The USCGC Kangaroo, later known as USCGC AB-6, was a United States Coast Guard patrol vessel in service from 1919 to 1932. Originally built as a private motorboat, she was constructed in May 1917 by the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company in Bristol, Rhode Island. She was Herreshoff Hull #316 and was one of nine identical motor boats produced in anticipation of potential acquisition by the U.S. Navy. During World War I, the U.S. Navy purchased her for wartime service, commissioning her as USS Kangaroo (SP-1284) from 1917 until 1919. After being out of commission for approximately six months, the vessel was transferred to the U.S. Department of the Treasury at Key West, Florida, on November 22, 1919, where she was commissioned into the Coast Guard as USCGC Kangaroo. During her service with the Coast Guard, Kangaroo was primarily tasked with customs enforcement and coastal surveillance patrols. She initially operated out of Key West before being reassigned to Charleston, South Carolina, on January 1, 1923. Later that year, on November 6, 1923, she was renamed USCGC AB-6 and subsequently served at Norfolk, Virginia. Her operational history reflects her role in maritime patrol and enforcement during the Prohibition era, a period marked by increased Coast Guard activity in combating smuggling and illegal activities along the U.S. coastlines. After approximately 13 years of service, AB-6 was sold at Norfolk on October 1, 1932, to John H. Curtis for a sum of $200. Her service exemplifies the Coast Guard’s utilization of versatile motor vessels for maritime law enforcement and patrol duties during the early 20th century.

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