The USS Whirlwind (SP-221) was a wooden-hulled, triple-screw steam yacht constructed in 1909 by the Charles L. Seabury Company and the Gas Engine and Power Company at Morris Heights, Bronx, New York. Originally owned by Julius Fleischmann of New York City, the vessel was acquired by the U.S. Navy in May 1917 for service during World War I. She was commissioned as USS Whirlwind (SP-219) in June 1917 at the New York Navy Yard. Initially, Whirlwind was outfitted for patrol duties and arrived at New Haven, Connecticut, in August 1917. Her primary responsibilities included patrolling off the Cornfield Point lightship, hailing passing vessels, ensuring they remained within designated channels, and escorting Allied ships through maritime nets. Notably, during a cruise in August 1917, she prevented the steamer SS Noreg from fouling the antisubmarine net amid a heavy squall. She also inspected local patrol forces in Long Island Sound. However, her sea-keeping qualities proved inadequate for offshore operations, as she exhibited heavy rolling and pitching. Consequently, she was taken to the Seabury shipyard for overhaul and decommissioned in December 1917. Reconsidered for service, Whirlwind was recommissioned in September 1918 at Waukegan, Illinois, and operated out of the Naval Training Station Great Lakes. Her duties included cruising along Lake Michigan to ports such as Waukegan, Chicago, Milwaukee, Manitowoc, and Detroit. During this period, she made three cruises on Lake Michigan with family members of Captain William A. Moffett, a distinguished naval officer. She was decommissioned in Detroit in December 1918, shortly after the end of World War I, and was stricken from the Navy List in April 1919. The vessel was sold in June 1919, marking the end of her brief naval service. The USS Whirlwind's service highlights her role as a patrol vessel during wartime, with her operational history reflecting the challenges of ship design and the adaptation of civilian vessels for military purposes during World War I.

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