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USS Cythera (PY-26)
Encyclopedia
The USS Cythera (SP-575/PY-26) was a US 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...
patrol yacht, originally laid down as the civilian yacht Agawa, that saw service in the Atlantic during both World War I
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...
and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
World War I
Originally constructed in LeithLeith
-South Leith v. North Leith:Up until the late 16th century Leith , comprised two separate towns on either side of the river....
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and launched as the civilian yacht Agawa on 20 September 1906, she was subsequently leased by the US Navy in 1917 and commissioned as the USS Cythera (SP-575). Sailing from New York on 27 October 1917, Cythera arrived at Newport
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
the next day and was assigned to Patrol Force, Atlantic Fleet. She cleared Newport 1 November with her squadron, and escorted and towed submarine chasers to European waters, before arriving at 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...
on 29 December. Based out of Gibraltar, she patrolled and escorted convoys between her base and Mediterranean ports in France, Italy, and Africa. She was decommissioned 17 March 1919, and returned to her owner two days later.
World War II
After serving under civilian operation for more than two decades, Cythera was reacquired by the US Navy on 31 December 1941 and given the designation PY-26. Her conversion into a patrol vessel was completed 28 February, and she was placed in service 3 March 1942. On 2 May 1942, while escorting the Russian tanker Ashkabad, she was torpedoed and sunk by the U-boatU-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
U-402 off the coast of North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. Of the 71 crew on board at the time, only two survived and were picked up by the attacking submarine as prisoners of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
.