The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1936-10-23
New Coast Guard
Cutter To Garry
Amphibian Plane
b. JOHN r. BEAL
United Press Staff Correspondent

WASHING YIN, Oct. 20. W. y
The coast guard, which operates
more boats than the United
States navy although their com.
bined tonnage is only half that OF
the German navy, has welded its
ali, service with it's fleet by pro-
ducing a plane-carrying cutter.
The Cutter William }. Duane
steamed into Washington from
Norfolk yesterday, the first of a
new SIG, 100000 unit of seven
magnificent coast guard boats to
carry an Amphibian plane as regu-
lar equipment. Built right up to
the limit to which the coast guard
was restricted under the London
naval treaty, the Duane is virtual
" a west pocket cruiser"
The new boat is 327 feet long,
has a 4l-fCot beam and draws IL
feet three inches. Her displace-
ment is 1000 tons and she can get
20 knots from her 1000 horse
power engines. Her armament
consists Of two five-inch guns, and
two six Founders. She carries ~
officers and men and cost ST.
349,429.
The Duane and her sister ships,
all named after former secretaries
of the treasury, are bigger and
better than anything the coast
guard had before.
The Duane arrived without the
amphibian with which she Will
eventually be equipped. After
participating in navy day exer-
cises here she will pick up the
plane at San Pedro, Calf. and
then report for special duty ut
Honolulu in the treasury's war
fare on narcotics smuggling by
use of her plane for scouting, she
is expected to become n highly eff
fective unit of the anti-smuggling
campaign.
The new boats are too small to
permit use of q catapult to shoot
their planes into the air. The
amphibians will be lifted by means
of a derrick from their cradle on
deck and lowered into the water.
The Pacific coast and Hawai-
eventually will have four OF these
vessels. San Francisco will get
two of the coast boats and Port
Angeles, Wash, the third.
The last Of the seven vessels is
eypected to be in commission in
mid-January, and the new unit
will give the coast guard fleet OF
3S first-class cruising cutters to-
falling $4,000 tons, II patrol boats
of l25 feet or smaller.
The L. S. navy, in comparison,
has 324 fighting vessels, of much
greater average size, totaling l.
08O,7l5 tons. The coast guards
$4,000 tons of cruisers is approx
mately half the size of the Ger
man navy, numbering 40 vessels
totaling l13,70S tons: Germany,
however, is now building another
l30,250 tons Of fighting craft.
The coast guard never has been
considered a part Of the nations
sea armament in arms limitation
troaties-its chief functions being
rescue work and the prevention OF
smuggling-but presumably many
of its vessels could be used in the
event of an attack from the sea.
The coast guard fleet is manned
by 500 commissioner officers, $50
warrant officers, and 1888 men.
Meanwhile, the navy department
announced that the 27,OO0-ton
battleships New York and Texas,
oldest units in the first line Of de-
Tense, will be retired from active
duty next spring to be used aS
training ships in the scouting
force. That will leave IL battle
ships in the line for active duty.
The Oklahoma, used for training
this year, has returned from Span
ish waters, where it was helping
evacuate American citizens, for
duty with the fleet.