USS James ( SP - 429 ) USS " James " ( SP - 429 ) — also known as USS " W . T . James " ( SP - 429 ) — was a steam trawler acquired by the United States Navy during World War I . She was converted into an armed minesweeper and assigned to the European Theater , where she performed varied tasks , including minesweeping , patrolling , and escorting of larger ships in convoy . In 1919 , while returning to the United States , she was severely damaged in a storm off the French coast , and sank . Her crew was rescued . A Menhaden fisherman . " W . T . James " — a " Menhaden fisherman " built in 1912 at Wilmington , Delaware by Harlan and Hollingsworth — operated out of the Virginia waterways over the next five years of her service as a trawler before becoming required for the World War I war effort . She was acquired by the Navy in the spring of 1917 from the Taft Fish Company , of Tappahannock , Virginia ; ordered delivered on 1 April ; and accepted on 28 May for service as a minesweeper . Under the terms of General Order # 314 , issued in late July 1917 , her name was officially shortened to " James " , but her original name , " W . T . James " , also continued in use , at least informally . The erstwhile fishing craft was commissioned in the 5th Naval District on 10 August 1917 , Ensign E . R . Burr , USNRF , in command . World War I service . Outfitted as a minesweeper . Later in 1917 , " James " was refitted for minesweeping . Designated SP - 429 , " James " was fitted out for " distant service " at the Norfolk Navy Yard and , near the end of August , departed the Tidewater area , bound for Boston , Massachusetts . There , with other sister ships which had made the passage from Hampton Roads , Virginia , " James " prepared for the voyage to European waters . Assigned to the European coast . Accordingly , after shifting from Boston to Provincetown , Massachusetts on 25 August , " James " got underway for the Azores two days later , on the first leg of the Atlantic Ocean crossing . Reaching Ponta Delgada , Azores on 6 September , " James " and her sister ships remained for five days , awaiting the tardy arrival of coal and water . On 11 September , the group departed the Azores on the last leg of the passage . Disbanded as a mine squadron almost immediately after arriving at Brest , France on 18 September , the vessels of the group soon were busy escorting convoys into and out of port . Between these missions , they spent long weeks awaiting delivery of winches and French minesweeping gear . In November , the mine squadron was reconstituted under the command of Captain Thomas P . Magruder . " James " , among the second group to be fitted out for minesweeping service , soon shifted to Lorient , France , where she would base for the remainder of the war . From Lorient , " James " not only conducted minesweeping operations but covered coastal convoys , cleared important passages near Belle Île , undertook night antisubmarine patrols using her crude listening gear , and assisted vessels in distress in her area . In July 1918 , " James " and two sister ships swept a minefield south of Belle Isle and , despite the heavy weather in which the ships were forced to operate , accomplished their mission in such exemplary fashion that the three mine vessels received commendations from Vice Admiral Aubry , the French " Prefet Maritime " . During this operation , " James " cut out four mines in the space of 17 minutes . Damaged in a storm at sea . " James " remained in European waters through the winter of 1918 - 1919 . She departed Brest on 27 April 1919 , bound for the U . S . , but soon began encountering " boisterous weather " with increasing north westerly winds and a choppy sea . At 14 : 22 , the escort commander — in — ordered the group to return to Brest . When it became evident that " James " was taking on more water than usual , she was directed to proceed to Brest without delay . Unfortunately , the " Menhaden fisherman " worked so much that her seams opened , allowing water to flood the engine rooms and affect the boiler fires — an occurrence that severely limited the ship ' s capacity to deal with the rising flood waters . " James " — her predicament grave — signaled the nearby and for aid . The former closed swiftly and unsuccessfully attempted to take the foundering minecraft in tow . The tug managed to get a towline across to " James " the following morning and towed the ship for about 20 minutes before the line parted . " James " sinks . By that point , the heavy seas were nearly swamping the ship . " Marietta " closed as close as was practicable in the gale and put over a line . Rigging up a ferry arrangement with a liferaft from " James " , the trawler ' s entire crew reached safety on board the gunboat by shortly after 08 : 00 on 28 April . Two hours later , " James " sank , off Armen Light .