USS Algonquin (1898-1946) At the New York Navy Yard, Brooklyn, New York, circa April 1898. Note 6mm Colt Machinegun and 13-star boat flag aft, and horse cart on pier |
|
| Career | |
|---|---|
| Name: | USS Accomac |
| Builder: | Newport News Shipbuilding, Newport News, Virginia |
| Launched: | 1891, as El Toro |
| Acquired: | by purchase, 26 March 1898 |
| Commissioned: | 2 April 1898, as USS Algonquin |
| Decommissioned: | 3 April 1946 |
| Renamed: | Accomac, 15 June 1898 Nottoway, 1918 YT-18, 1942 YTL-18, 1944 |
| Reclassified: | YT-18, 17 July 1920 |
| Struck: | 17 April 1946 |
| Fate: | Sold, 15 October 1946 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Tugboat |
| Displacement: | 187 long tons (190 t) |
| Length: | 90 ft (27 m) |
| Beam: | 19 ft (5.8 m) |
| Draft: | 9 ft (2.7 m) |
| Speed: | 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) |
| Complement: | 12 |
| Armament: | 1 × 6-pounder gun |
The first USS Accomac (YT-18/YTL-18) was a small harbor tug in the service of the United States Navy, named after Accomac, Virginia.
She was built as the Steam Tug El Toro at Newport News, Virginia by Newport News Shipbuilding, and purchased by the Navy on 26 March 1898 because of the impending war with Spain. She was renamed USS Algonquin, and commissioned on 2 April 1898 with Ensign W. S. Crowley in command.
After being outfitted at the New York Navy Yard, the tug reported for duty with the North Atlantic Squadron at its base at Key West, Florida on 13 April. On 15 June 1898, she was renamed USS Accomac. The vessel served at Key West through end of the year. In January 1899, she was reassigned to the Cuban occupation forces and was based at Havana, Cuba.
Between late 1900 and December 1911, the small ship successively served as a yard tug at Port Royal, South Carolina, Key West, and Pensacola, Florida. On 4 December 1911, Accomac arrived at the Boston Navy Yard where she spent the remainder of her active career. In 1918 she was renamed USS Nottoway, and in July 1920, when the Navy adopted the alphanumeric system of hull designations, Nottoway received the hull number "YT-18". On 5 October 1942, her name was cancelled, and she became simply YT-18. On 15 May 1944, the tug was redesignated a small harbor tug, YTL-18. She served at Boston as a yard tug through the end of World War II.
YTL-18 was placed out of service at Boston on 3 April 1946, and her name was struck from the Navy List on 17 April 1946. On 15 October 1946, she was sold to Mr. Arthur M. Hall, of Boston, Massachusetts, presumably for scrapping.