Winthrop (SP-3297), a tug constructed in 1883 at Wilmington, Del., by Jackson & Sharp, was taken over by the Navy on 18 October 1918. The sketchy records of Winthrop's service suggest that she was never placed in commission; instead she was probably in service. Her status as a tug lends credence to that conclusion. In any case, the tug served the Navy actively from October 1918 until late in 1919. First, she was assigned to the 2d Naval District, probably operating at Newport, R.I. By 1 May 1919, she had moved to the 3d Naval District and most likely performed tug duties at New York. By 1 October, the ship had returned to New England, this time assigned to the 1st Naval District and, in all likelihood, based at Portsmouth, N.H. The bases and duties suggested in the foregoing are speculative in the absence of hard documentation; but, here again, her designation as a tug makes them highly probable.
Winthrop remained in the 1st Naval District for the remainder of her Navy career. Although, on 30 October 1919, she was ordered sold, she remained in Navy custody for almost two more years. She was sold on 4 June 1921. The records do not indicate to whom she was sold nor to what purpose she was subsequently put.
