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The class was authorized by President Calvin Coolidge's
administration as part of an effort to enforce the "Volsted Act" -
what we commonly call prohibition. The Volsted Act made it illegal
to produce, transport or sell alcohol in the United States.
Vital Statistics:
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Built in 1927 by the American Brown Boveri Electric Company
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Commissioned: April 8, 1927
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Length: 125 feet
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Width: 24 feet in the beam
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Draft: 8 ½ feet
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Displacement: 220 tons
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Cruising Speed: 11 knots
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Top Speed: 13 knots
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Standard Complement: 4 officers, 26 enlisted men
Prohibition
Prohibition did not stop bootleggers who were eager to smuggle
alcohol into the country. During the 1920's and 1930's the
bootleggers would use small boats to go from the coast to a ship
waiting for them just outside the U.S. territorial line, in
international waters. The ship was loaded with as much booze as it
could carry, then would try to sneak past, or outrun the Coast Guard
to deliver their illicit cargo to U.S. consumers. McLANE and her
sisters were built to intercept the bootleggers, confiscate and
destroy their illegal cargo.
Shortly after she was commissioned, McLANE was sent to the West
Coast where she served some of her Coast Guard career. Before World
War II McLANE was sent to Alaska to perform search and rescue, and
coastal patrol duties on the Bering Sea. When the war broke out,
heavy machine guns and depth charge racks were installed.
The War Years
World War II was a busy time for McLANE as she patrolled the frigid
waters of the Bering Sea. In 1942 McLANE and a converted fishing
trawler patrol boat attacked a Japanese submarine. Depth charges
were dropped from McLANE's fantail. At one point the submarine fired
a torpedo at McLANE. Finally towards the end of the day, after
another barrage of depth charges were dropped, a large oil slick and
floating debris was sighted. Sonar contact with the sub was lost.
Present and Future
McLANE was acquired by a Sea Scout group in 1969 and was sailed
under her own power to Chicago where she remained active until
approximately 1987. When the group obtained another boat, McLANE was
abandoned and fell into a state of disrepair. In May 1993, McLANE
arrived at the USS Silversides and Maritime Museum. In conjunction
with the Grand Rapids Naval Reserve Center, the West Michigan
Division of the Naval Sea Cadet Corps, and volunteers, McLANE is in
the process of restoration so she can proudly be on display for
present and future generations.
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