USS Alacrity (PG-87)

USS "Alacrity" (PG-87) was an "Action"-class patrol boat acquired by the U.S. Navy for the task of patrolling American coastal waters during the First World War.

The second ship to be named "Alacrity" by the Navy, "PG-87" -- a gunboat constructed in Collingwood, Ontario, Canada, by the Collingwood Shipyard, Ltd. -- was acquired by the United States Navy on 6 January 1942; launched on 4 September 1942; and commissioned at Collingwood on 10 December 1942, Lt. H. M. Godsey, USNR, in command.

World War II service

By 31 December, the gunboat had moved to Sorel, Quebec, where she remained into March 1943. On the 3d, she got underway to descend the St. Lawrence River, bound ultimately for Boston, Massachusetts. On 5 March, she stopped at Quebec, Canada, and remained there for two months. "Alacrity" resumed her voyage on 5 May and arrived at the Boston Navy Yard Annex on the 12th. She remained there until sometime in mid-July, when she sailed for Bermuda and shakedown training in the waters surrounding that island group. She completed shakedown on 15 August and arrived in New York City three days later. After a round-trip voyage apiece to Norfolk, Virginia, and Boston, "Alacrity" entered the navy yard at Boston for post-shakedown repairs on 21 September.

East Coast operations

She got underway again on 25 September and began escorting ships between New York City and the Caribbean. For the next eight months, the gunboat screened coastwise merchant traffic on the New York-to-Guantanamo Bay, Cuba circuit. Early in May 1944, she added Key West, Florida, to her itinerary but, soon thereafter, resumed her New York-Guantanamo Bay shuttles exclusively. In May 1945, she ceased voyages to Cuba when she was reassigned from the U.S. Atlantic Fleet to the Eastern Sea Frontier. For the remainder of the war, "Alacrity" served along the east coast -- first at Staten Island, then at New York, and -- by mid-July -- at Charleston, South Carolina. By 1 August 1945 -- although still based at Charleston -- she had been reassigned to the 6th Naval District.

Post-war decommissioning

She was still at Charleston when placed out of commission on 4 October 1945. Her name was struck from the Navy list on 24 October 1945. She was transferred to the War Shipping Administration on 22 September 1947 for final disposition.

References

See also

* List of United States Navy ships
* Patrol boat

External links

* [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/a4/alacrity-ii.htm USS Alacrity]
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/12/09087.htm NavSource Online: Gunboat Photo Archive - USS Alacrity (PG 87) - ex-HMS Cornel (K 278) - ex-CN305]