USS Ionita (SP-388) was a yacht acquired by the U.S. Navy during World War I. Ionita was outfitted by the Navy as a patrol craft and reported to the Commander, 9th Naval District, headquartered at Lake Bluff, Illinois. Ionita patrolled the Detroit River and was struck by the Navy at war’s end.
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | USS Ionita |
| Namesake | A former name retained |
| Owner | R. A. Newman of Detroit, Michigan |
| Builder | Church Boat Works, Trenton, Michigan |
| Laid down | date unknown |
| Launched | date unknown |
| Completed | in 1914 |
| Acquired | by the Navy 16 August 1917 |
| Commissioned | 23 September 1917 as USS Ionita (SP-388) |
| Stricken | 1919 (est.) |
| Homeport | Detroit, Michigan |
| Fate | Sold 20 November 1919 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Yacht |
| Length | 55 ft (17 m) |
| Beam | 8 ft (2.4 m) |
| Draft | 2 ft 2 in (0.66 m) |
| Propulsion | not known |
| Speed | 19 knots |
| Complement | 5 |
| Armament | not known |
Built in Detroit, Michigan
editIonita (SP-388), a 55-foot-long motor yacht, was built by Church Boat Works, Trenton, Michigan, in 1914 for use as a pleasure craft on the Great Lakes. She was acquired by the Navy from her owner, R. A. Newman of Detroit, Michigan, 16 August 1917; and commissioned as USS Ionita (SP-388) 23 September 1917.
World War I service
editIonita was assigned to the 9th Naval District as a section patrol craft and spent the war on patrol in the Detroit River.
Post-war service
editAfter the World War I Armistice, she was transferred to the Naval Training Camp, Detroit, Michigan.
Decommissioning
editIonita was later decommissioned by the Navy and was sold to William Thewes, Cleveland, Ohio, on 20 November 1919.
References
edit
This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.- Motor Boat Ionita (1914); Later USS Ionita (SP-388), 1917-1919
- NavSource Online: Ionita (SP 388)
