History Of the Duane (WHEC-33)*

     The United States Coast Guard Cutter Duane, named for William J. Duane (Secretary of the Treasury under President Andrew Jackson) is one of seven 327 foot "Secretary class" vessels built for the Coast Guard. Designed to meet the changing needs of the Coast Guard as the country emerged from Prohibition, she was built at the U.S.Navy Yard, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, launched on June3, 1936, and placed in commission on August 1, 1936.

     At her first home port of Oakland, California, Duane's Assigned duties included search and rescue and law enforcement. In 1939, she was moved to the east coast and operated jointly with the Navy as part of a destroyer squadron to assist shipping in the North Atlantic.

     In 1940, when the Atlantic Weather Observation Service was established Duane was detailed to patrol the first weather observing station in the North Atlantic.

     On June 14, 1941 the Duane rescued 46 survivors from the British Merchant Ship Tresillian sunk by the German u-boat U-175. On April 17, 1943 Duane and her sister ship Spencer sank the German u-boat U-177. The Duane rescued 22 crew members from the Nazi vessel.

     Late in 1943 the Duane shifted operations to the Mediterranean and then served, in 1944, as the flagship of the amphibious force invasion of Southern France. In 1946, she was reconverted and put back into peacetime service fulfilling roles in Search and Rescue, Ocean Station Patrol, and Fisheries Patrol.

     On May 19, 1957, Duane rescued 28 from the Finnish freighter Bornholm, between the Azores and Bermuda. Between July 1957 and July 1968, Duane served in Vietnam as part of the Coastal Surveillance Force.

     In the 1970's Duane was involved in drug enforcement and routine patrol. In 1972, her home port was changed from Boston to Portland, Maine. In 1980 she was one of several Coast Guard Cutters involved in shepherding boats during the "Mariel Boat Lift" off the island of Cuba to Key West.

     On August 1, 1985 Duane was decommissioned as the oldest active U.S. military vessel. She was sunk November 26, 1987 in approximately 120 feet of water. Roughly seven miles offshore in Key Largo, Florida, she rests in an upright position about a quarter mile from her sister ship the Bibb.

GENERAL  SPECIFICATIONS:

Hull

           Displacement (tons)       2,589 (full load)

                             Length        327 ft

                             Beam         41ft, 2in

                              Draft         13ft, 7in

Machinery

           Main Engines            Two Westinghouse double-reduction geared turbines

           Main Boilers             Two Babcock & Wilson sectional express, air encased

           Shaft Horsepower     6,200 total

           Propellers                 Twin, three blade, nine ft. diameter

Performance            19.5 knots

Armament

                                   One five in./38 dual purpose gun

                                   Four 50 Cal. Machine Guns

Complement (Peacetime)

                    Officers       12

                    Enlisted       116

Current Location

                    Key Largo, FL       Approximately 1 mile South of Molasses Reef

* This is only a part of it, but it should suffice as a basic representation.

  U/W Pictures of the Duane

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