USS Felicia (SP-642) was a steam yacht acquired by the United States Navy during World War I. She was outfitted and armed by the Navy as a patrol craft, and was assigned to patrol the New England waters. Her task of protecting ships from German submarines was interrupted by her collision with a submarine. Post-war she was reconfigured to her civilian condition, and was sold in 1919.
 Felicia underway prior to World War I.
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | Felicia |
| Namesake | Former name retained |
| Owner | Jesse H. Metcalf |
| Port of registry | Providence, Rhode Island |
| Builder | J.N. Robins Company, Brooklyn |
| Launched | 1898 |
| Christened | as Felicia |
| Completed | 1898 |
| Acquired | 21 June 1917 |
| Commissioned | 29 June 1917 as USS Felicia (SP-642) |
| Decommissioned | 25 August 1919 at Brooklyn |
| Stricken | September 1919 |
| Fate | Sold 25 March 1920 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | steam yacht |
| Tonnage | 213 GRT, 146 NRT |
| Length | 179 ft (54.6 m) overall |
| Beam | 20.1 ft (6.1 m) |
| Draft | 7 ft 6 in (2.29 m) |
| Depth | 10.9 ft (3.3 m) |
| Installed power | 49 NHP |
| Propulsion |
|
| Sail plan | schooner |
| Speed | 14 knots (26 km/h) |
| Complement | 49 officers and enlisted |
| Armament | 3 × 3-pounder guns |
Built as a yacht in Brooklyn
editThe first ship to be so named by the Navy, Felicia (No. 642) was built in 1898 by J. N. Robins Company, Brooklyn New York; purchased by the Navy 2 June 1917; and commissioned 29 June 1917. (The other USS Felicia, PYc-35, was built in 1931, and served in World War II.)
World War I service
editBased out of Newport, Rhode Island, Felicia patrolled the New England coast, on duty with the 2d Naval District, until August 39, 1918, when she collided with a submarine in heavy fog off Montauk Point.
Decommissioning and sale
editFelicia was in repair or laid up at various yards until decommissioned at Brooklyn, 25 August 1919. Felicia was stricken from the list of Naval vessels in September 1919 and sold 25 March 1920.
References
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This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.- Felicia (American Steam Yacht, 1898). Served as USS Felicia (SP-642) in 1917-1920