USS Barnegat (SP-1232)

History
United States
NameUSS Barnegat
NamesakeA bay on the eastern border of Ocean County, New Jersey, about 25 miles in length and separated from the Atlantic Ocean by Island Beach.
OwnerLuckenbach Steamship Co
BuilderJohn H. Dialogue, Camden, New Jersey
Laid downdate unknown
Christenedas Luckenbach Tug No. 1
Acquiredby the Navy on 12 October 1917
Commissioned12 October 1917 as Luckenbach Tug No. 1 (SP 1232)
Decommissioned28 November 1919 at Norfolk, Virginia
RenamedUSS Barnegat 30 October 1917
Strickencirca 28 November 1919
HomeportBrest, France
FateTransferred to the War Department 17 August 1920; subsequently operated in the Delaware River by the Army’s Corps of Engineers
General characteristics
TypeTugboat
Displacement900 tons
Length138' 9"
Beam27'
Draft18'
Speed11.75 knots
Complement40 officers and enlisted
Armament
  • One 3" gun
  • Two Colt machine guns

The first USS Barnegat (SP-1232) was a commercial tugboat acquired by the U.S. Navy during World War I. She was armed with a 3-inch gun and sent to Brest, France, to perform towing services for Allied ships. Post-war, she returned to the United States, was decommissioned, and was subsequently used on the Delaware River by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.