USS Pontiac (YT-20)

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.
Builder:	Peter McGishan, Athens, New York
Laid down:	1891
Christened:	as Right Arm
Acquired:	by the Navy, 23 April 1898
Commissioned:	USS Pontiac, 1 July 1911
Decommissioned:	1921
Renamed:	Pontiac, 23 April 1898
Reclassified:	District Harbor Tug (YT-20), 17 July 1920
Struck:	est. 1921
Homeport:	New York harbor
Fate:	sold, 25 February 1922
General characteristics
Type:	District harbor tug
Displacement:	401 tons
Length:	124' 4"
Beam:	27'
Draft:	9' 6"
Propulsion:	not known
Speed:	10.5 knots
Complement:	not known
Armament:	Two 1-pounder guns One AA machine gun

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

USS Pontiac (YT-20) was a harbor tugboat purchased by the U.S. Navy during World War I. She was assigned to the New York harbor area and performed her towing tasks there until war’s end. Post-war she was found to be excess to needs and sold.

Built in Athens, New York

The second ship to be so named by the U.S. Navy, Pontiac was laid down as Right Arm in 1891 by Peter McGishan, Athens, New York; purchased by the Navy from Merritt & Chapman 23 April 1898; renamed Pontiac 23 April.

Pontiac served in harbors along the north Atlantic Ocean coast of the United States. She operated in yards such as New York, New York; Boston, Massachusetts; New London, Connecticut; and, Charleston, South Carolina.

World War I service

Pontiac commissioned 1 July 1911. During World War I, she concentrated efforts at New York City, a major center for domestic and foreign commerce. She was renamed Passaic 11 April 1918.

Post-war decommissioning

Continuing harbor and district tug operations after the war, she decommissioned and was placed on the sale list in 1921. She was sold to John Kantzler & Sons, Bay City, Michigan, 25 February 1922.

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.
• NavSource Online: Pontiac - YT-20 Passaic