The USS Tigress (1871) was a screw steamer built in Quebec, Canada, by Harvey and Co. in 1871. Originally serving as a civilian whaler based in Newfoundland, the vessel was designed for icy Arctic waters, which proved crucial during her notable service in 1873. In that year, she was chartered by the United States Navy to assist in the rescue of members of the Polaris expedition, which had become stranded on an ice flow in Baffin Bay. During the rescue mission, the Tigress was commanded by Commander James A. Greer and manned by a Navy crew. Her mission was to locate the missing expedition members by navigating as close as possible to the last known position of the Polaris. Departing New York on July 14, 1873, she made stops at St. John’s, Newfoundland, and Godhaven, Greenland, where she refueled and resupplied. She then continued along the Greenland coast, searching North Star Bay, Northumberland Island, and Hartstene Bay without success until August 14, when she located the camp on Littleton Island, where Polaris crew members had spent the previous winter. The crew learned from local natives that Polaris had sunk after the crew had abandoned her in June, salvaging materials from the ship to build boats for their escape. Following this discovery, Tigress returned south via Melville Bay and re-entered Godhaven on August 25, resuming her search along Baffin Bay, Baffin Island, and Greenland’s coast. She continued her expedition through Davis Strait until October 16, when she had to stop for coal in St. John’s. By this time, news arrived that the remaining Polaris crew had been rescued and had reached Scotland. The USS Tigress concluded her mission and returned to New York on November 9, 1873, where she was returned to her civilian crew. The Tigress’s Arctic service demonstrated her robust construction and adaptability to icy conditions, making her a significant vessel in 19th-century Arctic exploration and rescue efforts.

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