Legare I (Screw Steamer)
Former names retained.
Legare, a screw steamer, was built in 1843 by R. and G. L. Schuyler, New York, for the Revenue Cutter Service; and placed in service May 1844, Capt. H. G. Nones in command.
In May 1846, Legare was one of the 11 revenue cutters assigned to cooperate with the Army and Navy during the Mexican War. In 1846 she assisted in towing, blockading, and transporting troops and ammunition to points in the Gulf of Mexico. During this period she remained under the jurisdiction of the Treasury Department.
I
(WSC-144: dp. 220; l. 125'; b. 23'6"; dr. 8'6"; s. 11 k.; cpl. 24; a. 1 3")
Legare, a patrol craft of the 125-foot class, was built by American Brown Boveri Electrical Corp., Camden, N.J. She commissioned 17 March 1927 and patrolled out of New London, Conn., as part of the Coast Guard-s campaign against rumrunners. In 1931 she transferred to Pascagoula, Miss., to patrol the gulf coast.
In pre-World War II years Legare was stationed at Norfolk, Va. In accordance with Executive Order 8929 of 1 November 1941, she began to operate as part of the Navy. Fitted out to tend lighthouses, buoys, and other aids to navigation, she operated in inland and east coast waters. She also served on coastal patrol and rescue duty.
While on patrol 19 March 1942 Legare received word of a submarine contact 8 miles south of Hatteras. She steamed to the area, made contact, and attacked with all eight of her depth charges. Oil, debris, and air bubbles were observed on the scene, but the sinking of a submarine at this position on this date was not confirmed by captured documents examined after the war.
Legare picked up three survivors from SS David H. Atwater 2 to 3 April and steamed to Chincoteague with them. On 25 June she was ordered to patrol and convoy escort duty under the Caribbean sea frontier command, and so served until the end of hostilities.
Executive Order 9666 returned Legare to the Treasury Department 1 January 1946. She has since served as buoy tender out of Brownsville, Tex.; New Bedford, Mass.; and Freeport, Mass. She was redesignated WMEC-144 in 1966.
