The USS Zigzag (SP-106) was a wooden-hulled motorboat built by the A. E. Luders Construction Company of Stamford, Connecticut, completed in May 1916. Designed as an armed patrol vessel, Zigzag was acquired by the U.S. Navy from T. J. Backman of Bradenton, Florida, and was delivered to the Navy on June 27, 1917. She was officially placed in commission on August 8, 1917, with the classification SP-106. During her service in World War I, USS Zigzag was assigned to the 7th Naval District, where she conducted local section patrol duties along the Florida coast. Her primary role was to monitor and secure the waterways against potential enemy threats, a vital task given the wartime context. Her operational period extended through the war and likely until the end of all defensive patrols on November 24, 1918. In September 1919, Zigzag was anchored in the North Beach Basin in Key West, Florida, awaiting disposition. Her service ended abruptly during a hurricane that struck the Florida Keys on September 9, 1919. The storm caused significant destruction, and on September 10, 1919, Zigzag was among eight section patrol boats found dashed to pieces on the seawall after the hurricane battered the yacht basin. The wreckage was later salvaged, with crews removing the tangled debris from the water and burning what remained, leaving only the machinery for future disposal. USS Zigzag was officially struck from the Navy List on October 4, 1919. Her brief but active service highlights her role in coastal patrols during World War I and the hazards faced by vessels operating in the Florida Keys during this tumultuous 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.