Mosquito Fleet
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The term Mosquito Fleet has had five main meanings in U.S. naval history:
- It is the term used to describe the United States Navy's fleet of small gunboats, leading up to and during the War of 1812.
- It was the name of a United States Navy squadron detachment, commanded by Commodore Matthew C. Perry, that fought against the Mexican fortresses at Tuxpan and Villahermosa during the Mexican-American War.
- It is the term used to describe a fleet of small steam vessels which plied the waters of the Puget Sound during the late 19th and early 20th centuries (see Washington State Ferries and Puget Sound Navigation Company).
- It is the term used to describe a fleet of converted yachts used by the US Navy during WWI off the Atlantic Coast of France to patrol for U-boats and provide support for convoys into Brest France. This fleet was also called the 'Suicide Fleet'.
- A term used for the fast, wooden Patrol Torpedo (PT) Boats used by the Navy in WWII. The most famous being PT-109, skippered by the future U.S. President John F. Kennedy, at the time a Lieutenant Junior Grade, USN.
The Seattle branch of the Moped Army is called the Mosquito Fleet in reference to the third of these.
