Eagle Class Patrol Craft (1918)

One hundred and twelve Eagle class patrol craft were ordered for the U.S. Navy in 1918, only sixty of which were completed between 1918 and 1919.

Overview of 60 vessels
Citations for this data available on individual ship pages
Name	Hull No.	Builder	Laid Down	Launched	Commissioned	Fate
Eagle 1	PE-1	Ford Motor	7 May, 1918	11 Jul, 1918	27 Oct, 1918	Sold 11 Jun, 1930
Eagle 2	PE-2	Ford Motor	10 May, 1918	19 Aug, 1918	7 Nov, 1918	Sold 11 Jun, 1930
Eagle 3	PE-3	Ford Motor	16 May, 1918	11 Sep, 1918	11 Nov, 1918	Sold 11 Jun, 1930
Eagle 4	PE-4	Ford Motor	21 May, 1918	15 Sep, 1918	14 Nov, 1918	Sold 11 Jun, 1930
Eagle 5	PE-5	Ford Motor	3 Jun, 1918	16 Oct, 1918	19 Nov, 1918	Sold 11 Jun, 1930
Eagle 6	PE-6	Ford Motor	8 Jun, 1918	5 Oct, 1918	21 Nov, 1918	Expended 30 Nov, 1934
Eagle 7	PE-7	Ford Motor	8 Jun, 1918	16 Oct, 1918	24 Nov, 1918	Expended 30 Nov, 1934
Eagle 8	PE-8	Ford Motor	10 Jun, 1918	11 Nov, 1918	31 Oct, 1919	Sold 1 Apr, 1931
Eagle 9	PE-9	Ford Motor	17 Jun, 1918	8 Nov, 1918	27 Oct, 1919	Sold 26 May, 1930
Eagle 10	PE-10	Ford Motor	6 Jul, 1918	9 Nov, 1918	31 Oct, 1919	Expended 19 Aug, 1937
Eagle 11	PE-11	Ford Motor	13 Jul, 1918	14 Nov, 1918	29 May, 1919	Sold 16 Jan, 1935
Eagle 12	PE-12	Ford Motor	13 Jul, 1918	12 Nov, 1918	6 Nov, 1919	Sold 30 Dec, 1935
Eagle 13	PE-13	Ford Motor	15 July, 1918	9 Jan, 1919	2 Apr, 1919	Sold 30 Dec, 1935
Eagle 14	PE-14	Ford Motor	20 Jul, 1918	25 Jan, 1919	17 Jun, 1919	Expended 22 Nov, 1934
Eagle 15	PE-15	Ford Motor	21 Jul, 1918	25 Jan, 1919	11 Jun, 1919	Sold 14 Jun, 1939
Eagle 16	PE-16	Ford Motor	22 Jul, 1918	11 Jan, 1919	5 Jun, 1919	To Coast Guard 1919
Eagle 17	PE-17	Ford Motor	3 Aug, 1918	1 Feb, 1919	3 Jul, 1919	Wrecked 22 May, 1922
Eagle 18	PE-18	Ford Motor	5 Aug, 1918	1 Feb, 1919	7 Aug, 1919	Sold 11 Jun, 1930
Eagle 19	PE-19	Ford Motor	6 Aug, 1918	10 Feb, 1919	25 Jun, 1919	Destroyed 6 Aug, 1946
Eagle 20	PE-20	Ford Motor	26 Aug, 1918	15 Feb, 1919	28 Jul, 1919	To Coast Guard 1919
Eagle 21	PE-21	Ford Motor	31 Aug, 1918	15 Feb, 1919	31 Jul, 1919	To Coast Guard 1919
Eagle 22	PE-22	Ford Motor	5 Sep, 1918	10 Feb, 1919	17 Jul, 1919	To Coast Guard 1919
Eagle 23	PE-23	Ford Motor	11 Sep, 1918	29 Feb, 1919	19 Jun, 1919	Sold 11 Jun, 1930
Eagle 24	PE-24	Ford Motor	13 Sep, 1918	24 Feb, 1919	19 Jun, 1919	Sold 11 Jun, 1930
Eagle 25	PE-25	Ford Motor	17 Sep, 1918	19 Feb, 1919	30 Jun, 1919	Lost 11 Jun, 1920
Eagle 26	PE-26	Ford Motor	25 Sep, 1918	1 Mar, 1919	1 Oct, 1919	Sold 29 Aug, 1919
Eagle 27	PE-27	Ford Motor	22 Oct, 1918	1 Mar, 1919	17 Jul, 1919	Sold 4 Jun, 1946
Eagle 28	PE-28	Ford Motor	23 Oct, 1918	1 Mar, 1919	19 Nov, 1919	Sold 11 Jun, 1930
Eagle 29	PE-29	Ford Motor	18 Nov, 1918	8 Mar, 1919	15 Aug, 1919	Sold 11 Jun, 1930
Eagle 30	PE-30	Ford Motor	19 Nov, 1918	8 Mar, 1919	14 Aug, 1919	To Coast Guard 1919
Eagle 31	PE-31	Ford Motor	19 Nov, 1918	8 Mar, 1919	14 Aug, 1919	Sold 18 May, 1932
Eagle 32	PE-32	Ford Motor	30 Nov, 1918	15 Mar, 1919	4 Sep, 1919	Sold 3 Mar, 1947
Eagle 33	PE-33	Ford Motor	4 Dec, 1918	15 Mar, 1919	30 Aug, 1919	Sold 11 Jun, 1930
Eagle 34	PE-34	Ford Motor	8 Jan, 1919	15 Mar, 1919	3 Sep, 1919	Sold 9 Jun, 1932
Eagle 35	PE-35	Ford Motor	13 Jan, 1919	22 Mar, 1919	22 Aug, 1919	Sold 7 Jun, 1938
Eagle 36	PE-36	Ford Motor	22 Jan 1919	22 Mar, 1919	20 Mar, 1919	Sold 27 Feb, 1936
Eagle 37	PE-37	Ford Motor	27 Jan, 1919	24 Mar, 1919	30 Sep, 1919	Sold 11 Jun, 1930
Eagle 38	PE-38	Ford Motor	31 Jan, 1919	29 Mar, 1919	30 Jul, 1919	Sold 3 Mar, 1947
Eagle 29	PE-39	Ford Motor	3 Feb, 1919	29 Mar, 1919	20 Sep, 1919	Sold 7 Jun, 1938
Eagle 40	PE-40	Ford Motor	7 Feb, 1919	5 Apr, 1919	1 Oct, 1919	Expended 19 Nov, 1934
Eagle 41	PE-41	Ford Motor	10 Feb, 1919	5 Apr, 1919	26 Sep, 1919	Sold 11 Jun, 1930
Eagle 42	PE-42	Ford Motor	13 Feb, 1919	17 May, 1919	3 Oct, 1919	Sold 11 Jun, 1930
Eagle 43	PE-43	Ford Motor	17 Feb, 1919	17 May, 1919	2 Oct, 1919	Sold 26 May, 1930
Eagle 44	PE-44	Ford Motor	20 Feb, 1919	24 May, 1919	4 Oct, 1919	Discarded 14 May, 1938
Eagle 45	PE-45	Ford Motor	20 Feb, 1919	17 May, 1919	2 Oct, 1919	Sold 11 Jun, 1930
Eagle 46	PE-46	Ford Motor	24 Feb, 1919	24 May, 1919	3 Oct, 1919	Sold 10 Dec, 1936
Eagle 47	PE-47	Ford Motor	3 Mar, 1919	19 Jun, 1919	4 Oct, 1919	Sold 30 Dec, 1935
Eagle 48	PE-48	Ford Motor	3 Mar, 1919	14 Jun, 1919	8 Oct, 1919	Sold 10 Oct, 1946
Eagle 49	PE-49	Ford Motor	4 Mar, 1919	14 Jun, 1919	10 Oct, 1919	Sold 20 Sep, 1930
Eagle 50	PE-50	Ford Motor	10 Mar, 1919	18 Jul, 1919	6 Oct, 1919	Sold 11 Jun, 1930
Eagle 51	PE-51	Ford Motor	10 Mar, 1919	14 Jun, 1919	2 Oct, 1919	Sold 29 Aug, 1938
Eagle 52	PE-52	Ford Motor	10 Mar, 1919	9 Jul, 1919	10 Oct, 1919	Sold 29 Aug, 1938
Eagle 53	PE-53	Ford Motor	17 Mar, 1919	13 Aug, 1919	20 Oct, 1919	Sold 26 May, 1930
Eagle 54	PE-54	Ford Motor	17 Mar, 1919	17 Jul, 1919	10 Oct, 1919	Sold 26 May, 1930
Eagle 55	PE-55	Ford Motor	17 Mar, 1919	22 Jul, 1919	10 Oct, 1919	Sold 3 Mar, 1947
Eagle 56	PE-56	Ford Motor	25 Mar, 1919	15 Aug, 1919	26 Oct, 1919	Torpedoed 23 Apr, 1945
Eagle 57	PE-57	Ford Motor	25 Mar, 1919	29 Jul, 1919	15 Oct, 1919	Sold 5 Mar, 1947
Eagle 58	PE-58	Ford Motor	25 Mar, 1919	2 Aug, 1919	20 Oct, 1919	Discarded 30 Jun, 1940
Eagle 59	PE-59	Ford Motor	31 Mar, 1919	12 Aug, 1919	19 Sep, 1919	Sold 29 Aug, 1938
Eagle 60	PE-60	Ford Motor	31 Mar, 1919	13 Aug, 1919	27 Oct, 1919	Sold 29 Aug, 1938

Construction

This article includes text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships

Late in 1917, the Navy realized that it needed steel ships smaller than destroyers but having a greater operational radius than the wooden-hulled, 110-foot submarine chasers developed earlier in the year. The submarine chasers' range of about 900 miles at a cruising speed of 10 knots restricted their operations to off-shore antisubmarine work and denied them an open-ocean escort capability. Their high consumption of gasoline and limited fuel storage also were handicaps.

Attention turned to building steel patrol vessels. In their construction, it was necessary to eliminate the established shipbuilding facilities as possible sources of construction as they were totally engaged in the building of destroyers, larger warships, and merchant shipping. Accordingly, a design was developed by the Bureau of Construction and Repair which was sufficiently simplified to permit speedy construction by less experienced shipyards.

Earlier, in June 1917, President Woodrow Wilson had summoned auto-builder Henry Ford to Washington in the hope of getting him to serve on the United States Shipping Board. Wilson felt that Ford, with his knowledge of mass production techniques, could immensely speed the building of ships in quantity. Apprized of the need for antisubmarine vessels to combat the U-boat menace, Ford declared:

"What we want is one type of ship in large numbers." On 7 November, Ford accepted membership on the Shipping Board and an active advisory role. Examining the Navy's plans for the projected steel patrol ships, Ford urged that all hull plates be flat so that they could be produced quickly in quantity, and he also persuaded the Navy to accept steam turbines instead of reciprocating steam engines.

At this point, Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels was drawn into the project. He recognized that no facilities were available at the Navy yards for building new craft and asked Ford if he would undertake the task. Ford agreed and, in January 1918, he was directed to proceed with the building of 100 of them. Later on twelve more were added for delivery to the Italian government.

Ford's plan for building the ships was meant to be revolutionary. Establishing a new plant on the Rouge River on the outskirts of Detroit, he proposed to turn them out as factory products, using mass production techniques, and employing factory workers. He would then send the boats by the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River to the Atlantic coast. However, Ford had little part in the design of the boats. Except for his insistence upon simple plans and the use of steam turbines, he contributed little of a fundamental nature to the design concept.

The assembly plant was completed in five months, and the first keel was laid in May 1918. The machinery and fittings were largely built at Ford's Highland Park plant in Detroit. At first, Ford believed that boats could be sent down a continuously moving assembly line like automobiles. The size of the craft made this too difficult, however, and a "step-by-step" movement was instituted on the 1,700-foot line. The first Eagle boat was launched on 11 July. The launching of these 200-foot craft was a formidable operation. Not built on ways from which they could slide into the water, the hulls moved slowly from the assembly line on enormous, tractor-drawn flatcars. They were then placed on a 225-foot steel trestle alongside the water's edge which could be sunk 20 feet into the water by hydraulic action.

The original contract called for delivery of 100 ships by 1 December, 1918. Although the first seven boats were completed on schedule, succeeding ones did not follow as rapidly, even though the labor force reached 4,380 by July and later peaked at 8,000. The chief reasons were Ford's excessive initial optimism and the inexperience of labor and supervisory personnel in shipbuilding. Upon the signing of the Armistice in November 1918, the order for 112 boats was cut to sixty. Of these, seven were commissioned in 1918, and the remainder in 1919.

The entire Eagle Boat operation came briefly under challenge by Massachusetts Senator Henry Cabot Lodge in December 1918. At the ensuing Congressional hearings, Navy officials successfully defended the boats as being a necessary experiment and well made while Ford profits were proved to be modest.

The term "Eagle Boat" stemmed from a wartime Washington Post editorial which called for "... an eagle to scour the seas and pounce upon and destroy every German submarine." However, the Eagle Boats never saw service in World War I. Reports on their performance at sea were mixed. The introduction, at Ford's insistence, of flanged plates instead of rolled plates facilitated production but resulted in sea-keeping characteristics which were far from ideal. In the first years after the war, a number of them were used as aircraft tenders. Despite the handicap of their size, they serviced photographic reconnaissance planes at Midway in 1920 and in the Hawaiian Islands in 1921 before being supplanted by larger ships. A number of the Eagle Boats were transferred to the Coast Guard in 1919, and the balance were sold in the 1930s.

Armament

• two 4-inch/50 caliber
• one 3-inch/50 caliber AA gun
• two .50-caliber machine guns
• one Y gun (Eagle 4 through Eagle 7 only)

See Also

• Wikipedia

Bibliography

• Friedman, Norman (1987). U.S. Small Combatants: An Illustrated Design History. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. (on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk).
• Gray, Randal (editor) (1985). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. London: Conway Maritime Press. (on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk).
• Silverstone, Paul H. (2006). The U.S. Navy Warship Series: The New Navy 1883-1922. New York: Routledge.