USS Almax II

	Almax II (American Motor Boat, 1912)
History
United States
Name:	USS Almax II
Namesake:	a name retained
Owner:	Mr. F. Mayer of Baltimore, Maryland
Builder:	Salisbury Marine Construction Co., Salisbury, Maryland
Laid down:	date unknown
Launched:	1912
Acquired:	18 May 1917
Commissioned:	18 May 1917
Decommissioned:	28 March 1919
Stricken:	14 July 1920
Homeport:	Newport News and Norfolk, Virginia
Fate:	transferred to the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey on 28 March 1919
Status:	sold on 23 August 1920
General characteristics
Type:	commercial motor boat
Displacement:	22 tons (gross)
Length:	56' 9"
Beam:	11' 11"
Draft:	3' 6" (aft)
Speed:	11.4 mph
Crew:	8 enlisted personnel
Armament:	two 1-pounder guns; two machine guns;

USS Almax II (SP-268) was a motorboat acquired by the U.S. Navy during World War I. She was outfitted with light guns and assigned patrol duty in the Chesapeake Bay area. Post-war she served with the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey before being sold in 1920.

Construction

Almax II (SP-268) -- a motorboat constructed in 1912 at Salisbury, Maryland, by the Salisbury Marine Construction Co. -- was acquired by the U.S. Navy on 18 May 1917 from Mr. F. Mayer of Baltimore, Maryland, and commissioned on 18 May 1917.

World War I service

Assigned to the section patrol, Almax II cruised the waters of the 5th Naval District through the end of World War I. She served with Squadron 2 and operated primarily between Newport News and Norfolk, Virginia.

Post-war service

After the war, the boat continued to serve until 28 March 1919 when she was transferred to the Department of Commerce for use by the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey. Almax II was returned to Navy custody on 21 February 1920.

Final decommissioning

She was sold on 14 July 1920; and, presumably, her name was struck from the Navy list at that time.

References

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.

Almax II (American Motor Boat, 1912). Served as USS Almax II (SP-268) in 1917-1919