Patrol yacht

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Patrol Yacht (also: patrol vessel converted yacht , ship identification PY , German Patrouillen-Yacht ) was a ship type designation given by the US Navy since 1920 but no longer used for formerly civilian private, armed and armed motor yachts . In 1940, the name Patrol Yacht, coastal ( PYc ; coastal patrol yacht ) was created as a supplement . The IDs were also used by the Coast Guard , supplemented by a W ( WPY or WPYc ).

During the Spanish-American War , the Navy had acquired 18 private yachts to make up for a lack of gunboats ; in the First World War yachts were taken over again. In 1920 a new designation system was introduced, through which the classification PY was created, with which the military yachts could now be systematically managed.

The oldest PY models were still steam powered , the newer boats used diesel engines . With the Mayflower and the Sylph , two presidential state yachts were also represented. When the boats were renamed in the military, they were largely named after minerals .

The military yachts played a role especially shortly after the United States entered World War II , as there were not enough patrol boats available at that time . After the mass production started, the yachts lost their importance. They were primarily used for surveillance trips along the US coasts, a relatively safe task, but the USS Cythera (PY-26) was sunk by a submarine. After the end of the Second World War, the yacht identifiers were no longer issued.

Other nations also use former yachts for military purposes, one example is the British HMS Rosabelle .

Ship list

Only the yachts of the US Navy are listed, the much more numerous models of the Coast Guard are missing.

Patrol yacht

USS Mayflower, 1905
USS Isabel, around 1919
USS Crystal (PY-25), circa 1942

Patrol Yacht, coastal

USS Agate (PYc-4), 1941
USS Ability (PYc-28)
USS Sturdy (PYc-50)

Military yachts without patrol yacht identification

A further 15 military yachts from the First World War had already been taken out of service in 1920 when the new PY classification was introduced and thus received no number.

USS Aileen, 1898

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