Louisiana's Military Heritage:

  Vessels named USCGC PONTCHARTRAIN

USCGC PONTCHARTRAIN

Two ships in the Coast Guard fleet have had the honor to bear the name of PONTCHARTRAIN, one of the largest estuaries in the United States and the largest single body of water in the State of Louisiana.

The First PONTCHARTRAIN (c. 1928 ~ c. 1937):

The first PONTCHARTRAIN had her keel laid at Bethlehem Shipbuilding in Quincy, Massachusetts, on November 29, 1927.  Launched on June 16, 1928, she would be commissioned into service on October 13 of that same year.  She was stationed at Norfolk, Virginia, following her commissioning and appears to have escorted the submarine NAUTILUS—formerly known as the USS O-12—from June 04-09, 1931, during the Wilkins-Ellsworth Arctic Expedition to reach the North Pole.

On April 05, 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt authorized the transfer of ten 250-foot cutters of the U.S. Coast Guard to the United Kingdom, among them the PONTCHARTRAIN.  At this time, Lieutenant Commander H.E. Grogan was serving as the vessel's commanding officer with Lieutenant J.P. German as her engineering officer.  The first four cutters were painted British wartime colors on April 09, 1941, with Grogan and German acting as liaisons between the American commanding officers and the receiving British skippers.

USCGC PONTCHARTRAIN was transferred to British command on April 30, 1941, and commissioned into the Royal Navy as HMS HARTLAND (Y-00).  She was reclassified as a Banff-class sloop.

During the Allied invasion of North Africa (codename Operation Torch), HARTLAND was commanded by Lieutenant Commander G.P. Billot, RN.  She and HMS WALNEY (formerly USCGC SEBAGO) attacked the harbor defenses of Oran, Algeria, at 0300 hours on November 08, 1942.  Both vessels penetrated the harbor but came under fire from Vichy French shore batteries and other surface combatants.  Both vessels were sunk and HARTLAND went down with 34 of her crew.

Ship's Statistics

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The Second PONTCHARTRAIN (July 28, 1945 ~ October 19, 1973):

Originally named OKEECHOBEE, the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter PONTCHARTRAIN (WPG/WHEC-70) was built at the Coast Guard Shipyard in Curtis Bay, Maryland and commissioned into service on July 28, 1945. A 255-ft. Lake-class cutter, neither she nor the other twelve ships of her class were completed in time to see action in World War II.

Lake-class cutters like USCGC PONTCHARTRAIN were not always popular with their crews.  Known by some crew

members as "Pontch," she is seen here on

September 05, 1945.  Official USCG photo.

PONTCHARTRAIN was stationed at Boston, Massachusetts from April 01, 1946 to October 17, 1947. Conflicting data exists that indicates she may have instead been stationed at Boston as long as August 23, 1948. In either event, the cutter was used for law enforcement, ocean station, and search and rescue operations. She was subsequently decommissioned and stored at the Coast Guard Yard in Curtis Bay, Maryland until September 05, 1948. At that time, she was re-commissioned and homeported at Norfolk, Virginia until November 12, 1949. From that point until October 19, 1973, she was stationed at Long Beach, California. She was used for law enforcement, ocean station, and search and rescue operations in the Pacific.

On May 04, 1950, PONTCHARTRAIN assisted the disabled F/V ETA near Catalina Island. On August 20, 1955, she escorted the disabled American M/V JOHN C. Just six days later, she would assist the disabled F/V NINA ANN. The following year, she rescued all who aboard Pan American Clipper 943, which ditched only a half-mile from the cutter on October 16, 1956. Later that year on November 20, she assisted LSM-455 which had run aground on San Clemente Island. On August 26, 1957, she came to the aid of the disabled F/V MODEODAY two miles north of North Point Pinos. Three months later on November 22, she assisted the disabled yacht GOSLING at 33°59’N, 120°16’W.

Rescue-at-sea duties continued for PONTCHARTRAIN on February 25, 1958, when she assisted the disabled yacht INTREPID. From August 11-21, 1958, she served on a reserve training cruise. She patrolled the Ensenada Bay Race on May 10, 1959 and on July 10, 1959, she assisted F/V CAROLYN DEE at 33°N, 120°W. On July 13-14, 1959, she came to the aid of M/V MAMIE. The cutter patrolled the Acapulco Yacht Race on August 17, 1960 and served on another reserve training cruise from August 20 through September 03 of that same year. Just over a month later, on October 19, she rescued three crewmen from the ketch ALPHA at 30°21’N, 117°56’W.

On January 22, 1961, PONTCHARTRAIN was called upon to med-evac a patient from USNS RICHFIELD. On April 30, 1963, she assisted the disabled F/V GAGA while ten miles east of San Nicolas Island. On March 31, 1970, PONTCHARTRAIN was assigned to Coast Guard Squadron Three in Vietnam where she served until July 02, 1970. While operating along the Vietnamese coast, she provided engineering assistance to the merchant ship SEA PROSPERITY which had been adrift for three days.

PONTCHARTRAIN was decommissioned for the final time on October 19, 1973.

Ship's Statistics

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All information on USCGC PONTCHARTRAIN courtesy of U.S. Coast Guard.

Information on HMS HARTLAND courtesy of Uboat.net.
All photos courtesy of U.S. Coast Guard unless otherwise noted.

**Copyright 1997-2006 by Louisiana Naval War Memorial Commission**