USS Uncas (AT-51)

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USS Uncas (1898-1922) in Hampton Roads on 12 June 1907
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Class:        UNCAS (AT-51)
Design:        Tug, 1893
Displacement (tons):        284 gross, 441 displ.
Dimensions (feet):        119.25' pp x 25.0' x 12.0' mn
Original Armament:        1-6pdr 2-1pdr (Apr-May 1898)
Later armaments:        none (Oct 1898);
2-1pdr (1918); none (1920)
Complement:        48 (1920)
Speed (kts.):        12
Propulsion (HP):        750
Machinery:        Vert. triple expansion, 1 screw

Construction:

AT	Name	Acq.	Builder	Keel	Launch	Commiss.
51	UNCAS	2 Apr 98	J. H. Dialogue & Son	--	Sep 93	6 Apr 98

Disposition:

AT	Name	Decomm.	Strike	Disposal	Fate	MA Sale
51	UNCAS	6 Mar 22	--	25 Jul 22	Sold	--

Class Notes:
Between 1889 and 1898 Lewis Luckenbach of New York had five tugs of varying sizes built by J. H. Dialogue & Son of Camden, N.J. for use in New York Harbor and along the East Coast. All were eventually acquired by the Navy, WALTER LUCKENBACH (later AT-51) and the smaller EDWARD L. LUCKENBACH (later YT-24) in 1898 and three (AT-59, SP-458, and SP-1232) in 1917-18. On 26 Mar 98 the press reported that on 25 Mar 98 the Navy had purchased several tugs incuding WALTER LUCKENBACH, which it stated was smaller than WINTHROP (see AT-47), which had been acquired at the same time, but was scarcely inferior to her. The Navy purchased WALTER LUCKENBACH from Luckenbach & Co. for $75,000 and renamed her UNCAS. Luckenbach had Neafie & Levy of Philadelphia build replacements for the two tugs in 1899; the new WALTER A. LUCKENBACH became USS MONTAUK (SP-1213) in 1917 while the new EDWARD LUCKENBACH was lost in 1915.

UNCAS operated on blockade duty off Cuba during the Spanish American War. After postwar repairs at the Philadelphia Navy Yard she returned to the Caribbean where she served with breaks for repairs into 1915. From 1907 to 1915 she was based at Guantanamo Bay. She then returned to the Washington Navy Yard and on 15 Apr 16 a Board of Inspection recommended that the UNCAS no longer be used as a sea-going tug, but that she be assigned to a Navy Yard. It further reported that the UNCAS should not work at sea with a heavy deck load. On 7 Jun 16 it was reported that UNCAS was no longer satisfactory for general service on the Atlantic Coast and that the POCAHONTAS (Tug No. 16) when completed would take her place. As a result UNCAS conducted only local operations out of Washington through the end of World War I. She was designated AT-51 when the Navy's standard hull classification scheme was implemented on 17 Jul 20 and was redesignated YT-110 effective 1 Jul 21. She was ordered sold on 14 Mar 22 and subsequently returned to mercantile service.

Ship Notes:

AT	Name	Notes
51	UNCAS	Ex merc. WALTER A. LUCKENBACH. To YT-110 1 Jul 21. Sold to Wood Towing Corp., Norfolk, Va., for $15,100. Merc. JOSEPH D. WOOD 1921, HENRY W. CARD by 1930, RELIEF by 1939, out of documentation 1944.