Identification & Site Information

• Name: SC-1 Class Submarine Chaser

Later names: USS SC-238, Allen, Sea Roamer, Harry H

• Type: SC-1 Class Submarine Chaser (later converted to a yacht)

• Build Year: 1918

• Builder: New York Yacht, Launch, and Engine Co., Morris Heights, NY

• Dimensions:

• Original: 33.5 m (110 feet) length, 4.5 m (14 feet 9 inches) beam, 1.7 m (5 feet 8 inches) Draft

• Modified (1926): 31.8 m (104.3 feet) length, 2.5 m (8.3 feet) Draft

• Displacement:

• Original: 77.1 metric tons (85 tons)

• Modified: 71.6 metric tons (79 tons in 1926)

• Propulsion: Three 220-horsepower Standard gasoline engines, three shafts

• Speed: 33.3 km/h (18 knots)

• Armament (during military service):

• One 3-inch/23 gun mount

• Two .30 caliber machine guns

• One depth charge projector “Y Gun”

• Location: Oshawa Harbour, Ontario

• Status: Destroyed during dredging operations in 1978

Vessel Type Description

The SC-1 Class Submarine Chaser was a compact, agile vessel crafted for anti-submarine operations during World War I. With a wooden Hull and three gasoline engines, these chasers combined speed and maneuverability to track and neutralize enemy submarines. Following its military tenure, the vessel was retrofitted as a yacht, undergoing substantial modifications that reflected its shifting roles over decades of service.

History

Commissioned as USS SC-238 on March 12, 1918, the vessel served the U.S. Navy during World War I. After decommissioning in 1921, it was sold to Joseph G. Hitner and subsequently in 1926 to Dennis Sullivan, who registered it as the yacht Allen. Renamed Sea Roamer, it underwent ownership changes over the years.

During World War II, the vessel was recommissioned by the U.S. Coast Guard as USCGC Bowstring (WPC 365). It served briefly before decommissioning in 1944, after which it was sold again and eventually appeared in Canada as Harry H. The vessel’s history includes rumors of involvement in rum-running during Prohibition, adding intrigue to its legacy.

In Oshawa Harbour, Ontario, the Harry H was seized by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in 1933 for cushttps://shotlinediving.com/wp-content/uploads/52895851813_b64678c0f7_c.jpgs violations. Despite its storied past, the vessel eventually sank in 1965 due to mechanical failure and was destroyed during dredging operations in 1978, bringing its colorful history to an end.

Final Disposition

The vessel met its demise in Oshawa Harbour when it was destroyed during a dredging operation in 1978. No remains of the Harry Hexist, marking a complete end to its physical presence. Its historical legacy, however, remains through records of its service, civilian use, and ties to Prohibition-era activities.

Resources & Links

• David Swayze Shipwreck File

• Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum

• Maritime History of the Great Lakes

Keywords

• Submarine Chaser

• Prohibition Rum-Running

• Oshawa Harbour

• Great Lakes Maritime History

• SC-1 Class Vessel