U.S. Transfers Two 34m Patrol Boats to Tunisia During Visit Sailors, officials, dignitaries and guests pose for a group photo following the commissioning of two Tunisian Navy Island Class Patrol Boats transferred from the United States in Tunis, Tunisia, April 17, 2025. The ceremony celebrated 220 years of U.S.-Tunisian maritime partnership, with Blue Ridge-class command and control ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) conducting a scheduled port visit in Tunis on the same occasion. (US Navy Photo)
“…the Tunisian Navy conducted a commissioning ceremony for two American 110-foot (34-meter) Island-class Patrol Boats…”
I was unable to find out which cutters they were.
Apparently the 25mm Mk38 was removed prior to the transfer, and replaced by a locally procured weapon.
Tunisia has been active in intercepting immigrants from Africa into Europe.
April 17, 2025
U.S. Transfers Two 34m Patrol Boats to Tunisia During Visit of USS Mount Whitney to Celebrate 220 Years of U.S.-Tunisian Maritime Partnership
TUNIS, Tunisia – The Blue Ridge-class command and control ship, USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20), arrived in Tunis, Tunisia, for a scheduled port visit on April 17, to reinforce the enduring partnership between the United States and Tunisia.
On the same occasion, the Tunisian Navy conducted a commissioning ceremony for two American 110-foot (34-meter) Island Class Patrol Boats, which the United States transferred to Tunisia, the latest in a series of U.S. equipment contributions that strengthen Tunisia’s capacity to secure its maritime borders and advance regional security.
As the flagship of U.S. 6th Fleet, Mount Whitney plays a key role in maritime security and cooperation throughout the Mediterranean and African theaters. The visit underscores the U.S. commitment to regional stability and its enduring strategic partnership with Tunisia, a U.S. major non-NATO Ally.
“The USS Mount Whitney’s visit is especially meaningful because it falls during the 220thanniversary of the 1805 Battle of Derna, when, through the support and cooperation of Tunisia, the U.S. military defeated maritime terrorism to make a more stable and secure region for commerce and economic development,” U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Tunisia Joey Hood said.
During the visit, the ship hosted a reception, welcoming military, diplomatic, and civic leaders from Tunisia. The event served as a platform to celebrate bilateral cooperation and discuss shared goals in maritime security, regional defense, and future engagements.
The U.S. and Tunisia have worked closely for decades on military training, professional development, and counterterrorism efforts. This visit by Mount Whitney adds another chapter to the strong legacy of collaboration between the two countries.
“This visit underscores the vital role strong partnerships play in ensuring maritime security,” Commander, U.S. 6th Fleet Vice Adm. J. T. Anderson said. “We are grateful for the opportunity to engage with our Tunisian counterparts and reaffirm our commitment to working together for a more stable and secure Mediterranean.”
Mount Whitney, forward deployed to Gaeta, Italy, operates with a combined crew of U.S. Sailors and Military Sealift Command civil service mariners in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations in support of U.S. national security interests in Europe and Africa. The U.S. 6th Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts the full spectrum of joint and naval operations, often in concert with allied and interagency partners to advance U.S. national interests, security and stability in Europe and Africa.
1838 The passenger steamboat Oronoko suffered a catastrophic boiler explosion while tied up at Princeton, Mississippi that killed over 100 passengers. This was one of three fatal steamboat boiler explosions within as many months that forced the Federal Government to begin regulating merchant steam vessels.
Men killing fur seals on St Paul Island, Alaska, 1890s.
1910 The U.S. Government took over the sealing operation of Pribiloff Islands from private lessees.
1928 photo of United States Coast Guard destroyers moored at New London, Connecticut. All are former US Navy destroyers loaned to the Coast Guard for Prohibition Service. Shown here are the Trippe (CG-20/DD-33), Wainwright (CG-24/DD-62), Downes (CG-4/DD-45), Beale (CG-9/DD-40) and Abel P. Upshur (CG-15/DD-193). Source: National Aviation Museum Collection, Photo No. 2009.006.001.
1924 In an effort to increase the number of cutters available for Prohibition enforcement, Navy destroyers were transferred to the Coast Guard for law enforcement purposes. The Coast Guard was also authorized to commission temporary officers.
Coast Guard destroyers Circa 1924-1930. (L-R) USS Jouett (CG-13) ex DD-41, USS Paulding (CG-17) ex DD-22 and USS Beale (CG-9) ex DD-40. Leslie Jones Collection, Boston Public Library. From Navsource.
U.S. Coast Guard cutter USCGC Campbell (WPG-32) underway off New York Harbor, in 1963. Note that she still carries her World War II SC radar on the masttop. 20 August 1963. Photo by PHC Borzage, USCG
1963 While returning home from duty on Ocean Station Charlie, CGC Campbell diverted to assist the sinking M/V Helga Smith 50 miles southeast of Cape Race, Newfoundland. Upon arrival, Campbell prepared to put a repair party aboard the merchantman but the master of Helga Smith ordered his crew to abandon ship due to the seriousness of the flooding. With Campbell’s searchlights illuminating the scene, the crew abandoned ship in a motor lifeboat. The boat’s motor would not start so the crew pulled away from the ship with oars. A lifeboat from Campbell then towed them alongside the cutter where the survivors were assisted aboard by a rescue party in a rubber lifeboat. Two commercial tugs arrived on the scene and commenced towing Helga Smith to St. John’s, Newfoundland, with Campbell escorting. While enroute though Helga Smith settled by the bow and sank. Campbell then proceeded to Argentia, Newfoundland with the survivors.
1980 Boats with Cuban migrants on board began departing Mariel, Cuba. The first two boats arrived in Miami the same day, marking the beginning of the largest Cuban migration to the U.S. to date. Cuban leader Fidel Castro declared the port of Mariel “open”, increasing the number of boats involved in the exodus and giving the exodus its name. This became the largest Coast Guard operation ever undertaken to date since World War II. The Coast Guard coordinated a three-wave operation. Coast Guard high endurance cutters operated closest to Cuba. U.S. Navy ships operated in the inner-wave and Coast Guard small cutters, 95 and 82-footers, served the waters closest to Florida. Over 660 Coast Guard Reservists were called to replace boat crews and maintenance and repair teams. The Coast Guard Auxiliary lent support in many areas, including radio communications. Over 117,000 people in more than 5,000 boats were assisted by the Coast Guard and Navy forces during the Mariel Boatlift.
2011 The Coast Guard’s first 154-foot Fast Response Cutter, CGC Bernard C. Webber, “entered the water” at Bollinger Shipyards in Lockport, Louisiana. During a three day evolution, the cutter was towed from the fabrication facility, lifted on a crane and then successfully placed in the water.
SAN FRANCISCO. The Coast Guard Cutter Waesche transits through the San Francisco Bay for the first time en route to its homeport of Alameda, Calif., Feb. 28, 2010. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Kevin Metcalf)
2013 CGC Waesche returned to its homeport at Coast Guard Island in Alameda, California after a 91-day deployment to the Eastern Pacific Ocean. Departing on January 20, 2013, Waesche completed an 18,000-mile patrol in support of joint counter-drug operations off the coast of California and in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. During that time the cutter and crew demonstrated their capability as a multi-mission unit. During their patrol, Waesche’s crew assisted two boaters in distress when their 12-foot sailboat began taking on water approximately three miles west of San Diego. Earlier in their patrol, Waesche participated in a search and rescue mission assisting two mariners 90 miles west of San Diego when their sailboat began taking on water. Also in January, law enforcement crews aboard the cutter seized more than 2,400 pounds of marijuana from a boat approximately 300 miles west of San Diego, apprehended three suspects, and recovered 70 bales which tested positive for marijuana. Additionally, during the mid-patrol break in Panama City, Panama, Waesche crewmembers participated in a community relations project by painting and restoring a local school.
2014 The Coast Guard concluded icebreaking operations on the lower Great Lakes, more than four months after it started on December 15, 2013. Operation Coal Shovel is a bi-national domestic icebreaking effort covering the St. Lawrence Seaway, Lake Ontario, Lake Erie, the Detroit/St. Clair River System, and southern Lake Huron. Crews aboard CGCs Mackinaw, Hollyhock, Bristol Bay, Neah Bay, and Morro Bay were joined by crews from Canadian Coast Guard Ships Samuel Risley, Griffon, and Des Groseilliers. In total, the Coast Guard crews conducted more than 2,100 icebreaking hours during the 128 days of Operation Coal Shovel. Also assisting the ships with ice reconnaissance were aircrews from AIRSTA Traverse City and AIRSTA Detroit. During Operation Coal Shovel, U.S. and Canadian Coast Guard crews assisted 184 vessels and provided harbor breakouts to relieve or prevent flooding in four U.S. and one Canadian community.
250326-N-OZ224-3072 NAVAL STATION MAYPORT, Fla. (Mar. 26, 2025) – The Freedom-class littoral combat ship USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul (LCS 21) departs Naval Station Mayport for her maiden deployment, Mar. 26, 2025. LCS 21 is deploying to the U.S. 4th Fleet area of operations is support of counter-illicit drug trafficking operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Brandon J. Vinson)
Good to see Navy participating, and doing so with their units most appropriate for the drug interdiction mission.
The additional USN assets that have seen much press coverage lately are positioned primarily to intercept migrants rather than drugs.
Patrols in the Caribbean, like this one, can certainly help with drug interdiction, but the Caribbean is pretty well covered. The area of greatest need for additional larger, sea-going, drug interdiction assets is in the Eastern Pacific. The Navy does not seem eager help in this area.
USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul (LCS 21) was commissioned 21 May, 2022. This was her first deployment.
April 17, 2025
USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul Makes Multiple Drug Busts
CARIBBEAN SEA – Minneapolis-Saint Paul, with an embarked U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Law Enforcement Detachment (LEDET) and Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 50, Detachment Three, made the two busts in the Caribbean, taking out vessels through a combination of air and surface operations.
The busts resulted in the confiscation of 580 kilograms (1,278.9 lbs; $9,463,860) of cocaine and 2,480 pounds of marijuana. ($2,807,360). “The USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul executed their duties seamlessly in the combined effort to protect the homeland from illicit maritime trafficking.” said Rear Adm. Carlos Sardiello, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet. “Working in coordination with the Coast Guard and our joint partners, we look forward to seeing continued measurable impact delivered by the professional and talented crew of the USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul across the region.”
“We train diligently and stand ready to execute interdiction missions at moment’s notice, said Minneapolis-Saint Paul commanding officer Cmdr. Steven Fresse, “To be able to make an immediate impact so early on during our maiden deployment is a testament to the hard work and skills of the ship’s crew.”
USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul is currently assigned to Commander, Task Force 45 (CTF 45). CTF-45 is the 4th Fleet surface task force charged with executing combined naval operations, building and strengthening Latin American, south of Mexico, and Caribbean maritime partnerships, and acting as a DoD ready service provider to Joint Interagency Task Force – South in support of counter illicit-drug trafficking operations in the Central and South American waters.
The U.S. Coast Guard is simultaneously a military service and the United States’ lead federal maritime law enforcement agency with authority to enforce national and international laws on the high seas and waters within U.S. jurisdiction. Coast Guard LEDETs regularly deploy aboard U.S. Navy and foreign allied navy ships, and during these deployments the LEDETs, under U.S. law, board vessels, seize illegal drugs and apprehend suspects. These forces also work closely with other regional partner nation coast guards and naval forces to provide support to visit, board, search and seizure operations within partner nation territorial waters. Once an interdiction becomes imminent, the law enforcement phase of the operation begins, and control of the operation shifts to the U.S. Coast Guard for the interdiction and apprehension phases. Interdictions in the Caribbean Sea are performed by members of the U.S. Coast Guard under the authority and control of the Seventh Coast Guard District, headquartered in Miami.
U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet supports U.S. Southern Command’s joint and combined military operations by employing maritime forces in cooperative maritime security operations to maintain access, enhance interoperability, and build enduring partnerships in order to enhance regional security and promote peace, stability and prosperity in the Caribbean, Central and South American region.
Coast Guard destroyers Circa 1924-1930. (L-R) USS Jouett (CG-13) ex DD-41, USS Paulding (CG-17) ex DD-22 and USS Beale (CG-9) ex DD-40. Leslie Jones Collection, Boston Public Library. From Navsource.
Prohibition was enacted January 16, 1919 and repealed December 5, 1933.
I had known the Coast Guard had borrowed US Navy destroyers to help enforce Prohibition, but I had not realized how many. From the summer 1924 to mid-1933 the service used 31 different destroyers, from six different classes, and three distinct groups–13 “flivvers,” 12 “thousand tanners,” and six “flush deckers.”
20 destroyers were transferred in 1924 and five more in 1926. In 1930 six newer, flush deck Clemson class destroyers replaced six of the oldest and smallest ships from the original group of 20. It appears the torpedo tubes were removed from all destroyers during their period of Coast Guard service. The first 25 all had a raised Foc’sle.
Paulding class Coast Guard destroyer Beale (CG-9) former DD-40.
13 of the original 20 ships were Paulding class, built between 1909 and 1912; smaller than a 210 foot medium endurance cutter at 887 tons full load; 293 ft (89.31 m) overall; with a beam of only 26 ft 3 in (8.00 m); but they did have 12,000 HP and a speed of 29.5 knots. As newer larger ships were built these ships were referred to as “flivvers” a name previously given to the Model T Ford.
Tucker class Coast Guard destroyer Conyngham (CG-2) a thousand tanner.
Seven of the original group and all five of the group of five added in 1926 were from a group of 26 ships called thousand tonners. These twelve ships included three Cassin class; two O’Brian class; four Tucker class; and three Sampson class all built between 1912 and 1917. These ships were about the same size as a WMEC210. Full load displacement ranged from 1,139 tons to 1,225 tons; length from 305 ft 3 in (93.04 m) to 315 ft 3 in (96.09 m); with a beam of 30 ft 4 in (9.25 m) to 30 ft 7 in (9.32 m). They had at least 16,000 HP and a speed of at least 29 knots.
Clemson class Coast Guard destroyer Semmes (DD-189)
In 1930 six Clemson class destroyers replaced six of the Paulding class. These ships were from the newest class of USN destroyers at the time. They displaced 1,308 tons (full load); were 314 ft 4.5 in (95.822 m) in length overall; with a beam of 30 ft 11.5 in (9.436 m). They developed up to 27,600 hp (20,600 kW) for a speed of 35 knots.
Coast Guard destroyer WELBORN C. WOOD (DD-195). To Britain September 9 1940, renamed HMS Chesterfield (I28)
1928 photo of United States Coast Guard destroyers moored at New London, Connecticut. All are former US Navy destroyers loaned to the Coast Guard for Prohibition Service. Shown here are the Trippe (CG-20/DD-33), Wainwright (CG-24/DD-62), Downes (CG-4/DD-45), Beale (CG-9/DD-40) and Abel P. Upshur (CG-15/DD-193). Source: National Aviation Museum Collection, Photo No. 2009.006.001.
Below is a list of the Coast Guard destroyers including their US Navy hull numbers keyed to their Coast Guard numbers.
Monaghan (DD-32) P replaced by Abel P. Upsur (DD-193) Cl
Patterson (DD-36) P replaced by George E. Badger (DD-196) Cl
Paulding (DD-22) P replaced by Herndon (DD-198) Cl
Roe (DD-24) P replaced by Hunt (DD-194) Cl
Terry (DD-25) P replaced by Welborn C. Wood (DD-195) Cl
Trippe (DD-33) P replaced by Semmes (DD-189) Cl
Davis (DD-65) S
Shaw (DD-68) S
Tucker (DD-57) T
Wainwright (DD-62) T
Wilkes (DD-67) S
Members of the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter George E. Badger (CG-16) pictured on board the ship while in the Marine Railway at the Boston Navy Yard, May 1933. Photo courtesy of the National Naval Aviation Museum.
1871 The Secretary of the Treasury was authorized by Congress to employ crews of experienced surfmen at lifeboat stations at maximum rate of $40 per month, marking the end of the volunteer system. This was the beginning of direct Federal control over life-saving activities.
Red River of the North Main Stem, Grand Forks, North Dakota, looking toward Downtown area. Taken from a helicopter during the 1997 Red River Flood, after a levee overtopped and Grand Forks was evacuated. 23 April 1997. U.S. Army Corp of Engineers
Platform supply vessels battle the blazing remnants of the off shore oil rig Deepwater Horizon. A Coast Guard MH-65C dolphin rescue helicopter and crew document the fire aboard the mobile offshore drilling unit Deepwater Horizon, while searching for survivors. Multiple Coast Guard helicopters, planes and cutters responded to rescue the Deepwater Horizon’s 126 person crew. 20 April 2010. US Coast Guard photo.
2010 The Deepwater Horizon oil rig located more than 50 miles southeast of Venice, Louisiana, suffered massive explosions killing 11 and injuring 16 of its 126 person crew. The oil platform, which burned for more than a day, sank into the Gulf of Mexico on April 22, 2010. An estimated 60,000 barrels of oil gushed each day for 87 days, making the Deepwater Horizon spill and its response unprecedented. The Coast Guard mobilized 14% of its total workforce, active duty and reserve, and its role expanded under the National Contingency Plan which called for the service to direct all response efforts to contain and clean up the oil spill. On April 30th, 2010 Admiral Thad Allen, the Coast Guard Commandant, was appointed as the National Incident Commander (NIC) to oversee the federal response. He retired as Commandant on May 25, 2010, but continued on as NIC in uniform until he formally retired from the Coast Guard on June 30, 2010. He then continued to serve as NIC (as an SES civilian) until October 1, 2010.
1995 A rental truck filled with explosives blew up half of the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Coast Guardsmen from the Coast Guard Institute and a Coast Guard reservist responded soon after the explosion and helped set up security zones, directed traffic, searched for survivors, and whatever else was needed. They also took over a church kitchen and opened what later became nicknamed “Cafe Coast Guard.” A rotating nine-person team worked around the clock to provide meals for the volunteer workers.
2014 Coast Guard marine inspectors conducted safety and security examinations on the first-ever container ship to arrive in Cleveland. The Fortunagracht, a 450-foot Dutch-flagged container ship, delivered the first-ever load of containerized cargo to the Great Lakes. Before the establishment of the Cleveland-Europe Express, shippers relied heavily on rail service to transport goods from the larger east coast container ports, such as New York and Baltimore, to the Great Lakes region. Talks to bring CEE to Cleveland began in the fall of 2013 with cooperation between the Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection, the FBI, and other government agencies.
1805 The cutter Louisiana recaptured the merchant brig Felicity from privateers off the mouth of the Mississippi River.
1945 Airship training for U.S. Coast Guard personnel (nine officers & 30 enlisted men) began at Naval Air Station Lakehurst, New Jersey.
1993 Coast Guardsman Gary A. Openshaw rescued five persons in danger of drowning near San Francisco off Baker Beach. For heroically risking his life and saving those five people, the Coast Guard awarded Petty Officer Openshaw the Gold Life-Saving Medal.
1805 The cutter Louisiana engaged two pirate vessels that had been fitted out at New Orleans. Twenty shots were exchanged but the pirate vessels escaped.
A painting of the original Minot’s Ledge Lighthouse built in 1850
1851 The Minot’s Ledge Lighthouse, the first one built in the United States that was exposed to the full force of the ocean, was swept away by a storm with the loss of the two men manning it. They were Assistant Keepers Joseph Wilson and Joseph Antoine who maintained their station, ringing the lighthouse’s bell, until waves swept the tower away.
USCGC Spencer (WPG-36) in 1942 or 1943. Spencer sank U-175 with assistance of USCGC Duane, on April 17, 1943.
1943 Lieutenant Ross P. Bullard and Boatswain’s Mate First Class C. S. “Mike” Hall boarded the U-175 at sea after their cutter, CGC Spencer, blasted the U-boat to the surface with depth charges when it attempted to attack the convoy Spencer was escorting. These Coast Guardsmen were part of a specially trained boarding party sent to board the submarine to seize any code and cipher related documents and equipment they could find. The damage to the U-boat was severe, however, and it sank after they had boarded it and climbed up the conning tower. Both men ended up in the sea as the U-boat slipped beneath the waves but were pulled from the water unharmed. They carry the distinction of being the first American servicemen to board an enemy warship underway at sea since the War of 1812. The Navy credited Spencer with the U-boat kill. The cutter rescued 19 of the U-boat’s crew and a sister cutter, CGC Duane, rescued 22. One Spencer crewman, RM 3/c Julius Petrella, was killed by friendly fire during the battle.
USCG Cmdr Harold S. Berdine of cutter Spencer talking with US Navy Capt Paul Heineman of the Escort Group A-3 after sinking German submarine U-175, North Atlantic, 500 nautical miles WSW of Ireland, 17 Apr 1943. US Coast Guard photo by Jack January. (The US led escort group was called Heineman’s Harriers.–Chuck)
1987 LT Tom McClay received a direct commission as a flight officer for duty with the Coast Guard’s E2C Hawkeyes. LT McClay was the first Coast Guard flight officer.
USCGC Steadfast (WMEC 623)
2020 The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Steadfast (WMEC 623) returned home 17 April 2020 to Astoria following a 65-day counternarcotic patrol to the Eastern Pacific Ocean. The cutter intercepted and boarded five suspected smuggling vessels, including one go-fast-style panga, while patrolling international waters off the coasts of Mexico and Central America. Steadfast’s crew apprehended three suspected smugglers and seized 1,252 pounds of pure cocaine worth an estimated $21.5 million. “I am inspired daily by the tenacity and professionalism of this crew,” said Cmdr. Dan Ursino, commanding officer of the Steadfast. “Their resilience to remain focused, in light of the global health crisis and uncertainty back home, has been nothing short of remarkable. Knowing the importance and impact of keeping these harmful substances from reaching our streets help to keep us going.” Steadfast also continued to participate in the Columbia River Maritime Museum’s Mini Boat Project, which connected students from local Oregon elementary schools with their peers in Japan. Students learned about the significance of ocean currents and weather, while building miniature boats to send across the ocean to one another. During this patrol, Steadfast launched two boats, Boat-A-Lohti and Philbert, approximately 200 miles off the southern tip of Baja, Mexico.
A starboard bow view of the US Coast Guard (USCG) ISLAND CLASS, Patrol Craft, USS MUSTANG (WPB 1310), underway at Port Valdez, Alaska, while providing harbor security during Exercise NORTHERN EDGE 2002. Location: PORT VALDEZ, ALASKA (AK) UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (USA)
The last three US Coast Guard 110 foot Island class WPBs were in Alaska. Mustang in Seward, Naushon in Homer, and Liberty in Valdez. Naushon was decommissioned March 21st. With Mustang decommissioned April 15, Liberty is the last of 49 Island class cutters that have seen service with the Coast Guard.
Coast Guard Cutter Mustang decommissioned after nearly 40 years of service
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — The Coast Guard decommissioned Coast Guard Cutter Mustang (WPB 1310) during a ceremony in Seward, Tuesday.
Capt. Christopher Culpepper, the commander of Coast Guard Sector Western Alaska & U.S. Arctic, presided over the ceremony honoring the nearly 40 years of service Mustang and its crews provided to the nation.
Commissioned on August 29, 1986, Mustang was the 10th Island-Class cutter to join the fleet.
Mustang has been stationed in Seward since it was commissioned, and its crews have since responded to over 200 search-and-rescue cases and completed over 2000 law enforcement sorties.
Mustang is a 110-foot, Island-Class patrol boat, a multi-mission platform that conducted operations to support search and rescue response, marine environmental protection, and national defense.
The Coast Guard is replacing the aging Island-Class patrol boats with Sentinel-Class Fast Response Cutters (FRCs) which feature enhanced capability to meet service needs. There are currently four FRC’s homeported in Alaska, with two more scheduled for delivery in the near future.
“The decommissioning of Mustang is a bittersweet moment,” said Lt. Gabrielle Troise, Commanding Officer of Mustang. “It’s been my honor to be a member of the final crew, and I’m incredibly proud of the legacy we will leave behind within the community of Seward where Mustang has faithfully served since her commissioning.”
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