The USLHT Camellia was a lighthouse tender constructed in 1911 by the Racine Boat Manufacturing Company in Muskegon, Michigan. Designed for service in the United States Lighthouse Service, she was commissioned on July 13, 1911, and primarily operated along the U.S. Gulf Coast with her home port in New Orleans, Louisiana. The vessel’s design and construction reflected her dual role in maintaining navigational aids and supporting coastal defense efforts. Camellia’s early service involved lighthouse tending duties, but her role expanded significantly during wartime. In April 1917, shortly after the U.S. entered World War I, she was transferred to the Department of War for coastal defense, where she was deployed to deploy submarine nets and lay controlled minefields to protect harbors from enemy vessels. On July 1, 1917, she was transferred to the U.S. Navy, commissioned as USS Camellia, and operated as a patrol vessel along the Gulf Coast until the end of the war in November 1918. After her wartime service, she was returned to the Lighthouse Service in July 1919. In 1933, her original steam engines were replaced with Atlas-Imperial diesel engines, enhancing her operational capabilities. With the dissolution of the Lighthouse Service in 1939, Camellia became part of the U.S. Coast Guard fleet as USCGC Camellia. During World War II, following the Coast Guard’s transfer to Navy control in November 1941, she was assigned the hull number WAGL-206 and continued service under the Navy’s command, supporting patrol and lighthouse duties throughout the conflict. After the war, she was returned to the Coast Guard and decommissioned on December 29, 1947. Subsequently, the vessel was transferred to the Dominican Navy in 1949, where she was renamed Capotillo (FB 101) and reclassified as "Service Craft No. 1." She remained in service into the 1980s, although her ultimate fate remains unknown. The Camellia’s long career highlights her versatility and importance in maritime navigation, coastal defense, and international service.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.