USCGC General Greene (WPC/WSC/WMEC-140), was a 125 ft (38 m) United States Coast GuardActive-classpatrol boat, in commission from 1927 to 1968 and the fourth cutter to bear the name of the famous Revolutionary War general, Nathanael Greene. She served during the Rum Patrol, World War II and into the 1960s performing defense, law enforcement, ice patrol, and search and rescue missions.[1]
General Greene had been designed specifically for prohibition enforcement service and assumed Rum Patrol duty 15 May 1927 with a home-port of Boston, Massachusetts[4] Her routine consisted of picketing liquor laden "mother ships" and preventing them from offloading prohibited cargo to smaller contact boats that were used to deliver liquor to shore.[5] On 15 March 1931 she departed Boston bound for St. John's, Newfoundland to join the International Ice Patrol for the first time. At the end of the patrol season she would return to Boston and resume Rum Patrol duties; this pattern would continue through the end of the 1933 Ice Patrol season.[4] With the end of prohibition in 1933, General Greene assumed a more traditional role of a Coast Guard cutter, that of search and rescue, law enforcement, merchant vessel inspection, and defense training.[Note 2][6] In 1941 she conducted an oceanographic survey off the coast of Newfoundland and while on the survey in May 1941, she was ordered to search for survivors from two British freighters torpedoed off the coast of Greenland. She recovered 39 survivors from the SS Marconi, and observed part of the Royal Navy task force engaging the Bismarck.[1]
World War II serviceedit
In early 1942 she was re-designated WSC-140, and assigned to search and rescue and convoy escort duties. On 25 May 1942 she engaged a German U-boat with depth charges in a dense fog off Nantucket Shoals while rescuing survivors from the British freighter SS Peisander.
Post-war serviceedit
In 1946 she returned to her station at Woods Hole, and from 1947 until her decommissioning in 1968 was based at Gloucester, Massachusetts.[1]
General Greene aground on Spring Hill Beach at East Sandwich, Massachusetts, sometime between 4 and 8 March 1960. Bulldozers are creating a trough for use in refloating her at high tide.
While attempting to assist a tug in distress, General Greene was swept ashore on Spring Hill Beach at East Sandwich, Massachusetts, by hurricane-force winds and 40-foot (12 m) waves on 4 March 1960. All hands were rescued and the ship was refloated on 8 March 1960.[7][8]
After her decommissioning, General Greene was transferred to Newburyport, Massachusetts, for use as a museum ship, but she was returned to the Coast Guard in 1976 and sold. In 1979, renamed Belmont and under the flag of Guatemala, she was seized by the Coast Guard for drug smuggling.[1]
Johnson, Robert Irwin (1987). Guardians of the Sea, History of the United States Coast Guard, 1915 to the Present. Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, Maryland. ISBN978-0-87021-720-3.
Scheina, Robert L. (1982). U.S. Coast Guard Cutters & Craft of World War II. Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, Maryland. ISBN978-0-87021-717-3.
Scheina, Robert L. (1990). U.S. Coast Guard Cutters & Craft, 1946–1990. Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, Maryland. ISBN978-0-87021-719-7.
Websitesedit
"General Greene, 1927" (asp). Cutters, Craft & U.S. Coast Guard-Manned Army & Navy Vessels. U.S. Coast Guard Historian's Office. Retrieved 3 February 2014.
"Record of Movements, Vessels of the United States Coast Guard, 1790–December 31, 1933" (PDF). U.S. Coast Guard, Department of Transportation. Retrieved 3 February 2014.
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For other ships with the same name see USS General Greene USCGC General Greene WPC WSC WMEC 140 was a 125 ft 38 m United States Coast Guard Active class patrol boat in commission from 1927 to 1968 and the fourth cutter to bear the name of the famous Revolutionary War general Nathanael Greene She served during the Rum Patrol World War II and into the 1960s performing defense law enforcement ice patrol and search and rescue missions 1 USCGC General Greene 1962History United States NameUSCGC General Greene WPC 140 WSC 140 NamesakeNathanael Greene American Revolutionary War general 1 BuilderAmerican Brown Boveri Electric Corporation Camden New Jersey Cost 90 000 USD 1 Launched14 February 1927 Commissioned7 April 1927 Decommissioned15 November 1968 FateSold 1976 General characteristics TypePatrol boat Displacement232 long tons 236 t Length125 ft 38 m Beam23 ft 6 in 7 16 m Draft7 ft 6 in 2 29 m Propulsion2 8 cylinder 268A General Motors 850 hp late 1950s to decommission300 hp 224 kW engines Speed1945 Maximum 13 knots 24 km h 15 mph Cruise 8 kn 15 km h 9 2 mph 8 268A Max speed 19kn cruise 12 5kn Range3 500 nmi 6 500 km 4 000 mi At max speed 2 500 nmi 4 600 km 2 900 mi Complement3 officers 17 men 1960 Armament1927 1 3 27 caliber gun 2 1941 1 3 23 caliber gun 2 depth charge tracks 2 1945 1 40 mm 80 gun 2 20 mm 80 guns 2 depth charge tracks 2 Mousetrap ASW 2 1960 1 40 mm 60 gun 3 Contents 1 Construction and commissioning 2 Patrol duties during the Depression 3 World War II service 4 Post war service 5 Awards 6 See also 7 Notes 8 Citations 9 References 9 1 WebsitesConstruction and commissioning editThe General Greene was built by the American Brown Boveri Electric Corp of Camden New Jersey at a cost of 90 000 Note 1 She was launched on 14 February 1927 and commissioned on 7 April 1927 1 4 Patrol duties during the Depression editGeneral Greene had been designed specifically for prohibition enforcement service and assumed Rum Patrol duty 15 May 1927 with a home port of Boston Massachusetts 4 Her routine consisted of picketing liquor laden mother ships and preventing them from offloading prohibited cargo to smaller contact boats that were used to deliver liquor to shore 5 On 15 March 1931 she departed Boston bound for St John s Newfoundland to join the International Ice Patrol for the first time At the end of the patrol season she would return to Boston and resume Rum Patrol duties this pattern would continue through the end of the 1933 Ice Patrol season 4 With the end of prohibition in 1933 General Greene assumed a more traditional role of a Coast Guard cutter that of search and rescue law enforcement merchant vessel inspection and defense training Note 2 6 In 1941 she conducted an oceanographic survey off the coast of Newfoundland and while on the survey in May 1941 she was ordered to search for survivors from two British freighters torpedoed off the coast of Greenland She recovered 39 survivors from the SS Marconi and observed part of the Royal Navy task force engaging the Bismarck 1 World War II service editIn early 1942 she was re designated WSC 140 and assigned to search and rescue and convoy escort duties On 25 May 1942 she engaged a German U boat with depth charges in a dense fog off Nantucket Shoals while rescuing survivors from the British freighter SS Peisander Post war service editIn 1946 she returned to her station at Woods Hole and from 1947 until her decommissioning in 1968 was based at Gloucester Massachusetts 1 nbsp General Greene aground on Spring Hill Beach at East Sandwich Massachusetts sometime between 4 and 8 March 1960 Bulldozers are creating a trough for use in refloating her at high tide While attempting to assist a tug in distress General Greene was swept ashore on Spring Hill Beach at East Sandwich Massachusetts by hurricane force winds and 40 foot 12 m waves on 4 March 1960 All hands were rescued and the ship was refloated on 8 March 1960 7 8 After her decommissioning General Greene was transferred to Newburyport Massachusetts for use as a museum ship but she was returned to the Coast Guard in 1976 and sold In 1979 renamed Belmont and under the flag of Guatemala she was seized by the Coast Guard for drug smuggling 1 Awards editAmerican Defense Service Medal with A device American Campaign Medal World War II Victory Medal National Defense Service Medal with starSee also editRum PatrolNotes edit Scheina 1982 says 63 173 USD 2 The repeal of Prohibition was accomplished with the ratification of the Twenty first Amendment on 5 December 1933 Citations edit a b c d e f g General Greene 1927 Cutters Craft amp U S Coast Guard Manned Army amp Navy Vessels U S Coast Guard Historian s Office a b c d Scheina 1982 p 45 Scheina 1990 p 58 a b c Record of Movements Vessels of the United States Coast Guard 1790 December 31 1933 U S Coast Guard Department of Transportation p 428 Johnson p 80 Canney p xiii Mariners Weather Log Vol 4 No 4 United States Weather Bureau July 1960 p 114 General Greene Hunting New England Shipwrecks Retrieved 8 February 2021 References editCanney Donald L 1995 U S Coast Guard and Revenue Cutters 1790 1935 Naval Institute Press Annapolis Maryland ISBN 978 1 55750 101 1 Flynn Jim Lortz Ed Lukas Holger March 2018 Answer 39 48 Warship International LV January 2018 23 25 ISSN 0043 0374 Johnson Robert Irwin 1987 Guardians of the Sea History of the United States Coast Guard 1915 to the Present Naval Institute Press Annapolis Maryland ISBN 978 0 87021 720 3 Scheina Robert L 1982 U S Coast Guard Cutters amp Craft of World War II Naval Institute Press Annapolis Maryland ISBN 978 0 87021 717 3 Scheina Robert L 1990 U S Coast Guard Cutters amp Craft 1946 1990 Naval Institute Press Annapolis Maryland ISBN 978 0 87021 719 7 Websites edit General Greene 1927 asp Cutters Craft amp U S Coast Guard Manned Army amp Navy Vessels U S Coast Guard Historian s Office Retrieved 3 February 2014 Record of Movements Vessels of the United States Coast Guard 1790 December 31 1933 PDF U S Coast Guard Department of Transportation Retrieved 3 February 2014 nbsp This United States Coast Guard article is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title USCGC General Greene amp oldid 1181994414, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
