USS Gypsum Queen
Minesweeper of the United States Navy
History
United States
Name USS Gypsum Queen
Namesake A former name retained
Owner J. B. King Transportation Co. of New York City
Builder Dialogue & Company, Camden, New Jersey
Laid down date unknown
Completed 1890
Acquired by the Navy, September 1917
Commissioned 4 December 1917 at New York City
Decommissioned sunk on 28 April 1919
Stricken 1919 (est.)
Fate Sunk after striking a rock near Armen Light House off Brest, France , 28 April 1919
General characteristics
Type Tugboat
Displacement 361 long tons (367 t)
Length 135 ft (41 m)
Beam 27 ft (8.2 m)
Draft 14 ft 5 in (4.39 m)
Speed 14 kn (16 mph; 26 km/h)
Armament 1 × 3 in (76 mm) gun, 2 × .30 in (7.6 mm) machine guns
USS Gypsum Queen (SP-430) was a tugboat acquired by the United States Navy during World War I . She was assigned to the French coast as a minesweeper, as well as a tugboat to provide assistance to disabled Allied ships. Performing this dangerous work, Gypsum Queen struck a rock near Brest, France , and sunk, sending 15 crew members to their deaths.
Constructed in Camden, New Jersey
Gypsum Queen — a sea-going tug — was built by Dialogue & Company , Camden, New Jersey in 1890, acquired from her owners, J. B. King Transportation Co. of New York City in September 1917; and commissioned on 4 December 1917 at New York City .
World War I service
Turned over to the 3d Naval District , Gypsum Queen was fitted out for overseas service at New York Navy Yard and subsequently served in French ports as a towing vessel and a minesweeper.
Sinking
While returning from rendering assistance to minesweepers foundering off the coast of France , Gypsum Queen struck a rock near Armen Light House off Brest on 28 April 1919 and sank with a loss of two officers and 13 men.
References
Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in 1919
Shipwrecks
1 Jan: HMY Iolaire
21 Jan: UC-40
30 Jan: Nimrod
7 Feb: HMS Erin's Isle
8 Feb: U-16
10 Feb: UC-91
18 Feb: Mirabeau
20 Feb: UC-71
22 Feb: U-21
7 Mar: HNoMS Thor
6 Apr: SMS Vulkan
15 Apr: U-118
17 Apr: USS Freehold
26 April: Narval , Kit , Kashalot
27 Apr: USS Courtney , USS Otis W. Douglas
28 Apr: USS Gypsum Queen , USS James
April (unknown date): Borets za Svobodu
4 May: HMS Cupar
5 May: SMS Leipzig
2 Jun: Rucumilla
9 Jun: HMS L55
16 Jun: HMS Kinross
18 Jun: Oleg
21 Jun: Scuttling of the German fleet at Scapa Flow – SMS Bayern , SMS Bremse , SMS Brummer , SMS Cöln , SMS Dresden , SMS Derfflinger , SMS Emden , SMS Friedrich der Grosse , SMS G38 , SMS G39 , SMS G40 , SMS Hindenburg , SMS Grosser Kurfürst , SMS Kaiser , SMS Kaiserin , SMS Karlsruhe , SMS König , SMS König Albert , SMS Kronprinz Wilhelm , SMS Markgraf , SMS Moltke , SMS Prinzregent Luitpold , SMS S32 , SMS S36 , SMS S50 , SMS Seydlitz , SMS V45 , SMS V46 , SMS Von der Tann , SMS G102
28 Jun: Duchess of Richmond
Jun (unknown date): Erinpura
27 Jul: USS May
30 Jul: USS G-2
13 Aug: Basilicata
18 Aug: Dvina
1 Sep: HMS Vittoria
4 Sep: HMS Verulam
8 Sep: Valbanera
9 Sep: USS St. Sebastian , USS SP-471
10 Sep: USS Coco , USS Katherine K. , USS Patrol No. 1 , USS Sea Hawk
11 Sep: USS Helena I
16 Sep: HMS M25 , HMS M27 , West Arvada
29 Sep: ML-18 , ML-62 , ML-191 , Ossifrage
30 Sep: August Helmerich
3 Oct: Frank O'Connor
7 Oct: Sizergh Castle
9 Oct: Daram
17 Oct: SMS Kaiser Franz Joseph I
18 Oct: HMS H41
21 Oct Gavriil
31 Oct: Fazilka
13 Nov: Council Bluffs
22 Nov: Myron
24 Nov: Poltava
12 Dec: USS Kerwood
18 Dec: Cufic
Unknown date: UB-14
Other incidents