Based on the Coast Guard Historian’s timeline, https://www.history.uscg.mil/research/chronology/
With inspiration from Mike Kelso

December 30

The Steam Ship Circassian, 1856 by unknown artist (watercolour) (© National Maritime Museum, Greenwich).

1876  The British ship Circassian was destroyed off Bridgehampton, Long Island, following a successful rescue of 49 persons on December 11 by the Life-Saving Service.  During later salvage operations in a storm the ship broke up, resulting in the loss of 28 of its salvage crew including 12 Shinnecock Indians.

Army freighter similar to Coast Guard-manned USS FS-367

1944  Coast Guard-manned USS FS-367 rescued survivors from USS Maripopsa at San Jose, Mindoro, Philippine Islands.

Foundation for Coast Guard History

Warriors, Lifesavers…

December 30, 1944 — The Coast Guard-manned Army freight and supply vessel USAT FS-367 rescued survivors from USS Maripopsa at San Jose, Mindoro, Philippine Islands.

FS-367 was commissioned April 29, 1944, with LTJG R.H. Greenless, USCGR, as commanding officer. She reached her final destination in the Philippines on 30 December 1944.

In Operation L-3, near San Jose, Mindoro Island, Philippines, she anchored 500 yards off Bulong Point midway between Blue and White beaches. The USS Maripopsa dropped anchor about 300 yards away and some 800 yards from shore.

At 1530 Japanese planes, in a sudden and devastating attack of shipping in the harbor sank or damaged 24 ships. One crashed into the USS Arturus, a PT-boat tender, which sank almost immediately. A second made a low level strafing and bombing attack on a group of LSTs unloading at White Beach blowing the stern off one of them and then turned on the Maripopsa, into which it crash dived. The tank ship immediately burst into flames and a number of the crew either were blown or jumped into the water. The FS- 367 immediately went to her assistance.

At the same time a third Japanese plane made a low-level attack on the destroyers outside the harbor, straddling two destroyers with bombs and finally crashing into the USS Ganesvoort (DD-608), which immediately began to burn and settle in the water, being assisted by two other destroyers, in a sinking condition.

Proceeding to assist the Maripopsa , the FS-367 took several men aboard with her boarding net and James D. Ellis sighting a man struggling in the water and calling for help, dove into the water and supported him until both were picked up by an LSM. The FS-367 stayed alongside the Maripopsa until all survivors had been taken off.

About 1900 the FS-367 withdrew out of the line of fire of guns that were to shell and sink the disabled Maripopsa . Later, this was cancelled and the Ganesvoort launched 2 torpedoes into her. Immediately thereafter a great amount of burning gasoline spread over the bay making the FS-367’s anchorage unsafe.

As she was preparing to move, the Ganesvoort requested she come alongside and take off her crew. By the time she had reached the destroyer, however, the gasoline had spread so widely that the Ganesvoort was in immediate danger of being engulfed. The FS-367, instead of stopping to take off personnel, warped alongside the destroyer and began towing her to a safe anchorage. While so occupied another alert sounded and a Japanese plane was shot down immediately overhead. The FS-367 finally got to safety several hundred yards off White Beach. The next day the Ganesvoort was abandoned by her crew in a sinking condition. No casualties were suffered by the FS-367.

Coast Guard crewed — Under a Joint Chiefs of Staff agreement signed 14 March 1944, the Coast Guard was designated to man certain small Army Transportation Corps vessels (with some already operating in the Southwest Pacific and manned at the time by civilians). The agreement reads: “The Coast Guard, due to decrease in category of defense in the United States, will have some personnel available to man ships and craft for which civilian personnel cannot be obtained.” Five categories of Army vessels were specified for Coast Guard crews: AMRS (Army Marine Repair Ship), TY (tankers), LT (large tugs), FS (freight and supply vessels), and F (Freight vessels). The Coast Guard manned a total of 288 of these Army craft.

(Information courtesy of the Coast Guard Historian’s Office,,,,)

The wreck of the SS African Queen, a Liberian oil tanker that ran aground on Denwick Island, Maryland on the 28th of December, 1958.

1958  The 590-foot tanker African Queen ran aground and split in two 10 miles off Ocean City, Maryland.  Within two hours 15 helicopters from the nearby Coast Guard, Navy and Marine Corps bases evacuated all 47 crewmen successfully.  The Coast Guard Rescue Coordination Center at New York coordinated the operations.

1997  The 493-foot freighter Merchant Patriot began taking on water in stormy seas.  Coast Guard air assets from AIRSTA Clearwater arrived on scene and, along with Air Force units, rescued the ship’s captain and her 27 crewmen.  The vessel, however, remained afloat and was later towed to Freeport, Bahamas.