Almax II as a private motorboat sometime between 1912 and 1917.
History
United States
Name	Almax II
Owner	Mr. F. Mayer, Baltimore, Maryland
Builder	Salisbury Marine Construction Company, Salisbury, Maryland
Launched	1912
Fate	Acquired by United States Navy 18 May 1917
United States
Name	USS Almax II
Namesake	Previous name retained
Operator	United States Navy
Acquired	18 May 1917
Commissioned	18 May 1917
Decommissioned	28 March 1919
Homeport	Newport News and Norfolk, Virginia
Fate	Transferred to U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey 28 March 1919 Transferred to U.S. Navy 21 February 1920 Sold 14 July 1920
United States
Name	USC&GS Almax II
Namesake	Previous name retained
Operator	U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey
Acquired	28 March 1919
Fate	Transferred to U.S. Navy 21 February 1920
General characteristics (as U.S. Navy patrol boat)
Type	Patrol boat
Tonnage	22 gross tons
Length	56 feet 9 inches (17.3 m)
Beam	11 feet 11 inches (3.6 m)
Draft	3 feet 6 inches (1.1 m) (aft)
Speed	11.4 miles per hour (9.9 kn; 18.3 km/h)
Crew	8 enlisted personnel
Armament	two 1-pounder guns two machine guns

USS Almax II (SP-268) was a motorboat acquired by the United States Navy for use as a patrol boat during World War I. She was outfitted with light guns and assigned patrol duty in the Chesapeake Bay area. Post-war she served with the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey before she was sold in 1920.

Construction

Almax II was a private motorboat constructed in 1912 at Salisbury, Maryland, by the Salisbury Marine Construction Company. On 18 May 1917, the U.S. Navy acquired her from Mr. Jacob Mayer of Baltimore, Maryland, for World War I service as a patrol boat. She was commissioned USS Almax II (SP-268) on 18 May 1917.^[1]

Service history

Assigned to the section patrol, Almax II cruised the waters of the 5th Naval District through the end of World War I. She served with Squadron 2 and operated in the Chesapeake Bay area primarily between Newport News and Norfolk, Virginia.

After the war ended in November 1918, the boat continued to serve until 28 March 1919 when she was transferred to the United States Department of Commerce for use by the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey. The Coast and Geodetic Survey returned Almax II to Navy custody on 21 February 1920.

Disposal

Almax II was sold on 14 July 1920 and, presumably, her name was struck from the Navy list at that time.

References

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.

External links

• Almax II (American Motor Boat, 1912). Served as USS Almax II (SP-268) in 1917-1919