L. A. Dempsey (S.P. 1231)
1917-1919
The Navy retained the name carried by this small craft at the time of her acquisition.
(S.P. 1231: tonnage 41 (gross register); length 62'6"; beam 15'10"; draft 6'6" (mean); speed 7.8 knots (maximum and cruising); complement 12; armament 1 3-pounder)
L. A. Dempsey, a single-screw, wooden-hulled tug, was built in 1890 at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Navy chartered the vessel on 13 September 1917 from Dempsey & Son, Norfolk, Va.; assigned her the identification number S.P. 1231, and placed her in commission on 13 October 1917.
Assigned to the Fifth Naval District. L. A. Dempsey operated on section patrol out of Norfolk until decommissioned on 11 July 1919 and returned to her owner the same day.
Updated, Robert J. Cressman
25 October 2023
