Whippet as a civilian motorboat in 1917, prior to her U.S. Navy service
History
United States
Name	USS Whippet
Namesake	Previous name retained
Builder	Greenport Basin and Construction Company, Greenport, New York
Completed	1917
Acquired	9 July 1917
Commissioned	24 July 1917
Decommissioned	11 January 1919
Stricken	11 January 1919
Fate	Returned to owner 11 January 1919
Notes	Operated as private motorboat Whippet 1917 and from 1919
General characteristics
Type	Patrol vessel
Displacement	21 tons
Length	72 ft (22 m)
Beam	12 ft (3.7 m)
Draft	3 ft 3 in (0.99 m) aft
Speed	23 knots
Complement	11
Armament	1 × 1-pounder gun 1 × machine gun

The first USS Whippet (SP-89) was an armed motorboat that served in the United States Navy as a patrol vessel from 1917 to 1919.

Whippet was a civilian motorboat completed in 1917 by Greenport Basin and Construction Company at Greenport on Long Island, New York. On 9 July 1917, the U.S. Navy acquired her from her owner, Mr. O. C. Jennings of New York City, for World War I service as a patrol boat. She was commissioned as USS Whippet (SP-89) on 24 July 1917.

Whippet conducted antisubmarine and coastal defense patrols in the 2nd Naval District in southern New England during World War I.

On 11 January 1919, Whippet was decommissioned. She was stricken from the Navy List and returned to her owner the same day.

References

• This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
• Department of the Navy: Naval Historical Center: Online Library of Selected Images: Civilian Ships: Whippet (American Motor Boat, 1917). Served as USS Whippet (SP-89) in 1917-1919 at the Library of Congress Web Archives (archived 2012-10-09)
• NavSource Online: Section Patrol Craft Photo Archive: Whippet (SP 89)