorting convoys from Gibraltar to Tangiers and other nearby points. She escorted six of these convoys and sighted one enemy submarine on 2 October. On 19 October she got her first convoy to England, being the lone escort of eleven merchant ships to Pembroke, Wales, where she arrived on 29 October. During this convoy two of the merchant vessels collided, and one, Usher, was sunk. On 3 November she escorted 14 ships back to Gibraltar, arriving the 11th. On 26 26 November a submarine was sighted in the moonlight about 2000 yards (1,828.8 m) distant. Seneca fired two shots, forcing the submarine to submerge.
On 17 February 1918, lookouts sighted another submarine at 500 yards (457.2 m) astern. Seneca fired one shot, but owing to the darkness of the night, was unable to determine the results. On 4 March, one of the ships in Senecas convoy was torpedoed and sunk, but the submarine was not sighted. On the 22nd, new and improved depth charge
releasing gear was installed on the cutter.
's men, along with one of Cowslip's boats with 19 others. Boatswain P. W. Patterson and a fresh boat crew took Cowslip's boat back, while Lieutenant Brown returned with Seneca's boat. Patterson's boat took 20 survivors on board and towed seven others in a small dinghy. Brown's boat rescued the last 19 on board the sinking vessel. Only five officers and one enlisted man were lost, and they had been killed in the explosion.
This rescue was beyond the call of Seneca's duty. The escort vessels were to attack enemy submarines, but it was understood that when a ship was torpedoed the escorts were not expected to expose themselves to a similar fate by stopping to rescue the survivors. However, Captain Wheeler was commended for taking what was considered a "justifiable risk".
. On 19 May Seneca joined up with what would be her 20th convoy at Falmouth, England. On the 20th she dropped a depth charge over a suspicious oil spot, whereupon a very heavy oil slick came to the surface. On her next convoy Seneca sighted a submarine on 8 June. After firing a torpedo at the cutter that passed close the Senecas bow, the submarine submerged. Seneca attacked with depth charges and may have sunk the submarine, but they could not remain in the area to investigate further.
's men heard a terrific explosion, and observing the steamer Queen sinking, they drove Seneca at full speed to the rescue. So badly was the Queen hit that within five minutes of the explosion she was completely out of sight under the water, taking 25 of her men with her, including the commodore of the convoy. Twenty-seven survivors were clinging to the small boats and pieces of floating wreckage. Seneca's No. 1 lifeboat with Third Lieutenant F. W. Brown in charge, was lowered to pick them up. All 27 were safely on board Seneca within 40 minutes. For the remainder of the convoy's run, Captain Wheeler assumed command.
On 10 July, while Seneca was at Gibraltar, a loud explosion was seen on board the Portuguese steamer Peniche. Seneca sent her whale boat and sailing launch with full crews to assist. Coxswain J. A. Pedersen and Seaman M. Stellenwerf were overcome by gas fumes but later recovered.
of a submarine. Four holes in the carcass testified to the accuracy of the Senecas guns.
Wellington was in bad condition, having been torpedoed in the fore peak. Her master believed she would stay afloat, but all but eleven of his men refused to remain on board. First Lieutenant F. W. Brown at once volunteered to assist Wellingtons master, and almost the entire crew of Seneca wanted to go with him. Nineteen of these Seneca volunteers were selected to go with Lieutenant Brown to the Wellington, while 11 of the 42 men in Wellingtons crew also remained with the master. Lieutenant Brown was to be in charge of the ship, but the master was to navigate her into the nearest port which was Brest, France
.
At 12:35 Seneca left Wellington and rejoined the convoy. was on her way to assist Wellington, expecting to reach her by 17:00. Arriving on board Wellington, Lieutenant Brown posted lookouts, broke out ammunition and started drilling a gun crew, for they were still in sub-infested waters, and on a stricken ship carrying valuable cargo to the allies. Repairs were made below decks and by 12:50 hours the ship began to move ahead. By 14:10 the speed was increased until they were making 7.5 kn (14.7 km/h; 9.1 mph). The ship was taking water in the number 2 hold
, but by driving the pumps, the crew held it to a level of 3 inch. At 18:46 the ship was down by the head, and although Lieutenant Brown was able to stop her and bring her head back up long enough to regain his course, her head went down again and her engines were helpless.
A storm had come up and the seas had grown very heavy, with waves crashing over the bow. There was only one lifeboat on Wellington and Lieutenant Brown mustered all the men abreast of this except for the radio operator and three men on the pumps. It was his intention to remain with these four until all hope of saving the ship was gone, the other men meanwhile standing by in the lifeboat. One Seneca man and seven Wellington men were lowered with the boat, the others to slide down the falls into the boat as soon as it reached the water. Fearful lest the boat be smashed against the ship by the heavy seas, one of Wellingtons men chopped the painter and the lifeboat with its eight men drifted away rapidly. They tried to row back, but inexperienced in a pulling boat, they were no match for the heavy seas and strong current.
Lieutenant Brown was left stranded with 18 of his men and five of the Wellington men. He set the men to constructing liferafts. The bow continued settling. The radio operator was in contact with the Warrington and continued sending position reports. Rockets were fired from Wellington, and at 14:30 on the 17th answering rockets from the Warrington were seen off the port bow. The Wellington listed rapidly and Lieutenant Brown gave the order to leave the ship. He continued signaling with a hand flashlight to the Warrington about 1200 yards (1,097.3 m) away as the ship's keel
turned to a sixty degree angle. Then her boilers exploded and the vessel rose up for her final plunge. Lieutenant Brown jumped and swam clear, searching about for something to which he could cling.
Responding to cries for help he swam about, and finding men clinging to planks advised them to keep their mouths closed to keep out the sea water. Next he swam to some calcium lights and extinguished them so they would not lure his men away from their planks. After about three and a half hours in the water Brown was picked up in an unconscious state. From his long exposure he developed pneumonia. Eight others of Senecas crew were picked up from the water, but one died shortly afterward. In all, 11 Seneca and five Wellington men perished.
Among the eight other Seneca men picked up was a seaman, James C. Osborn, who, supporting a shipmate, Coxswain Jorge A. Pedersen, had swum to a small liferaft with the semiconscious man and held him between his feet. Several times in the hours that followed they were washed off, but each time Osborn recovered his shipmate and hoisted him back on the pitching raft. Finally sighting the Warrington, Osborn semaphored "I'm all right but he's gone unless you come right away." Both were recovered.
The following awards were made: To Acting Machinist William L. Boyce, posthumously: the Distinguished Service Medal
and citation. To the following deceased members of the crew, posthumously, the Navy Cross
and citation: Water Tender William H. Best; Cook Russell Elan; Gunner's Mate Second Class P. L. Marvelle (USN); Boy First Class James J. Nevins; Coxswain Merton Stellenwarf; Water Tender R. H. Tingard, and Assistant Master at Arms August Zuleger, Coxswain Carl S. Newbury; Water Tender M. M. Ovesen; and Seaman William H. Prime.
The remaining living members of the rescue party were awarded the Navy Cross and citation: First Lieutenant F. W. Brown; Oiler Second Class George W. Christy; Seaman Raymond J. Gorman; Assistant Master at Arms D. E. Grimshaw; Electrician Second Class M. C. Mason; Seaman Anthony Orhelein; Coxswain James C. Osborn; Coxswain Jorge A. Pedersen; and Machinist First Class M. J. Ryan.
Rear Admiral Grant, senior British naval officer at Gibraltar, had this to say of the volunteers: "Lieutenant Brown and the gallant volunteers set an example worthy of the highest traditions of any Service or any Nation."
After the Wellington episode the Seneca escorted four other convoys, several times encountering submarines.
was signed, ending World War I. Senecas wartime service included escorting 30 convoys consisting of about 580 ships. Only four were lost, and from them 139 survivors were rescued. Twenty-one responses to submarines were made and only one of these proved to be false—the "dead whale" episode. The cutter had four close calls with torpedoes, and was believed to have sunk one submarine.
. Again in 1921 and 1922 she was on ice patrol.
. On 5 August she ran aground in the Potomac River
, off Mathias Point
, but suffered no serious casualty. After her ice patrol in the spring of 1923, she patrolled the Harvard-Yale Regatta
at New London, Connecticut on 21 June. In July she was overhauled in Brooklyn and repainted at Annapolis.
, notorious rum-runner, and had been hovering along the coast between Nassau, Bahamas and Canadian ports, peddling liquor. On 22 August she had fired upon a boat from Manhattan, attempting to board her.
At 1030 hours on the morning of 24 November Seneca hailed Tomoka in latitude 40° 21.6' North, longitude 73° 49.7' West and ordered her to heave to and be prepared to be boarded and examined. A surfboat
with an armed boarding party in charge of Lieutenant L. W. Perkins was sent to go on board and take charge of the vessel. At first Tomoka broke out the British flag and cruised about so that the boarding party would not overtake her. Seneca called her gun crews to quarters, cast loose the number one gun, and then ordered Tomoka to permit the boat to board. The master then complied. At 12:00 the boarding officer reported that he was all right and requested the Seneca to go ahead and he would follow with Tomoka. Seneca shaped a course for the Ambrose Channel
lightship
, but by 12:30 Tomoka had still not started to follow. Heading back for the rum-runner Seneca was met by her boarding party, which had been chased off Tomoka with a machinegun.
, then the range was gradually decreased. After three warning shots, a fourth shot was fired to hit. The shell landed alongside a few feet from Tomoka, and the schooner immediately stopped engines, hauled down the fore staysail and headed into the wind with her foresail idly flapping.
Seneca mustered a force armed with rifles, called away a boat, and ordered the master to haul down his foresail. The crew of the schooner, without waiting for instructions from the master, immediately jumped to the sail and hauled it down. Boatswain I. E. Johannessen took an armed boarding party on board Tomoka and ordered the "rummy" crew below decks. Meanwhile, Seneca was lying less than 100 feet (30.5 m) off, with another armed party on the bow. No further difficulty was encountered. The vessels arrived off Staten Island
at 23:30 and turned Tomoka and her crew over to Lexington, including Bill McCoy himself.
. On 23 September 1932 her permanent station was changed to San Juan, Puerto Rico
, and she arrived there on 23 October. On 1 June 1934 her permanent station was changed once again when she moved to Mobile, Alabama
, where she served until 28 January 1936, when she was selected to be decommissioned. Proceeding to the depot at Curtis Bay, Seneca had one last opportunity for service when a big freeze came over the Virginia and Maryland coasts. The Chesapeake Bay
and the Potomac River
froze over, stranding several vessels in the ice. Seneca was called to the rescue. From 21-27 February, she stayed busy breaking ice, freeing and rendering assistance to five ice-bound vessels.
She was then returned to the Maritime Commission and laid up until she was sold for scrap in Baltimore in 1950.
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, making the International Ice Patrol, capturing rum runners in the 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...
era, saving lives from 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...
to Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, from Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
to the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
, participating in colorful ceremonies and sporting events—these are all a part of the Seneca 's story.
Named for the Senecas, a Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
tribe of Iroquoian
Iroquois
The Iroquois , also known as the Haudenosaunee or the "People of the Longhouse", are an association of several tribes of indigenous people of North America...
Indians of western New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, the ship was christened by Miss Edith E. Hepburn and launched 18 March 1908. The builders, Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company of Newport News, Virginia
Newport News, Virginia
Newport News is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia. It is at the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula, on the north shore of the James River extending southeast from Skiffe's Creek along many miles of waterfront to the river's mouth at Newport News...
, received a contract price of $244,500. She was designed as a "derelict destroyer," her principal mission being to locate and then destroy abandoned shipwrecks that were still afloat and were a menace to navigation. She was designed with excellent seakeeping qualities, a long cruising range, good towing capabilities, and by necessity the capacity to store a large amount of munitions.
Prewar service
Seneca was accepted by the Government on 26 June 1908 and was commissioned by the Revenue Cutter Service at Arundel Cove, Maryland, on 6 November of that year. On 8 November 1908 she proceeded to Tompkinsville, New York, to take station as a derelict destroyer for the Atlantic coast. Her cruising district included the Atlantic Ocean to the eastward of the United States bounded by a line from Portland, MainePortland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
, to Sable Island, Nova Scotia, thence to the Bermuda Islands, and then to Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
.
On 29 November she destroyed her first derelict, a wreck off Hog Island
Hog Island
-Canada:* Hog Island in the North Channel * Hog Island in the Ottawa River* Hog Island near Chilliwack, British Columbia-USA:* Appledore Island, Maine, formerly known as Hog Island...
, and then returned to Tompkinsville. In February 1909 the cutter visited Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
and in June visited Philadelphia. On 21 September she was in New York for the Fulton-Hudson celebration. On 17 May 1910 Seneca visited West Point, and on 28 June she patrolled the Harvard-Yale Regatta
Harvard-Yale Regatta
The Harvard-Yale Boat Race or Harvard–Yale Regatta is an annual rowing race between Yale University and Harvard University. First contested in 1852, annually since 1859 except during major wars fought by the United States, The Race is America's oldest collegiate athletic competition, predating The...
at New London, Connecticut
New London, Connecticut
New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States.It is located at the mouth of the Thames River in New London County, southeastern Connecticut....
. In June 1911, she escorted the presidential yacht Mayflower
USS Mayflower
USS Mayflower has been the name of three ships in the United States Navy. They are named for the Mayflower, which transported the Pilgrim Fathers from Plymouth, England to Virginia.*USS Mayflower , a screw tug built in 1866....
, which had President William Taft and his party on board, from Manhattan Beach
Manhattan Beach
Manhattan Beach may refer to:PlacesIn the United States:* Manhattan Beach, California* Manhattan Beach, Minnesota* Manhattan Beach, Brooklyn, New York...
to Fall River
Fall River
-Cities and towns:In Canada:*Fall River, Nova ScotiaIn the United States:*Fall River, Kansas*Fall River, Massachusetts, the largest city with this name*Fall River, Tennessee*Fall River, Wisconsin*Fall River County, South Dakota-Rivers:In Canada:...
.
On 23 May 1912, she was at Philadelphia representing the Revenue Cutter Service at the Convention of Permanent International Association of Navigation Congresses. On 29 June she patrolled the course of the Intercollegiate Rowing Association
Intercollegiate Rowing Association
The Intercollegiate Rowing Association runs the IRA Championship Regatta, which is considered to be the United States collegiate national championship of rowing. Since 1995, it has been held on the Cooper River in Pennsauken, New Jersey, and includes both men's and women's events for sweep boats...
at Poughkeepsie, New York
Poughkeepsie (city), New York
Poughkeepsie is a city in the state of New York, United States, which serves as the county seat of Dutchess County. Poughkeepsie is located in the Hudson River Valley midway between New York City and Albany...
. During 4-6 September Seneca was at New London, Connecticut for the Fifth Convention of Atlantic Deeper Waterways Association. From 12-15 October, she patrolled the Navy Mobilization at New York City. On 2 September she patrolled the British International Trophy
Harmsworth Cup
The Harmsworth Trophy is the popular name of the historically important British International Trophy for Motorboats.The Harmsworth was the first annual international award for motorboat racing. Officially, it is a contest not between boats or individuals but between nations...
races at Huntington, Long Island. During the winter of 1912-1913 she took the place of USRC Mohawk on winter cruising.
First International Ice Patrol
On 29 March 1913, Seneca was assigned to the International Ice PatrolInternational Ice Patrol
The International Ice Patrol is an organization with the purpose of monitoring the presence of icebergs in the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans and reporting their movements for safety purposes. It is operated by United States Coast Guard but is funded by the 13 nations interested in trans-Atlantic...
. The Titanic disaster of 14 April 1912 had resulted in the loss of 1,517 lives and a universal demand for a patrol of the ice zone had arisen. Two U.S. Navy scout cruisers, and , had performed this patrol for the remainder of the 1912 ice season, after which the duty was turned over to the Revenue Cutter Service. Seneca and Miami were the first two cutters to perform this duty in 1913. They made these patrols out of Halifax, Nova Scotia
City of Halifax
Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
.
Rescue of Columbia survivors
On 16 September 1913 she towed the Lottie Russell, a derelict, into Halifax. On 12 April 1914, while on ice patrol, Seneca rescued four survivors from a lifeboatLifeboat (shipboard)
A lifeboat is a small, rigid or inflatable watercraft carried for emergency evacuation in the event of a disaster aboard ship. In the military, a lifeboat may be referred to as a whaleboat, dinghy, or gig. The ship's tenders of cruise ships often double as lifeboats. Recreational sailors sometimes...
which had been drifting in the North Atlantic for ten days. Originally 14 survivors of the British freighter Columbian had put to sea in this boat, but ten had died of hunger, thirst, and exposure. On 5 July 1914 she proceeded to Labrador
Labrador
Labrador is the distinct, northerly region of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It comprises the mainland portion of the province, separated from the island of Newfoundland by the Strait of Belle Isle...
to observe and investigate conditions governing the origins of the ice flows.
On 10 August 1914 she was ordered to cooperate with the USS Florida in the enforcement of the neutrality of the United States after the outbreak of war on the European continent. In the winter of 1914-1915 she was again on winter cruising from Gay Head to the Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
breakwater.
Transfer to the newly-formed US Coast Guard
After winter cruising, she conducted another ice patrol only this time as a Coast Guard cutter as the Revenue Cutter Service had merged with the Life-Saving Service in January, 1915 to create the Coast Guard. She again conducted a winter cruise in the winter of 1915-1916 and then an ice patrol in the spring of 1916. On 13-14 September 1916 the crew participated in the Marine ParadeMarine Parade
Marine Parade is a town and an urban planning area in Singapore directly to the east of the Central Area, Singapore's central business district.-Location:...
at Philadelphia. The winter of 1916-1917 was her last winter cruise before the war.
World War I
The United States declared war on Germany on 6 April 1917 and Seneca and her crew, along with the rest of the Coast Guard, were transferred to the Navy Department. A battery of four 3 inches (76.2 mm) guns were installed at the Brooklyn Navy YardBrooklyn Navy Yard
The United States Navy Yard, New York–better known as the Brooklyn Navy Yard or the New York Naval Shipyard –was an American shipyard located in Brooklyn, northeast of the Battery on the East River in Wallabout Basin, a semicircular bend of the river across from Corlear's Hook in Manhattan...
. The cutter was assigned to the Atlantic Patrol Fleet, Squadron Four, with headquarters at Key West, Florida. She arrived there on 22 May, and was assigned the duty to search the waters of Cuba and the Bahama Islands for enemy submarines.
Refit
She was then selected for duty overseas. Seneca was overhauled and refitted at the Morse Shipyard in New York. Captain J. H. Brown was detached and Captain William J. Wheeler assumed command before the ship left the United States in the latter part of August.Gibraltar convoy escort
She arrived at GibraltarGibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
on 4 September 1917 and was assigned to Squadron Two of the patrol forces there. She began escorting convoys from Gibraltar to Tangiers and other nearby points. She escorted six of these convoys and sighted one enemy submarine on 2 October. On 19 October she got her first convoy to England, being the lone escort of eleven merchant ships to Pembroke, Wales, where she arrived on 29 October. During this convoy two of the merchant vessels collided, and one, Usher, was sunk. On 3 November she escorted 14 ships back to Gibraltar, arriving the 11th. On 26 26 November a submarine was sighted in the moonlight about 2000 yards (1,828.8 m) distant. Seneca fired two shots, forcing the submarine to submerge.
On 17 February 1918, lookouts sighted another submarine at 500 yards (457.2 m) astern. Seneca fired one shot, but owing to the darkness of the night, was unable to determine the results. On 4 March, one of the ships in Senecas convoy was torpedoed and sunk, but the submarine was not sighted. On the 22nd, new and improved depth charge
Depth charge
A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare weapon intended to destroy or cripple a target submarine by the shock of exploding near it. Most use explosives and a fuze set to go off at a preselected depth in the ocean. Depth charges can be dropped by either surface ships, patrol aircraft, or from...
releasing gear was installed on the cutter.
Rescue of Cowslip survivors
Early in the morning of 25 March the men on Seneca heard a loud explosion within their convoy, and shortly afterward saw distress rockets in the air. They found the British ship Cowslip had been torpedoed and was sinking. Immediately a boat was put over with Third Lieutenant F. W. Brown in charge. They soon returned with 15 of CowslipThis rescue was beyond the call of Seneca
Torpedo near misses
On 29 April 1918 Seneca chased a submarine away from her convoy, but in doing so had two torpedoes cross fifty feet ahead of her bowBow (ship)
The bow is a nautical term that refers to the forward part of the hull of a ship or boat, the point that is most forward when the vessel is underway. Both of the adjectives fore and forward mean towards the bow...
. On 19 May Seneca joined up with what would be her 20th convoy at Falmouth, England. On the 20th she dropped a depth charge over a suspicious oil spot, whereupon a very heavy oil slick came to the surface. On her next convoy Seneca sighted a submarine on 8 June. After firing a torpedo at the cutter that passed close the Senecas bow, the submarine submerged. Seneca attacked with depth charges and may have sunk the submarine, but they could not remain in the area to investigate further.
Rescue of Queen survivors
On 25 June, while escorting 29 merchant ships to Gibraltar, SenecaOn 10 July, while Seneca was at Gibraltar, a loud explosion was seen on board the Portuguese steamer Peniche. Seneca sent her whale boat and sailing launch with full crews to assist. Coxswain J. A. Pedersen and Seaman M. Stellenwerf were overcome by gas fumes but later recovered.
Submarine false alarm
On her next convoy, the 23rd, she was escorting 25 ships to England when on 13 July one of the ships in the convoy sounded the submarine warning and hoisted a signal reading "submarine to starboard." Seneca immediately stood in that direction, dropping two depth charges on the flank of the convoy as a precautionary measure, and stood full speed in the direction of the submarine some 5000 yards (4,572 m) off. Seneca then began firing, and expended 28 rounds. Upon closer approach the submarine proved to be a dead whale, floating on its side and bearing a striking resemblance to the conning towerConning tower
A conning tower is a raised platform on a ship or submarine, often armored, from which an officer can con the vessel; i.e., give directions to the helmsman. It is usually located as high on the ship as practical, to give the conning team good visibility....
of a submarine. Four holes in the carcass testified to the accuracy of the Senecas guns.
Drama of the Wellington
The next convoy was escorted safely back to Gibraltar, arriving 15 August and the following one back to England arrived 2 September. Convoy OM-99 consisted of 21 ships bound for Gibraltar. This was the 26th convoy for the men of Seneca. For eleven of them it was the last. On 16 September at 11:30 hours the steamship Wellington, a ship in convoy OM-99, was torpedoed. Seneca proceeded at full speed to her assistance. At 11:31 a submarine was sighted a few hundred yards from Wellington. Senecas crew fired three shots at the submarine before it submerged. Depth charges were dropped and additional shots fired to keep it from resurfacing.Wellington was in bad condition, having been torpedoed in the fore peak. Her master believed she would stay afloat, but all but eleven of his men refused to remain on board. First Lieutenant F. W. Brown at once volunteered to assist Wellingtons master, and almost the entire crew of Seneca wanted to go with him. Nineteen of these Seneca volunteers were selected to go with Lieutenant Brown to the Wellington, while 11 of the 42 men in Wellingtons crew also remained with the master. Lieutenant Brown was to be in charge of the ship, but the master was to navigate her into the nearest port which was Brest, France
Brest, France
Brest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon...
.
At 12:35 Seneca left Wellington and rejoined the convoy. was on her way to assist Wellington, expecting to reach her by 17:00. Arriving on board Wellington, Lieutenant Brown posted lookouts, broke out ammunition and started drilling a gun crew, for they were still in sub-infested waters, and on a stricken ship carrying valuable cargo to the allies. Repairs were made below decks and by 12:50 hours the ship began to move ahead. By 14:10 the speed was increased until they were making 7.5 kn (14.7 km/h; 9.1 mph). The ship was taking water in the number 2 hold
Hold (ship)
thumb|right|120px|View of the hold of a container shipA ship's hold is a space for carrying cargo. Cargo in holds may be either packaged in crates, bales, etc., or unpackaged . Access to holds is by a large hatch at the top...
, but by driving the pumps, the crew held it to a level of 3 inch. At 18:46 the ship was down by the head, and although Lieutenant Brown was able to stop her and bring her head back up long enough to regain his course, her head went down again and her engines were helpless.
A storm had come up and the seas had grown very heavy, with waves crashing over the bow. There was only one lifeboat on Wellington and Lieutenant Brown mustered all the men abreast of this except for the radio operator and three men on the pumps. It was his intention to remain with these four until all hope of saving the ship was gone, the other men meanwhile standing by in the lifeboat. One Seneca man and seven Wellington men were lowered with the boat, the others to slide down the falls into the boat as soon as it reached the water. Fearful lest the boat be smashed against the ship by the heavy seas, one of Wellingtons men chopped the painter and the lifeboat with its eight men drifted away rapidly. They tried to row back, but inexperienced in a pulling boat, they were no match for the heavy seas and strong current.
Lieutenant Brown was left stranded with 18 of his men and five of the Wellington men. He set the men to constructing liferafts. The bow continued settling. The radio operator was in contact with the Warrington and continued sending position reports. Rockets were fired from Wellington, and at 14:30 on the 17th answering rockets from the Warrington were seen off the port bow. The Wellington listed rapidly and Lieutenant Brown gave the order to leave the ship. He continued signaling with a hand flashlight to the Warrington about 1200 yards (1,097.3 m) away as the ship's keel
Keel
In boats and ships, keel can refer to either of two parts: a structural element, or a hydrodynamic element. These parts overlap. As the laying down of the keel is the initial step in construction of a ship, in British and American shipbuilding traditions the construction is dated from this event...
turned to a sixty degree angle. Then her boilers exploded and the vessel rose up for her final plunge. Lieutenant Brown jumped and swam clear, searching about for something to which he could cling.
Responding to cries for help he swam about, and finding men clinging to planks advised them to keep their mouths closed to keep out the sea water. Next he swam to some calcium lights and extinguished them so they would not lure his men away from their planks. After about three and a half hours in the water Brown was picked up in an unconscious state. From his long exposure he developed pneumonia. Eight others of Senecas crew were picked up from the water, but one died shortly afterward. In all, 11 Seneca and five Wellington men perished.
Among the eight other Seneca men picked up was a seaman, James C. Osborn, who, supporting a shipmate, Coxswain Jorge A. Pedersen, had swum to a small liferaft with the semiconscious man and held him between his feet. Several times in the hours that followed they were washed off, but each time Osborn recovered his shipmate and hoisted him back on the pitching raft. Finally sighting the Warrington, Osborn semaphored "I'm all right but he's gone unless you come right away." Both were recovered.
The following awards were made: To Acting Machinist William L. Boyce, posthumously: the Distinguished Service Medal
Distinguished Service Medal (United States)
The Distinguished Service Medal is the highest non-valorous military and civilian decoration of the United States military which is issued for exceptionally meritorious service to the government of the United States in either a senior government service position or as a senior officer of the United...
and citation. To the following deceased members of the crew, posthumously, the Navy Cross
Navy Cross
The Navy Cross is the highest decoration that may be bestowed by the Department of the Navy and the second highest decoration given for valor. It is normally only awarded to members of the United States Navy, United States Marine Corps and United States Coast Guard, but can be awarded to all...
and citation: Water Tender William H. Best; Cook Russell Elan; Gunner's Mate Second Class P. L. Marvelle (USN); Boy First Class James J. Nevins; Coxswain Merton Stellenwarf; Water Tender R. H. Tingard, and Assistant Master at Arms August Zuleger, Coxswain Carl S. Newbury; Water Tender M. M. Ovesen; and Seaman William H. Prime.
The remaining living members of the rescue party were awarded the Navy Cross and citation: First Lieutenant F. W. Brown; Oiler Second Class George W. Christy; Seaman Raymond J. Gorman; Assistant Master at Arms D. E. Grimshaw; Electrician Second Class M. C. Mason; Seaman Anthony Orhelein; Coxswain James C. Osborn; Coxswain Jorge A. Pedersen; and Machinist First Class M. J. Ryan.
Rear Admiral Grant, senior British naval officer at Gibraltar, had this to say of the volunteers: "Lieutenant Brown and the gallant volunteers set an example worthy of the highest traditions of any Service or any Nation."
After the Wellington episode the Seneca escorted four other convoys, several times encountering submarines.
Wartime service summary
She was at Gibraltar on 11 November 1918 when the ArmisticeArmistice Day
Armistice Day is on 11 November and commemorates the armistice signed between the Allies of World War I and Germany at Compiègne, France, for the cessation of hostilities on the Western Front of World War I, which took effect at eleven o'clock in the morning—the "eleventh hour of the eleventh day...
was signed, ending World War I. Senecas wartime service included escorting 30 convoys consisting of about 580 ships. Only four were lost, and from them 139 survivors were rescued. Twenty-one responses to submarines were made and only one of these proved to be false—the "dead whale" episode. The cutter had four close calls with torpedoes, and was believed to have sunk one submarine.
Postwar service
After the war Seneca remained at Gibraltar for several months, then returning to the United States via Algeria, France, and England. Several vessels in distress were assisted during this period. When Seneca was returned to the United States Treasury Department on 28 August 1919, she resumed her station at Tompkinsville. In the spring of 1920 she was back on ice patrol. On 14 July she patrolled the International Yacht Race at Sandy Hook, New JerseySandy Hook, New Jersey
Sandy Hook is a barrier spit, approximately 6.0 miles in length and varying between 0.10 and 1 miles wide in Middletown Township in Monmouth County, along the Atlantic Ocean coast of eastern New Jersey in the United States. The barrier spit encloses the southern entrance of Lower New York Bay...
. Again in 1921 and 1922 she was on ice patrol.
Run aground and refitted
On 31 July 1922 she got a new set of guns at the Washington Navy YardWashington Navy Yard
The Washington Navy Yard is the former shipyard and ordnance plant of the United States Navy in Southeast Washington, D.C. It is the oldest shore establishment of the U.S. Navy...
. On 5 August she ran aground in the Potomac River
Potomac River
The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...
, off Mathias Point
Mathias Point
Mathias Point is a point about 1.5 nautical miles north of Allen Point, Montagu Island, in the South Sandwich Islands. Named by United Kingdom Antarctic Place-Names Committee for W.A. Mathias, Royal Navy, pilot in HMS Protector's ship's flight during the survey of the South Sandwich Islands in...
, but suffered no serious casualty. After her ice patrol in the spring of 1923, she patrolled the Harvard-Yale Regatta
Harvard-Yale Regatta
The Harvard-Yale Boat Race or Harvard–Yale Regatta is an annual rowing race between Yale University and Harvard University. First contested in 1852, annually since 1859 except during major wars fought by the United States, The Race is America's oldest collegiate athletic competition, predating The...
at New London, Connecticut on 21 June. In July she was overhauled in Brooklyn and repainted at Annapolis.
Seizure of rum rummer
On 15 November 1923 the Commandant ordered the Coast Guard to seize the vessel Tamoka (ex-Areteusa) and arrest her crew. This vessel belonged to William S. McCoyWilliam S. McCoy
William Frederick McCoy , also known as "Bill" McCoy, was an American sea captain and rum runner smuggler during the Prohibition in the United States. In pursuing the trade of smuggling alcohol from the Bahamas to the Eastern Seaboard, Capt...
, notorious rum-runner, and had been hovering along the coast between Nassau, Bahamas and Canadian ports, peddling liquor. On 22 August she had fired upon a boat from Manhattan, attempting to board her.
At 1030 hours on the morning of 24 November Seneca hailed Tomoka in latitude 40° 21.6' North, longitude 73° 49.7' West and ordered her to heave to and be prepared to be boarded and examined. A surfboat
Surfboat
A surfboat is an oar-driven boat designed to enter the ocean from the beach in heavy surf or severe waves. It is often used in lifesaving or rescue missions where the most expedient access to victims is directly from the beach.-Construction:...
with an armed boarding party in charge of Lieutenant L. W. Perkins was sent to go on board and take charge of the vessel. At first Tomoka broke out the British flag and cruised about so that the boarding party would not overtake her. Seneca called her gun crews to quarters, cast loose the number one gun, and then ordered Tomoka to permit the boat to board. The master then complied. At 12:00 the boarding officer reported that he was all right and requested the Seneca to go ahead and he would follow with Tomoka. Seneca shaped a course for the Ambrose Channel
Ambrose Channel
Ambrose Channel is the main shipping channel in and out of the Port of New York and New Jersey. The channel is considered to be part of Lower New York Bay and is located several miles off the coasts of Sandy Hook in New Jersey and Breezy Point, Queens in New York...
lightship
Lightvessel
A lightvessel, or lightship, is a ship which acts as a lighthouse. They are used in waters that are too deep or otherwise unsuitable for lighthouse construction...
, but by 12:30 Tomoka had still not started to follow. Heading back for the rum-runner Seneca was met by her boarding party, which had been chased off Tomoka with a machinegun.
Seneca opens fire
Seneca then instructed Tomoka that she would be sunk by gunfire unless she proceeded toward New York City. The rum-runner started in that direction, but then suddenly started its engine, hoisted the fore staysail and stood rapidly to eastward. Seneca gave chase and opened fire. The first shot was fired across the bow of the fleeing schoonerSchooner
A schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....
, then the range was gradually decreased. After three warning shots, a fourth shot was fired to hit. The shell landed alongside a few feet from Tomoka, and the schooner immediately stopped engines, hauled down the fore staysail and headed into the wind with her foresail idly flapping.
Seneca mustered a force armed with rifles, called away a boat, and ordered the master to haul down his foresail. The crew of the schooner, without waiting for instructions from the master, immediately jumped to the sail and hauled it down. Boatswain I. E. Johannessen took an armed boarding party on board Tomoka and ordered the "rummy" crew below decks. Meanwhile, Seneca was lying less than 100 feet (30.5 m) off, with another armed party on the bow. No further difficulty was encountered. The vessels arrived off Staten Island
Staten Island
Staten Island is a borough of New York City, New York, United States, located in the southwest part of the city. Staten Island is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull, and from the rest of New York by New York Bay...
at 23:30 and turned Tomoka and her crew over to Lexington, including Bill McCoy himself.
Various missions
After her 1924 ice patrol she was again overhauled, and again patrolled various regattas. On 26 July 1927 she was placed out of commission at Curtis Bay, Maryland but on 20 April 1928 she was recommissioned and reported for duty with the New York Division. On 1 March 1929 she arrived in Washington, D.C. to take part in the inauguration of Herbert HooverHerbert Hoover
Herbert Clark Hoover was the 31st President of the United States . Hoover was originally a professional mining engineer and author. As the United States Secretary of Commerce in the 1920s under Presidents Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge, he promoted partnerships between government and business...
. On 23 September 1932 her permanent station was changed to San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
, and she arrived there on 23 October. On 1 June 1934 her permanent station was changed once again when she moved to Mobile, Alabama
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
, where she served until 28 January 1936, when she was selected to be decommissioned. Proceeding to the depot at Curtis Bay, Seneca had one last opportunity for service when a big freeze came over the Virginia and Maryland coasts. The Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
and the Potomac River
Potomac River
The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...
froze over, stranding several vessels in the ice. Seneca was called to the rescue. From 21-27 February, she stayed busy breaking ice, freeing and rendering assistance to five ice-bound vessels.
Decommissioned
On 21 March 1936 she was decommissioned at the Coast Guard Depot and on 3 September 1936, she was sold to the Boston Iron and Metal Company of Baltimore for $6,605.00. Seneca was then sold to the Texas Refrigeration Steamship Line and she sailed with them for only a few months before the company went bankrupt. Boston Iron and Metal Company then bought Seneca back at auction.Reacquired as training ship
She returned to Coast Guard service in 1941 and was overhauled. In 1942 she was turned over to the state of Pennsylvania for use in training merchant and naval cadets from the maritime academies of the states of Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and New York. Renamed Keystone State, she stayed in that service through 1948.She was then returned to the Maritime Commission and laid up until she was sold for scrap in Baltimore in 1950.