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Compiled by Robert L. Schema, U. S. Coast Guard Historian
^onology--------------------------
f0 28 Jan.: The Coast Guard was
Se . by consolidating the Life-Saving l9j_Ce and the Revenue Cutter Service.
Ca 6 Apr.: The Coast Guard be-
Lhee bart of the Navy for World War I.
5 strength was 200 officers and
tersmen- It operated 15 cruising cut-
1918
tem 16 Sept.: The cutter Seneca at-
lierP';d t0 tow the torpedoed British col- Coast Kington into Brest, France. Eleven coli ■ * ^Uardsmen were killed when the
.^foundered,
diSah 26 Sept.: The cutter Tampa
.heared leaving no trace. She had been 35 a convoy escort between Gi-
ity for protecting marine and national resources dates from the 1820s.
1933 5 Dec.: The repeal of prohibi
tion relieved the Coast Guard of a major responsibility.
1935 5 Aug.: Congress passed the
Anti-Smuggling Act, broadening the Coast Guard’s jurisdiction in law enforcement.
1936 16 Jun.: The cutter Campbell
of the 327 class was commissioned. She
and four of her sisters are still first-line, commissioned cutters.
1936 25 Jun.: The Merchant Marine
Act of 1936 became law. This was in large part an outgrowth of the Morro Castle and Mohawk disasters. The act gave extensive new responsibilities for safety inspection and regulation to the Coast Guard.
1936 21 Dec.: By Executive Order,
the Coast Guard was assigned the duty of icebreaking.
>loyed
b,
taltar
Wat,
c°rrv
lost 'r-S t0 enemy action.
I919
1 used to rescue survivors.
Coast Guard History
Lighthouse
Service
[0r,
fed,
ect *2 Jan.: Prohibition went into
h°Pul anf tde Coast Guard began the un- "as u rum war." At first, the service Patti *ndlcaPPed by the lack of cutters,
1924 larlT fast
tions . 2 Apr.: The first appropria
te^ r 13,000,000) for ten air stations °n e(Ce'ved. These had been authorized
%
and Great Britain throughout the
'■pi
"e Tampa had escorted 18 convoys, 2 shfsinS 350 ships, with a loss of only
111 lives were
it, p v
and futters were part of convoy escorts Often
$tone . '2 May: Lieutenant Elmer F.
a*rcraft U ^oast Guard. piloted naval flig^( bJC-4 on the first trans-Atlantic
l9l9 ‘
( Aug.: The Coast Guard re- \v;t0 tbe Treasury Department follow- l92oV°rW War I.
7 August 1789 |
|
|
| |
Life-Saving |
| r> o |
| |
Service |
| >■ |
| |
14 August 1848 Revenue | coast Guard |
|
| |
Cutter | 28 January 1915 |
| CM | |
Service |
|
|
| |
4 August 1790 |
|
| to | |
| Bureau of | 3 | ||
Bureau of | Navigation | ■© U. | ||
Nevlgation | and |
| 00 | |
5 July 1884 | Steamboat |
| ||
Steamboat | Inspection |
| ||
Inspection | 30 June 1932 |
|
| |
Service |
|
|
| |
7 July 1838
I924 AugUst 1919.
>*d „
Cuard f '
deStro0r ‘aw enforcement purposes. 31 bg to etS served in the Coast Guard, help- l92y tnb°rce prohibition.
2 Aug.: A Coast Guardsman
bo, 1 Sei
boatd (tCret Service agent were killed on 'Pg a s °ast Guard Boat 249 while board- 1932 UsPected "rum runner" off Florida. s‘8ned , 31 Mar.: The United States
°cher e Whaling Convention with 21 a/10ns- The Coast Guard was as- Pt°v>sio 6 resP°nsibiIity for enforcing the *9j2ns ^ fhey applied to this country, blalik 2 May: The Northern Pacific
dibut
f Guard. The service’s responsibil-
1 Coa
the
landed
1939 23 Jun.: The Coast Guard
Auxiliary, then called the Reserve, was established.
1939 1 Jul.: The Lighthouse Service
was incorporated into the, Coast Guard. The total number of aids to navigation at that time was 29,606.
1940 27 Jun.: The president invoked the Espionage Act of 1917 to govern the anchorage and movement of all vessels in U. S. waters. This began the Coast Guard’s port security activity during World War II.
1941 19 Feb.: The Coast Guard Re
serve was established. The Coast Guard Auxiliary, then known as the reserve, took its new name.
1941 9 Apr.: The United States and
Denmark signed an agreement for the defense of Greenland. The Coast Guard, because of cold weather experience, was the principal service carrying out this task throughout the war.
1941 9 Aug.: The International
Load Line Convention was suspended, permitting ships to be loaded beyond peacetime standards.
1941 15 Aug.: The Coast Guard
was charged with enforcing the law to protect walruses in Alaska. Coast Guard
Alaska involvement dates from 1867.
1941 12 Sept.: The cutter Northland
seized the Norwegian trawler Buskoe in MacKenzie Bay, Greenland. The Norwegian ship had German radiomen on board. This was the first naval capture of World War II.
1941 1 Nov.: The Coast Guard was
placed under the orders of the Navy by the president. Beginning in the Spring of 1941, many large cutters and some shore units had been transferred.
1942 29 Jan.: Cutter Alexander
Hamilton was torpedoed by a U-boat in the North Atlantic. She sank the following day.
1942 6 Feb.: The Nike rescued 38
from the torpedoed China Arrow. The Coast Guard rescued 15,000 survivors during the war.
1942 28 Feb.: The Bureau of Navi
gation and Steamboat Inspection was transferred to the Coast Guard.
1942 8 Jul.: The cutter McLane and
Coast Guard-manned YP-251 sank Japanese submarine RO-32 off Sitka, AK. 1942 9 Sept.: The cutter Muskeget
sank without a trace while on weather station. Postwar research indicates she was probably torpedoed. Weather stations were
begun just prior to World War II- The' were to provide weather data and emef gency ditching sites for aircraft on trans continental flights. The last weather st* tion patrol was in 1977. ,
1942 24 Nov.: The Coast Guard
Women's Reserve (SPARS) was organize
1943 17 Apr.: The cutter Spem1'
sank her second submarine, U-175■ Tye seven ships of the 327 class accounted i° the sinking of four U-boats during the (U-175, U-225, U-606. and U-626).
1943 13 Jun.: The cutter Esc#**
was torpedoed and sunk off IvigtUt' Greenland. 101 lost their lives and 2 sUf vived. ,
1944 6 Jun.: Coast Guard-manne landing craft carried troops ashore in 1 e Normandy Invasion. 83-footers patron the armada, pulling survivors from water. Coast Guard-manned LCl(L)' -91, -92, and -93 were lost during landings.
1944 29 Jun.: A helicopter — ^
Coast Guard Districts
long beach 11Th DISTRICT*
| ■4 ALASKA 1 |
| ^JUNEAU |
156
19*°
on board the cutter Cobb. The Coast Guzf was assigned the responsibility of develop ing the helicopter, first as an ASW P*3t form and second as a search and rescue ve hide. Prior to this landing, the helicopte had been tested from merchant ships-
Li
had be,
and H 1946 ' m Alaska
Ur>ng the war, the Coast Guard
n'ann
helped in rescuing 690 persons
rt>rn
the
'vhich excursion steamer
had gone aground in a thick fog.
’950
°n
t>te.
gan
Loran-C
partnership with other nations. The Coast Guard manages the U. S. responsibilities for the Omega system. Omega signals are transmitted from eight stations. Each station has a separate, allocated time at which it transmits each of four navigation signals at frequencies common to all stations, and one navigation signal at a frequency unique to each of the stations. The four common navigation frequencies are 10.2 kHz, 11.05 kHz, 11.33 kHz. and 13.6 kHz. With the Omega stations separated, typically, by 5,000-6,000 nautical miles, the extremely long ranges of the VLF signals ensure that the navigator will receive signals from three stations or more.
Omega is a very low frequency (VLF) continuous-wave, radionavigation system operating on a time-shared basis, with all stations transmitting phase-synchronized signals. The VLF band between 9 and 14 kHz has been internationally allocated for Omega transmissions, as the radio signals in that band have a sufficiently predictable phase stability over extremely long distances to provide nearly worldwide service. The Omega system is capable of providing position fixing accuracy of 2 to 4 nautical miles, 2 drms, 95% confidence for ships and aircraft.
The Omega system was developed by the United States and is being operated in
14 Sept.: The cutters Bedloe
'c^son foundered off Cape Hatteras,
e going to the aid of a distressed mer-
l944trnan ^ur‘n8 a hurricane.
15 Oct.: The cutters Eastuind
t Southwind captured the German
. er Externsteine in East Greenland
i94r'n miles t*le North p°le- t(j 1 Jan.: The Coast Guard re-
'946^ t0 ^ Treasury Department.
1 Jan.: The International Load
nes Convention, which was suspended ,st Prior to World War II, was restored
Dy t-L
„ e president and enforced by the Coast
Cuard
1946
15 Mar.: Coast Guard aircraft
the^emented cutters for the first time on Cst ,’ritcrnat<0nal Ice Patrol. The patrol, * i *S^ec^ following the Titanic disaster, een suspended during World Wars I
1 Apr.: Scotch Cap Lighthouse
at)j . — was destroyed by an earthquake ,iBh^al wave. The five men manning the 19<A °use l°st their lives.
Co 30 Jun.: The Coast Guard
Sc|^*ete<l the manning of 258 Navy ves- sio °r '^orl<l War II with the decommis- 4||'ltl8 °f the naval frigate El Paso (PF-
A0(?ed 1 AGP, 16 AKs, 5 AKAs, 18
28 ir 22 APs' 9 APAs’ 30 DEs’ 6 IXs’ pGLCI(L)s, 76 LSTs, 4 PCs, 65 PFs, 6
*946 an<^ ra‘nor cralt-
kac| k 30 Jun.: All lightships that
the ee° removed from stations because of
l947^r Were restored- U|at 1 May: Pre-war rules and reg-
J^e1<?ns for licensing and certificating of f)ect.C ant Marine personnel, revised to re- 1948 art'me lessons' were resumed. keeB3 * Jan-; Fannie Salter, light teti * at Turkey Point in the Chesapeake, %s | She was the last woman keeper, lg^c3os'ng nearly 150 years of tradition. kin 17 Mar.: The icebreaker Mac-
ft0rnand cutter Acacia opened a passage c°td i ^a*°' This was the earliest re- 194^ opening date for maritime traffic. titf,s 15 Jun.: 248 Coast Guard vic-
GuajtEe LLSS Serpens sinking, lost at Clcanai, were buried in Arlington l9?9°nal Cemetery.
ftom 14 Jul.: Coast Guardsmen
Sta,- °'nt Allerton and Boston Lifeboat at'°ns
Nantasket.
31 Jul.: The Coast Guard
Screening merchant seamen signing c 5. vessels on the West Coast as a Koretl0n during the early days of the Wjj an War. On 8 August, this program l952Xter|ded to the East and Gulf coasts.
7 Apr.: The Coast Guard
Loran (long-range navigation) is a radionavigation system operating on the principle that the difference in the time of arrival of radio pulses from tw'O synchronized transmitting stations describes a line of position. Loran-C, which operates in the 90-110 kHz frequency band provides greater range, higher accuracy, and reliability than the older Loran-A system. Each Loran-C chain consists of a master station and two or more secondary stations which transmit on the same repetition rate. The Coast Guard currently operates 33 Loran-C stations and cooperates with other governments in their operation of eight additional stations.
(1ons i
1953
n°U®bt all previously uninspected vessels navigable waters carrying more than six
_^8an rescue operations on the Mississippi. e breakup of ice on the river above Bis- rc*, ND, created the worst flood condi-
In that area in 30 years.
22 Nov.: Four new Loran sta-
^ns began transmitting in the Far East.
e Loran navigation system was initiated t^St Pr'°r to World War II and was one of Tod War S most closely guarded secrets, all 'S a ^^wide system open to
1
n- ’ 27 May: The carrier Ben-
suffered an explosion and fire 35 ju;es SOuth of Brenton Reef Lightship, in- ^ 8 100 people. Coast Guard aircraft
jj001 Salem Air Station and Quonset Point tSte<* ‘n transporting medical personnel
1956 Catrier'
bt0. , 10 MaT: Public Law 519
on
P^senggfj for j1jre unc]er Coast Guard inaction.
*956
an(j . 25 Jul.: Coast Guard cutters
aircraft converged on the scene of the hel ^ ®or'z and Stockholm collision and *95»^ rescue 1,600 survivors.
. Jjj, 1 Jul.: The Coast Guard estab-
ed the Automated Merchant Vessel
Report System (AMVER). Ships voluntarily report their position; these data are stored and drawn for use in an emergency. 1960 24 Jun.: Lightship 1VAL-505
was run down by SS Green Bay while on Ambrose Station. Lightships were constantly being beat up by storms and run down by steamers, making navigational errors.
1965 Because of increased restrictions
on immigration from Cuba, Coast Guard humanitarian patrol efforts peaked.
1965 16 Apr.: The Secretary of the
Navy requested information on the availability of Coast Guard cutters for service in Vietnam. Initially, the service provided 82-foot cutters for coastal patrol. Soon Coast Guard activity included maintaining aids to navigation, supervising the handling of dangerous cargoes, port security, and other traditional roles.
1965 24 Jul.: The Navy announced
that all icebreakers would be placed under the Coast Guard’s control.
1966 15 Oct.: The Coast Guard
Search and Rescue School, located at Governors Island, NY., held its first continuing four-week classes.
1967 1 Apr.: The Coast Guard was transferred from the Treasury Department to the newly established Department of Transportation.
1968 21 Aug.: The cutters Point
Verde, Point Sal, and Coast Guard helicopters assisted in rescuing and firefighting, when an oil rig blew out in the Gulf of Mexico.
1968 7 Dec.: The Coast Guard buoy
tender White Alder collided with merchantman Helena and sank. Seventeen lost their lives.
1969 15 Feb.: "Vietnamization” of
Coast Guard cutters to be turned over to Vietnam began and was concluded by December 1971. In all, 56 cutters served in Vietnam.
1969 Aug.: The icebreaker North-
wind escorted supertanker Manhattan across the top of North America. Only a few government vessels had previously negotiated the Northwest Passage.
1970 3 Apr.: The Water Quality
Improvement Act broadened the Coast Guard’s responsibility for the prevention of pollution and for cleanup efforts, when incidents did occur.
1970 21 Nov.: The cutters Sherman
and Rush assisted the USS Endurance in
Loc,
at‘ons of High Endurance (WHEC) and Medium Endurance (WMEC) Cutters
The first true binocular with gyro-stabilized optics— FUJINON’s lightweight STABISCOPE^
A high powered,
10x40 binocular with a patented high speed gyro-stabilizing system (15,000 rpm) — for use on moving aircraft, ships, boats and land vehicles — permits target acquisition, retention and identification at greater distances.
Self-contained battery pack or external 1228 volt DC power the system. With power off, the STABISCOPE works like a conventional binocular. Total weight is only '^1.9 kg.
The most powerful military binocular in production — FUJINON’s 25x150 MTM
Bringing the horizon to arm's length FUJINON’s 25 power military binoculars are totally waterproof and tested to resist constant vibration and shock. Huge 150 mm objective lenses (protected by clear filters) and computer designed optical
system deliver crystal clarity and high brightness even under minimal light conditions. Heavy-duty die cast aluminum alloy body, yoke and pedestal with calibrations for azimuth and elevation. Total weight: 65kg.
The STABISCOPE and the 25x150 MTM binoculars are currently used aboard air and surface craft patrolling the Florida straits. For more information, specifications or a demonstration, contact:
FUJINON OPTICAL INC. 3 Special Products Division 672 White Plains Road Scarsdale, New York 10583 (914)472-9800 Telex: 131-642
sinking a North Vietnamese trawler.
1971 10 Aug.: The Federal Boa'
Safety Act was signed into law. This, tn£ Federal Boating Act of 1958, and th£ Motorboat Act of 1940 are cornerstones10 boat safety legislation.
1973 A Coast Guard National Srrike
Force was created to combat oil spilj*' Three teams (Atlantic, Pacific, and Go were put on a continued alert status rea ) to deploy on short notice. ,
1974 11 Aug.: A law authorizing the Coast Guard to adopt modernize boiler and pressure safety standards "aS passed.
1976 13 Apr.: The creation of c *
200-mile Fishery Conservation Zon greatly increased the area to be patrol by the Coast Guard.
1976 15 Dec.: The tanker Argo
chant grounded off the New England c° ^ and spilled thousands of gallons of oiL ^
nally sinking. Coast Guard units, ing a strike team, aided in the rescue clean up. i
Till.: Women were admi'te
J the
. afl<
,d
1976 Jul.: Women were
to the Coast Guard Academy, military academy to do so.
1978 30 Aug.: The Coast
removed all restrictions based solely ofl ^ in the training, assignment, and oa ^ opportunities. In April 1979, a female 0 fleer assumed command of a cutter.
1978 20 Oct.: The cutter CuyaM^
collided with merchantman Santa ^ruZ and sank. Eleven lives were lost. .
1979 30 Aug.: The icebfeak Wistwind penetrated to 83° 45’ 04 BL northernmost penetration by a U. S.
The Westuind entered service in ^ From 1945 through 1951, she had sctV
in the Soviet Navy under Lend-Lease.
1979 From 1973 through 1979’
con>‘
id'
Guar
Coast Guard seized 304 vessels, cated more than $4 billion in contra ...
and made 1,959 arrests during the ,n diction of drug traffic. J
1980 28 Jan.: The Coast G&
buoy tender Blackthorn collided wit ^ tanker Capricorn and sank. Twenty- lives were lost.
1980 Feb.: The icebreaker
established a new record for the
AntafC
a new record for through into McMurdo Station,
and 35
t
tica, 17 hours, 44 minutes, onds.
1980 14 Apr.: The Cuban Exodn^_
1980 began. To date, it has been '^^jcl ice’s greatest rescue operation since
War «• a;nt<“
1980 8 Sept.: An oil rig.
nance barge capsized 20 miles south 0 ^ Orleans during tropical storm L> .je£jjn Coast Guard helicopters and cutters a* the search for survivors.
Nations of Patrol Boats (WPBs)
Jonesport, Me.
Gloucester, Mass.
'oods Hole, Mass. New Bedford, Mass. New London, Ct. Montauk, L.I., N.Y. Fire Island, N.Y.
Pt. Pleasant Bch., N.J. Cape May, N.J.
Wrightsville Beach, N.C. harleston, S.C.
'c*
Juneau, Ak. Petersburg, Ak, Ketchikan, Ak,
Port Canaveral, Fla. Ft. Pierce, Fla. Riviera Beach, Fla. Dania, Fla.
Miami Beach, Fla.
jAWAII
PUERTO RICO & VIRGIN IS.
.<3
Honolulu, Haw^
Maalea, Maui, Haw. _ Hilo, Haw.^^^
San Juan, P.R.
St. Thomas, V.l.
toe,
at‘ons of Aircraft
• a
Barbers Pt ^
3 HC130B 2 HH52A
PUERTO RICO & VIRGIN IS.
Borinquen |
|
3 HH3F ^— |
|
|
|
Astoria WlB Iris WLM White Bush
WLB Sassafras WLM Red Beech Cape May WLB Hornbeam
Portsmouth WLB Madrona WLM Red Cedar
Atlantic Beach
Wilmington ff WLIC Kennebec
Jawaii
o<3
d
Honolulu
WLB Buttonwood (N- WLB Mallow f A
GUAM
Guam WLB Basswood
, n addition to those shown above, the ^ Guard also operates the following a I buoy tenders:
noil
nrry
ockbi
’erry
Corpus Christi, TX. Mobile, AL.
Seattle, WA. Southport, NC. Natchez, MS.
St. Louis, MO. Ownesboro, KY. Hatteras, NC.
_ “"O Hatteras, inc..
at‘ons of Captains of the Port, Marine Zr,ne Inspection Detachments
Cimarron Clamp Elderberry Gasconade Hammer Hatchet Kanawha Kickapoo Lantana Mallet Muskingum Inspection Offices,
WLB Sagebrush
CZZ7-
Buchanan, TX. Obion
Galveston, TX. Osage
Petersburg, AK. Ouachita
Omaha, NE. Patoka
Ft. Pierce, FL. Sangamon
Galveston, TX. Scioto
Memphis, TN. Sledge
Vicksburg, Ml. Spike
Hickman, KY. Vise
Corpus Christi, TX. Wedge
Sallisaw, OK. Wyaconda
Port Safety Stations, Port Safety Detachments, and
St. Louis, MO. Swickley, PA.
E. Chattanooga, TN. Greenville, MI. Peoria, IL. Leavenworth, KA. Portsmouth, VA. Mayport, FL.
St. Petersburg, FL. New Orleans, LA. Dubuque, IA.
Ludingtonlr Muskegon (ay ^aven,-i New London (a, e)
(el \ “7®—y a
New York (a, b)
Chicago (a)
Santa BarbaraV. Los Angeles
(d> ^liaTbTc)--
Legend (a) Captain of the Port (h) Marine Inspection Office te) Port Safety Station
ld) Port Safety Detachment
le) Marine Inspection Detachment