USS James
W.T. James (American Steam Trawler, 1912) Halftone reproduction, printed on a postal card, of a photograph probably taken when this "Menhadden fisherman" type steam trawler was completed in 1912. | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| United States | |
| Name | USS James |
| Namesake | Former name retained, in part |
| Owner | Taft Fish Co., of Tappahannock, Virginia |
| Builder | Harlan and Hollingsworth, of Wilmington, Delaware |
| Laid down | date unknown |
| Launched | date unknown |
| Completed | 1912 at Wilmington, Delaware as the trawler W. T. James |
| Acquired | leased in July 1917 as the trawler James |
| Commissioned | on 10 August 1917 in the 5th Naval District |
| Decommissioned | Sunk 28 April 1919 |
| Stricken | circa 28 April 1919 |
| Fate | Sank in a storm, 28 April 1919 |
| Notes | Also known as USS W. T. James |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Trawler |
| Displacement | 267 long tons (271 t) |
| Length | 150 ft (46 m) |
| Beam | 22 ft (6.7 m) |
| Draft | 8 ft 5 in (2.57 m) (mean) |
| Propulsion | Steam engine |
| Speed | 13 kn (15 mph; 24 km/h) |
| Complement | 38 officers and enlisted |
| Armament | 1 × 3 in (76 mm) gun, 2 × .30 in (7.6 mm) machine guns |
USS James (SP-429) — also known as USS W. T. James (SP-429) — was a steam trawler acquired by the United States Navy during World War I. She was converted into an armed minesweeper and assigned to the European Theater, where she performed varied tasks, including minesweeping, patrolling, and escorting of larger ships in convoy. In 1919, while returning to the United States, she was severely damaged in a storm off the French coast, and sank. Her crew were rescued.