USS Nahant (SP-1250)

Luckenbach No. 4 (U.S. Tug, 1913) photographed circa 1917, later renamed USS Nahant (SP-1250).
History
United States
Name	USS Nahant
Namesake	A seaside resort in Essex County, Massachusetts, located on a small peninsula on Massachusetts Bay.
Owner	E. F. Luckenbach of New York, New York
Builder	John H. Dialogue, Camden, New Jersey
Laid down	date unknown
Christened	as Thomas J. Scully; renamed Luckenbach No. 4
Completed	1913
Acquired	by the Navy, 1 December 1917
Commissioned	12 December 1917 as USS Nahant (SP 1250)
Decommissioned	1920
In service	1920 (loaned to the City of New York)
Out of service	1928 (returned to the Navy)
Renamed	as Service No. 3 and as John F. Harlan by the City of New York
Stricken	27 September 1928
Homeport	New York City
Fate	sold to Joseph O’Boyle of New York City 24 December 1928; scrapped in 1962.
General characteristics
Type	Tugboat
Displacement	405 tons
Length	134' 7"
Beam	26'
Draft	not known
Propulsion	not known
Speed	not known
Complement	not known
Armament	One 3-inch gun Two machine guns

USS Nahant (SP-1250) was a tugboat acquired by the U.S. Navy during World War I. She was employed as a tugboat in New York harbor. Post-war she was placed on loan with the City of New York until 1928, when she was disposed of by the Navy.

Constructed in Camden, New Jersey[]

Nahant, a 405 gross ton harbor tug built in 1913 by John H. Dialogue, Camden, New Jersey, as Luckenbach No. 4 was acquired by the Navy from the Luckenbach Steamship Company, New York City, on 1 December 1917. Renamed Nahant and given the registry number SP-1250, she was placed in commission at the beginning of December 1917.

World War I service[]

Operating in the 3rd Naval District, Nahant performed towing tasks in New York Harbor for the rest of World War I and into the early post-war era.

On loan to the City of New York[]

Decommissioning early in 1920, Nahant was transferred to the City of New York and served the Police Department as Service No. 3 and as John F. Harlan.

Final disposition[]

Returned to the Navy in 1928, Nahant was struck from the Naval Register 27 September 1928 and sold to Joseph O’Boyle of New York City 24 December 1928. Subsequently, she enjoyed a lengthy maritime history, changing her name a few times as: Gotham, W. E. Hunt, and Good Fortune. She was finally scrapped in 1962.

References[]

• This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
• Luckenbach Number 4 (Tug, 1913). Served as USS Nahant (SP-1250) in 1917-1920
• NavSource Online: Nahant (SP 1250)