The USS Cigarette (SP-1234) was a patrol vessel that served in the United States Navy from 1917 to 1919, originally built as a private steam yacht in 1905 by George Lawley & Son in Neponset, Massachusetts. Designed as a fast, private vessel, the Cigarette was constructed for C. A. Wood of Cambridge, Massachusetts. Its build emphasized speed and elegance, characteristics typical of luxury yachts of the period, although specific dimensions and technical specifications are not provided in the source. In mid-June 1917, the vessel appears to have entered U.S. Navy service, and it was officially purchased by the Navy on September 17, 1917. Two days later, on September 19, 1917, she was commissioned as USS Cigarette (SP-1234). During her naval service, she was assigned to the 1st Naval District, where she undertook section patrol duties along the northern New England coast, including areas off Boston, Provincetown, and Bar Harbor. These patrols were part of the broader wartime effort to safeguard U.S. waters during World War I. Additionally, she carried out patrol duties at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, likely in 1919, contributing to maritime security in the Caribbean. The USS Cigarette's service concluded in July 1919, after which she was decommissioned. She was sold on October 29, 1920, and returned to civilian use under the new name Pocantico. As a private yacht once again, she continued to serve in a civilian capacity until she was ultimately scrapped in 1930. Overall, USS Cigarette exemplifies the conversion of private yachts for wartime patrol duties during World War I, reflecting the Navy’s pragmatic approach to augmenting its fleet with swift, private vessels for coastal defense and patrol missions 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.