The USS Gwin (Torpedo Boat No. 16/TB-16/YFB-4) was a torpedo boat launched on 15 November 1897 by the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company in Bristol, Rhode Island. She was commissioned at Newport on 4 April 1898 under the command of Lieutenant (junior grade) C. S. Williams. The vessel measured as a small, fast craft designed for torpedo attack roles, typical of late 19th-century naval innovation, though specific dimensions are not detailed in the provided source. After commissioning, Gwin departed Newport on 24 June 1898, cruising along the eastern seaboard as far south as Florida. During the Spanish-American War, she conducted patrols off Cuba from 6 to 14 August 1898, playing a role in America's naval operations during this conflict. Following her wartime service, she returned north to Annapolis on 31 August and was subsequently assigned as a cadet training ship for the U.S. Naval Academy, a role she maintained until she was placed in reserve at Norfolk on 10 July 1903. Remaining in reserve for several years, Gwin was reactivated in June 1908 to assist with experimental torpedo work out of Newport, Rhode Island, reflecting her ongoing utility in torpedo development and testing. This experimental duty continued until 18 April 1914, after which she was decommissioned and repurposed as a ferryboat, indicating a shift from combat to auxiliary service. On 11 April 1918, her name was changed to Cyane, and she was reclassified as YFB-4 (a yard ferry). Her service under this designation continued until her name was struck from the Navy Register on 30 April 1925. Subsequently, she was sold for scrapping on 24 September 1925. The vessel's career highlights her transition from an active torpedo boat involved in wartime patrols to an auxiliary and training role, exemplifying the versatile use of small naval craft during this period.

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