USS Sussex (SP-685) was a commercial fishing freighter acquired by the U.S. Navy during World War I. She served as a minesweeper on the U.S. East Coast through the war and was sold after the World War I Armistice.
 USS Sussex (SP-685) with her crew posed on deck, c. 1917-1919. | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | Sussex |
| Namesake | Counties in Delaware, New Jersey, and Virginia |
| Builder | R. T, Potter, Milton, Delaware |
| Laid down | date unknown |
| Completed | in 1913 |
| Acquired | by the U.S. Navy, 5 May 1917 |
| Commissioned | 31 July 1917 |
| Decommissioned | c. 11 March 1919 |
| Stricken | 11 March 1919 |
| Fate | Sold 16 January 1920; fate unknown |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | commercial freighter |
| Displacement | 67 tons |
| Length | 74 ft 2 in (22.61 m) |
| Beam | 17 ft 6 in (5.33 m) |
| Draft | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) |
| Propulsion | steam-powered |
| Speed | 8 knots |
| Complement | 22 personnel |
| Armament | two 1-pounder guns |
A steamer built in Delaware
editThe first ship to be so named by the Navy, Sussex (SP-685) -- a fishing steamer built in 1913 by R. T. Potter at Milton, Delaware—was acquired by the Navy on 5 May 1917 from the Delaware Fish Oil Co., Lewes, Delaware; and was commissioned on 31 May 1917.
First World War service
editSussex operated as a minesweeper in the Third Naval District for the remainder of the conflict and for a few months following the November 1918 Armistice.
Post-war inactivation
editShe was struck from the Navy list on 11 March 1919 and sold on 16 January 1920.
References
edit
This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.- Photo gallery of USS Sussex (SP-685) at NavSource Naval History
- USS Sussex (SP-685), 1917-1920