USS J. M. Guffey (ID-1279)

USS J. M. Guffey (ID 1279) was a commercial tanker chartered by the U.S. Navy during World War I. However, because her master declined to remain with the ship during wartime, the ship was taken over by the U.S. Navy. She operated out of Scotland until war’s end, and then was returned to the United States, decommissioned, and was returned to her owner.

S.S. J. M. Guffey (American tanker, 1902) in a photo taken by her builder on 17 March 1902 at the time of her completion
History
United States
Name: USS J. M. Guffey
Namesake: A former name retained
Owner: Gulf Refining Company, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Builder: New York Shipbuilding Company, Camden, New Jersey
Launched: 4 May 1901
Completed: 1902
Acquired: by the Navy 14 October 1918
Commissioned: 14 October 1918 at Invergorden, Scotland
Decommissioned: 17 June 1919 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Stricken: 1919
Fate: transferred, 17 June 1919 to the United States Shipping Board for return to her owners
Notes: renamed SS Meloria in 1926
General characteristics
Type: Tanker
Displacement: 5,500 tons
Length: 292' 2"
Beam: 40' 2"
Draft: 22'
Propulsion: not known
Speed: 11 knots
Complement: not known
Armament: not known

Built in Camden, New Jersey

J. M. Guffey, a 2,520 gross ton (5500 tons displacement) freighter converted to a tanker during construction, was built at Camden, New Jersey, in 1902 by the New York Shipbuilding Company. She was the first ship built by that shipyard.

World War I service

In 1918 the tanker was operating on bareboat charter on behalf of the British Ministry of War Transport, and a request was made that she be manned by the U.S. Navy as her present master did not desire to remain with the ship and the remaining crew members were willing to enroll in the U. S. Naval Reserve Force.

The ship was therefore commissioned at Invergorden, Scotland, on 14 October 1918 as USS J. M. Guffey (ID # 1279). J. M. Guffey operated out of Invergorden replenishing the oil supplies until 24 January 1919 when—after delaying her departure until she received new boiler tubes—she sailed for the United States. She remained in St. Johns, Newfoundland, for 6 weeks before arriving Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 14 April.

The ship had to put into St. Johns, Newfoundland, because her boilers were leaking badly, and she remained there until leaving on 4 April for Philadelphia accompanied by the tug USS Iroquois (later designated AT-46).

Post-war decommissioning

After extensive repairs USS J. M. Guffey was decommissioned on 17 June 1919 and delivered to the U.S. Shipping Board for return to her owners, the Gulf Refining Company of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. S.S. J. M. Guffey was renamed Meloria in 1926 and was scrapped at Venice, Italy, in 1935.

See also

References

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