USS Lanikai (1914)

USS Lanikai was a 2-masted schooner that was hastily commissioned as an American naval ship on December 6th, 1941.

Chronological History

Built as the schooner "Hermes" in California, and launched in 1914 for German company, it was held by the US government and interned in Hawaii until being commissioned for service under the name of "USS Hermes" on April 1 1918 for service in the American effort of World War I, during which time it was used to patrol the waters of the westernmost Hawaiian islands. She was decommissioned on January 23, 1919 and laid up at Pearl Harbor where it was used variously as an Air Detachment, Pacific Fleet depot ship and yacht until being stricken from the Navy List July 1, 1926.

Following decommissioning, she was purchased by the Lanikai Fish Co. in 1926, converted for fishing purposes, and between that time and 1936 she was sold several times within the fishing trade. She was sold in early 1937 to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios for use in making Hurricane, starring Jon Hall and Dorothy Lamour, following which "Lanikai" was used as the MGM yacht. April 6 1939 she was sold to George W. Simmie acting as agent for E.M. Grimm, an American resident of Manila, Philippine Islands. Assigned to Luzon Stevedoring Co. and used as Mr. Grimm's yacht and inter-island trading ship.

"Lanikai" was chartered to the U.S. Navy on or about December 4, 1941 for an indefinite period for $1 per year with the ship to be returned in the same condition as when chartered, and commissioned as "USS Lanikai" an auxiliary schooner, December 5, 1941, at Cavite, P.I. With Lt. Kemp Tolley commanding and 18 crew, she was detailed to patrol the vicinity of Camranh Bay, French Indo-China with a mixed crew of U.S. Navy ratings and Philippine Insular Force seamen. Lanikai was armed with a QF (Quick Firing) 3 pounder rifle from the Spanish-American War and a .30 Lewis Gun. Departed Manila Bay December 7, 1941. Recalled the morning of December 8 while still in the vicinity of Corregidor I. and assigned to the Inshore Patrol. Detached from Inshore Patrol December 26, and with passengers, ordered to attempt transit to the nearest friendly port.

Action in Pacific Arena

Lanikai was one of a few ships of the Asiatic Fleet to make it to the safety of Australia.

*Arr. on the north coast of Celebes, Netherlands East Indies (now Sulawesi, Indonesia) January 5, 1942.
*Arr. Makassar, Celebes, January 10.
*Arr. Denpasar, Bali, January 19.
*Arr. Surabaya, Java, January 22. Partially refitted in NEI Navy dockyard at Surabaya - dep. Surabaya, February 17.
*Arr. Tjilatjap, Java, February 25. The Filipino Insular Force seamen enlisted into the U.S. Navy Reserve for duration of World War II. Most remained in service until retirement - dep. south from Tjilatjap with passengers February 26.
*Landfall at Montebello Island, Western Australia, March 6, 1942.
*Arr. Geraldton, March 14.
*Arr. Fremantle (port for Perth), March 18 - dep. Fremantle, April 3, with orders to patrol the coast of Western Australia looking for evidence of Japanese landings. Patrolled north to Denham.

LCmdr Tolley transferred April 27 with LCmdr Charles Adair taking command.

"USS Lanikai" transferred to Royal Australian Navy August 22, 1942 and converted to boom defense ship. She was commissioned "HMAS Lanikai"on December 9, 1942 and assigned to Albany, Western Australia. Decommissioned August 22, 1945 and transferred back to U.S. Navy. Converted to schooner rig in Fremantle and returned to Manila in 1946. Luzon Stevedoring Co. refused to accept Lanikai, as she was in poor condition, and she sank during a typhoon at Subic Bay 1947.

References

*http://www.geocities.com/songkhla.geo/USSLanikai.html
*Kemp Tolley's Cruise of the Lanikai; Incitement to War Fact|date=July 2007