Nokomis II, an 872 gross ton steam yacht, was built in 1914 by Pusey & Jones of Wilmington, Delaware. At the beginning of June 1917 her owner, Horarce E. Dodge of Detroit, Michigan, sold her to the Navy for World War I service. Following conversion to a patrol vessel, she was placed in commission in early December 1917 as Nokomis (SP-609). A few weeks later she began a trans-Atlantic voyage, by way of Bermuda and the Azores. Nokomis spent the rest of the conflict on patrol and escort duty off western France, and remained in European waters for several months after the November 1918 Armistice brought an end to the fighting.
Returning to the United States in August 1919, Nokomis was reclassified PY-6 in July 1920 and decommissioned in February 1921. Soon returned to active duty, she operated in the Caribbean and along the Central American coast as a survey ship for nearly two decades more. USS Nokomis was decommissioned in February 1938 and stricken from the list of Navy ships in May of that year.
This page features, and provides links to, selected views concerning the steam yacht Nokomis II of 1914 and USS Nokomis (SP-609, later PY-6).
For more images related to this ship, see:
If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions." |
Click on the small photograph to prompt a larger view of the same image.
Photo #: NH 44868 Nokomis II (American Steam Yacht, 1914) Photographed in 1914-1917. Acquired by the Navy on 1 June 1917, this yacht was commissioned as USS Nokomis (SP-609) on 3 December 1917. Redesignated PY-6 in July 1920, she served until 1938. U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph. Online Image: 51KB; 740 x 480 pixels |
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Photo #: 80-G-1009391 USS Nokomis (PY-6) In port during the early 1920s, with USS SC-154 astern. Location is probably in Cuba or another place in the Caribbean area. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Online Image: 74KB; 740 x 520 pixels Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system. |
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Photo #: NH 44867 USS Nokomis (PY-6) At anchor, circa the 1920s or 1930s. U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph. Online Image: 72KB; 740 x 550 pixels |
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Photo #: NH 44869 USS Nokomis (PY-6) At anchor, circa the 1920s or 1930s. U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph. Online Image: 56KB; 740 x 530 pixels |
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Photo #: NH 90915 USS Nokomis (PY-6) In port, circa the 1920s. Courtesy of Rear Admiral Joseph M. Worthington, USN (Retired), 1980. U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph. Online Image: 81KB; 740 x 550 pixels |
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Photo #: NH 101031 USS Nokomis (PY-6) Photographed circa 1925-1926, probably while on survey duty in Cuban waters. This photograph is printed on textured paper, embossed with a border inside its edges. Copied from the USS Nokomis Cuban Survey album. Donation of Carter Rila, 1986. U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph. Online Image: 75KB; 740 x 510 pixels |
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Photo #: NH 102903 USS Nokomis (PY-6) Dressed with flags at Puerto Colombia, Colombia, 4 July 1935. Courtesy of the U.S. Marine Corps Museum. U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph. Online Image: 44KB; 740 x 450 pixels |
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The following photographs, which may have been taken from USS Felix Taussig (ID # 2282), show a converted yacht that is probably USS Nokomis:
Photo #: NH 106592 U.S. Navy Patrol Vessel (converted yacht) Underway in French coastal waters, 1918-1919. This converted yacht is probably USS Nokomis (SP-609). The photograph may have been taken from USS Felix Taussig (ID # 2282) The original image is printed on post card ("AZO") stock. Donation of Dr. Mark Kulikowski, 2009. U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph. Online Image: 66KB; 900 x 575 pixels |
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Photo #: NH 106592-A U.S. Navy Patrol Vessel (converted yacht) Underway in French coastal waters, 1918-1919. This is probably USS Nokomis (SP-609), and may have been photographed from USS Felix Taussig (ID # 2282) This image is cropped from Photo # NH 106592. Donation of Dr. Mark Kulikowski, 2009. U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph. Online Image: 54KB; 740 x 575 pixels |
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In addition to the views reference above, the National Archives appears to hold at least one other photograph of USS Nokomis (PY-6). The following listing describes this image:
The image listed below is NOT in the
Naval History and Heritage Command's collections.
DO NOT try to obtain it using the procedures described in our
page "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions".
USS Nokomis (PY-6) at Coco Solo, Panama Canal Zone, 9 March 1937. Port broadside surface view, showing the ship alongside a wharf. Reproductions of this image should be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system for pictures not held by the Naval History and Heritage Command. The image listed above is NOT in the Naval History and Heritage Command's collections. DO NOT try to obtain it using the procedures described in our page "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions". |
For more images related to this ship, see:
NOTES:
If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions." |
Page made 30 April 2005
New image added 30 November 2009