The USS Ardent (SP-680) was a United States Navy patrol vessel and minesweeper constructed as a commercial fishing steamer in 1902 by the Greenport Basin and Construction Company in Greenport, Long Island, New York. Originally owned by Raymond J. Anderson of Newport, Rhode Island, the vessel was acquired by the U.S. Navy on June 11, 1917, following the country's entry into World War I. She was commissioned on August 15, 1917, and designated with the hull number SP-680. Following her acquisition, the Ardent was extensively fitted out for naval service, specifically as a minesweeper and patrol vessel for coastal operations. Her conversion equipped her to perform minesweeping duties and patrols along the New England coast, particularly within the 2nd Naval District. Her primary responsibilities included patrolling the waters, sweeping for mines, and tending submarine nets in the Newport and Block Island areas—crucial tasks for safeguarding maritime traffic and naval operations during the war. In addition to her minesweeping role, Ardent was involved in supporting submarine activities, including tending submarine nets that protected harbor entrances. After the end of World War I in 1918, her assignments shifted to the Submarine Base at New London, Connecticut, where her focus was on the development and testing of torpedoes for submarine warfare. She continued in this capacity until her decommissioning in early 1921. Later that year, Ardent was sold back into private ownership, transferred to Wigo Rasmussen of Brooklyn, New York, either in May or June 1921. Her service record illustrates her versatility and the strategic importance of converted civilian vessels during wartime, particularly in coastal defense, minesweeping, and submarine support operations.

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