USS Pontiac (ID-2343)

Pontiac (Steam Ferry, 1883) photographed prior to her World War I Navy service.
Career (USA)
Name:	USS Pontiac
Namesake:	An Ottawa Indian chief, Pontiac headed a general Indian uprising in 1763 known as Pontiac’s War, remembered for the attack on the British at Detroit, Michigan. He made peace in 1766 and remained friendly to the colonists until his death in 1769.
Owner:	Pawtucket Steamboat Co., Pawtucket, Rhode Island
Laid down:	date unknown
Christened:	as Pioneer
Completed:	1883 at East Providence, Rhode Island, and rebuilt there in 1909
Acquired:	chartered by the Navy 4 March 1918
In service:	March 1918
Out of service:	July 1918
Struck:	est. July 1918
Fate:	returned to owner on 5 June 1918 and in July 1918
General characteristics
Type:	ferryboat
Tonnage:	112 gross tons
Length:	114’
Beam:	22’ 2”
Draft:	4’ 6”
Propulsion:	not known
Speed:	8 knots
Capacity:	not known
Complement:	not known
Armament:	not known

For other ships of the same name, see USS Pontiac.

USS Pontiac (ID 2343) was a commercial ferryboat twice chartered by the U.S. Navy during World War I. After acquiring the ferry, the Navy was not able to find an adequate use for the vessel, such as a minesweeper, and returned it, finally, to its owner.

Built in Rhode Island

Pontiac, a 112 gross ton steam ferryboat built at East Providence, Rhode Island, in 1883 and rebuilt there in 1909, was previously named Pioneer.

World War I service

She was chartered by the Navy in March 1918 and briefly was USS Pontiac (ID 2343). However, a planned conversion to a minesweeper was not carried out and she was returned to her owner in June 1918. Again taken over soon after that, she was given back to her owner for a final time in July 1918.

See also

• U.S. Navy
• World War I

References

• This article includes text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
• Pontiac (American Ferry, 1883). Briefly served as USS Pontiac (ID # 2343) in 1918