Gypsy (SP-55)

Among boats photographed on 16 May 1917 after their acquisition by the U.S. Navy is Gypsy, second from left. The boat on the far left is unidentified. The rest, left to right, are USS Doris B. IV (SP-625), USS Venture (SP-616), and USS Comber (SP 344).
History
United States
Name	Gypsy (planned)
Namesake	Previous name retained
Builder	George Lawley and Sons, Neponset, Massachusetts
Completed	1912
Acquired	11 May 1917
Commissioned	Never
Stricken	23 November 1917
Fate	Burned while fitting out 20 June 1917
Notes	Operated as private motorboat Gypsy 1912-1917
General characteristics
Type	Patrol vessel (planned)
Displacement	22 tons
Length	61 ft (19 m)
Beam	10 ft 3 in (3.12 m)
Draft	3 ft 6 in (1.07 m)
Speed	11 knots

Gypsy (SP-55) was the planned designation for a motorboat the United States Navy acquired in 1917 for use as a patrol vessel but which was destroyed by a fire before she could be commissioned.^[1]

Gypsy was built in 1912 by George Lawley and Sons at Neponset, Massachusetts as a private motorboat.^[1] The U.S. Navy purchased Gypsy on 11 May 1917 for World War I service for $9,000 from Robert F. Herrick of Boston, who also owned Apache that was also purchased by the Navy on 23 May 1917 just before completion.^[1][2] The craft was intended to use her as a patrol boat in the Section Patrol. However, before she could be commissioned, she was completely destroyed by an accidental fire while fitting out, on 20 June 1917 off coast of the U.S. Coast Guard Station Allerton Point, south east of Boston, Massachusetts.^[1]

Gypsy was stricken from the Navy List on 23 November 1919.^[1]

• List of patrol vessels of the United States Navy

•  This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
• NavSource Online: Section Patrol Craft Photo Archive: Gypsy (SP 55) Archived 2008-05-12 at the Wayback Machine