USS Murray (SP-1438)

Murray was a fifty-five foot motorboat, part of the Maryland State Fishery Force, owned by the Conservation Commission of Maryland operating out of River Springs, Maryland, a landing in St. Mary's county, in the charge of Deputy Commander M. R. Bailey.[1][2] The boat was built in 1915 by Chance Marine Construction Company at Annapolis, Maryland.[3] Though Murray was given the Section Patrol number (SP-1438) while serving both the Conservation Commission and Navy during World War I there is no mention in the Navy records of a commissioned status.[3]

For other ships with the same name, see USS Murray.
History
United States
Name: Murray
Owner: Conservation Commission of Maryland
Operator: Conservation Commission of Maryland
Builder: Chance Marine Construction Company, Annapolis, Maryland
Completed: 1915
Acquired: 17 August 1917
Fate: Returned to owner 26 November 1918
Notes: Maryland State Fishery Force boat, dual state and Navy service during war
General characteristics
Type: Patrol vessel
Length: 55 ft (17 m)
Beam: 13 ft (4.0 m)
Draft: 4 ft 6 in (1.37 m)
Speed: 10 mph (8.7 kn; 16 km/h)[note 1]
Complement: 6
Armament: None

The Navy approached the Conservation Commission shortly after the nation's entry into World War I proposing the Commission's boats be used to maintain constant local patrols. The state legislature agreed that the boats and men of the state force would become part of the U.S. Naval Reserve providing they patrol the same districts for fisheries enforcement as well as federal interests with the benefit that patrol time would be increased and the expense for all be paid by the federal government.[4] The Maryland State Fishery Force boats began operating under a contract in which they were under a free lease to the United States Navy in August 1917, serving as Squadron Number 8 of the 5th Naval District, patrolling their regular areas enforcing state conservation law and federal laws. They were under the command of a Conservation Commission member, George O. Haddaway, who was also a Lieutenant in the Navy and expenses, wages, supplies and repairs were paid by the federal government.[5][note 2]

Murray was returned to the Conservation Commission on 26 November 1918.[3] The boat was noted as not being in good condition on return and assigned to the Potomac District by the Conservation Commission.[6]

Footnotes
  1. The Dictionary of Naval Fighting Ships is explicit using miles per hour with "10 m.p.h." instead of the usual nautical knot. Boats used on inland waters often had speed stated in statute miles per hour instead of the knot, the number of nautical miles made in an hour as a unit.
  2. A number of the boats used in conservation enforcement were private boats used for the season only. These do not seem to be involved.
gollark: An astrapi xenowyrm?
gollark: Eh, maybe, don't like them much though.
gollark: They should be removed on the now-2-minutely update cycle, though.
gollark: Er, sure.
gollark: Hmm, they can't do much wrapping, can they...

References
  1. Conservation Commission of Maryland (January 7, 1919). "Third Annual report of the Conservation Commission of Maryland — 1918". Retrieved 8 December 2018. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  2. "River Springs Landing". Visit St. Mary's. Retrieved 8 December 2018.
  3. Naval History And Heritage Command (September 9, 2015). "Murray I (S. P. 1438)". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Naval History And Heritage Command. Retrieved 8 December 2018.
  4. Conservation Commission of Maryland (January 7, 1918). "Second Annual report of the Conservation Commission of Maryland — 1917": 9–10, 20. Retrieved 11 December 2018. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  5. Conservation Commission of Maryland (January 7, 1919). "Third Annual report of the Conservation Commission of Maryland — 1918": 11. Retrieved 7 December 2018. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  6. Conservation Commission of Maryland (January 10, 1921). "Fifth Annual report of the Conservation Commission of Maryland — 1921": 28. Retrieved 8 December 2018. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)

Other Maryland Fishery Force vessels

Bessie Jones, Buck, Daisy Archer, Dorothy, Frolic, Governor R. M. McLane, Julia Hamilton, Helen Baughman, Murray, Music, Nellie Jackson, Nettie, Severn, St. Mary's, and Swan

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