The USS Alcedo (SP-166) was originally constructed as the yacht SY Veglia in 1895 at Glasgow, Scotland, by D. and W. Henderson and Company. It was built for Nathaniel de Rothschild, a prominent banker. The vessel was acquired by the United States Navy on June 1, 1917, from George W. C. Drexel of Philadelphia, and was commissioned in New York City on July 28, 1917. As a patrol vessel, the Alcedo was assigned to the Patrol Force during World War I, serving primarily along the French coast. Designed as a yacht, the ship's specifications are not detailed in the provided content, but her role was primarily that of a patrol and escort vessel. She departed Newport, Rhode Island, on August 5, 1917, steaming via Newfoundland and the Azores before arriving at Brest, France, on August 30. During her brief service, Alcedo conducted anti-submarine patrols and convoy escort missions. Notably, she rescued survivors from torpedoed merchant ships: on October 17, 1917, she rescued 118 men from the troop transport SS Antilles, and on October 29, she saved 85 survivors from SS Finland. Tragically, USS Alcedo was the first American vessel lost in World War I. On November 4, 1917, while escorting a convoy, she encountered German U-boat UC-71 approximately 75 miles west of Belle He, France. The U-boat surfaced and launched a torpedo that struck Alcedo on her port side, causing her to sink within eight minutes. The sinking resulted in the loss of one officer, Lieutenant (junior grade) John Melvin, and 20 sailors, due to wounds and drowning. The remaining crew abandoned ship and were rescued by French vessels or fishermen. Alcedo's name was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on December 17, 1917. Her service, though brief, marked a significant moment as the first U.S. vessel lost in WWI, exemplifying the perils faced by early American naval patrols during the conflict.

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