United States Coast Guard Cutter History

Original Ten Revenue Cutters (1790-1791)

The Revenue Marine, precursor to the Coast Guard, was established on August 4, 1790. The first ten cutters were:

1. USRC Massachusetts - Built 1791, Boston
2. USRC Scammel - Built 1791, Portsmouth, NH
3. USRC Argus - Built 1791, New York
4. USRC Vigilant - Built 1791, New York
5. USRC General Greene - Built 1791, Philadelphia
6. USRC Virginia - Built 1791, Norfolk
7. USRC Diligence - Built 1791, Washington, NC
8. USRC South Carolina - Built 1791, Charleston
9. USRC Eagle - Built 1792, Savannah
10. USRC Active - Built 1791, Baltimore

These were small, fast sailing vessels typically around 50-60 feet in length with crews of about 10 men.

USRC Harriet Lane

Commissioned: 1857

One of the most famous revenue cutters in history. Harriet Lane fired the first naval shots of the Civil War at the steamer Nashville in Charleston Harbor on April 12, 1861. Later captured by Confederate forces, she was the only U.S. military vessel to fire shots in both the opening and closing engagements of the war.

USRC Bear

Service: 1885-1944

Perhaps the most famous cutter in Coast Guard history, USRC/USCGC Bear served for nearly 60 years. Originally a Scottish-built sealing ship, she was purchased for the Greely Relief Expedition in 1884. Bear patrolled Alaska waters for 41 years, becoming known as the "ship that broke the Arctic." She participated in the Overland Relief Expedition of 1897 and remained in service through World War II.

USCGC Tampa (Coast Guard Cutter #48)

Service: 1912-1918

Originally launched as USRC Miami, Tampa served as a convoy escort during World War I. On September 26, 1918, she was torpedoed by German submarine UB-91 in the Bristol Channel, sinking with all 131 crew members and passengers. It remains the greatest combat-related loss of life in Coast Guard history.

USCGC Taney (WHEC-37)

Service: 1936-1986

USCGC Taney holds the distinction of being the last surviving ship that was present during the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. During the attack, Taney's crew manned battle stations and fired at attacking Japanese aircraft. She is now preserved as a museum ship at the Baltimore Inner Harbor.

USCGC Campbell (WPG-32)

Service: 1936-1982

Campbell distinguished herself in World War II convoy escort duty. On February 22, 1943, while escorting Convoy ON-166, Campbell engaged and sank the German submarine U-606 in a dramatic surface action that left both vessels disabled.

USCGC Spencer (WPG-36)

Service: 1937-1974

Spencer sank the German submarine U-175 on April 17, 1943, in one of the most photographed naval engagements of World War II. The dramatic images of survivors in the water became iconic wartime photographs.

USCGC Escanaba (WPG-77)

Lost: June 13, 1943

While escorting Convoy GS-24 in the North Atlantic, Escanaba exploded and sank, likely due to a torpedo or mine. Of the 105 men aboard, only two survived. Just five months earlier, Escanaba had rescued 133 survivors from the torpedoed troopship USAT Dorchester.

USCGC Jackson (WSC-142)

Lost: September 14, 1944

Lost in the "Great Atlantic Hurricane" of 1944 while attempting to rescue survivors of other vessels. All 38 crew members perished.

Coast Guard Squadron One

26 82-foot Point-class patrol boats deployed to Vietnam from 1965-1970 for Operation Market Time, interdicting supplies bound for Viet Cong forces. Coast Guard crews served with distinction, with several boats earning Combat Action Ribbons and Presidential Unit Citations.