USS Hilo

The yacht was designed by Henry J. Gielow's company with unusually large owner's quarters, extending the full width amidships with two baths, seven guest staterooms, quarters for two maids and two valets, and a crew of forty.[4] The guest staterooms, all with private bath, were aft with those on port and starboard sides connected by 7 ft (2.1 m) sliding doors enabling them to be connected into larger suites. On the main deck was a 36 ft (11.0 m) by 26 ft (7.9 m) living room with a fireplace forward. Aft was a partially sheltered deck with a lobby and elevator connecting the owner's quarters below and a laboratory on the deck above on the upper deck. Aft of that were a smoking room and 29 ft (8.8 m) by 26 ft (7.9 m) dining room with a dressing room and shower for owner and guests, quarters for the chief engineer, dining room for the maids and galley between smoking room and dining room. Captain and radio operators had quarters on the upper deck where there was also a radio room and a lounge and observation room as well as the laboratory. The pilot house and chart room occupied the bridge deck.[4]

Caroline had a 235 ft (71.6 m) waterline length with 278 ft 11 in (85.0 m) length overall, 38 ft (11.6 m) beam, draft of 15 ft (4.6 m) (Navy 17 ft (5.2 m)) and displacement tonnage of 2,350.[4][5] Registry information showed 1,839 GRT, 247.3 ft (75.4 m) length, 38.2 ft (11.6 m) breadth and depth of 22.7 ft (6.9 m) with a crew of forty-two.[3] She was the largest Diesel powered yacht built in America and the second largest private yacht in America at that time.[4][6]

Power was provided by two Cooper-Bessemer 1,500-horsepower diesel engines driving two screws with a maximum speed of 14 knots. Fuel capacity was sufficient for a cruising range of 25,000 nautical miles (29,000 mi; 46,000 km). In addition the yacht had one of the largest Sperry Gyroscope Company gyroscopic-stabilizers built for a private vessel.[4][5] The gyroscope wheel itself weighed 88,000 pounds (40,000 kg) spun by a 210-horsepower Diesel-electric motor at 13,000 revolutions a minute and taking one and a half hours to reach that maximum speed. The device was designed to counter five and a half degrees of roll. The total weight of the two engines and gyroscope was approximately 400,000 pounds (180,000 kg) [7] Two 150-kilowatt and one 50-kilowatt diesel–electric generating sets provided electrical power.[8] A carbon dioxide fire extinguishing system was installed for fire protection.[9]

Johnson offered the use of the Caroline for scientific research including a 1932 archeological expedition to South America and Easter Island.[10] In October 1932 Johnson equipped and offered for use the yacht for what was expected to be a series of expeditions in cooperation with the Smithsonian Institution to be known as the Johnson-Smithsonian Deep-Sea Expedition. The first was to the Puerto Rico Trench embarking investigators from several disciplines and government agencies and institutions interested in oceanographic work. Those included the Naval Research Laboratory, Agriculture and Commerce Departments as well as The American Museum of Natural History, Carnegie Institution and the Oceanographic Institution of Woods Hole.[11]

The expedition, under the leadership of Dr. Paul Bartsch of the Smithsonian, sailed from New York on 21 January 1933.[11] In addition to the scientific party Johnson and his son, E. R. Fenimore Johnson who had helped prepare the yacht, and invited guest went with the expedition.[6][11][12] Aside from description and addition of new species to collections three lines of echo soundings were gathered across the trench with the Navy echo sounding device operated by US Navy seaman Thomas Townsend Brown and water samples were taken at various depths.[11][13] E. R. Fenimore Johnson assisted with the sounding work and had his own interests in ocean research, equipping his own yacht, Elsie Fenimore for such work.[13][14] Both he and Elsie Fenimore served in World War II in mine warfare work.[14] Further expeditions did not take place due to the economic depression and the European situation.[15]

Caroline was engaged in pleasure cruising as well as science. One example was a 1935 cruise in which Douglas Fairbanks and Lady Ashley and other film personalities, departing at Tahiti, were Johnson's guests aboard on a cruise in which the yacht continued to Suva, the Solomon Islands, Japan, China, and the East Indies before continuing to Southampton.[16] Johnson loved the Caroline and the Johnson Victrola Museum, Dover, Delaware, features a song written about the yacht played with 78-rpm records on authentic Victor Talking Machines.[17][18]

By March 1937, with the earlier 171 ft (52.1 m) Caroline[note 1] being sold to Joseph M. Shenck of Los Angeles, Johnson chartered his later Caroline for the winter cruising season.[19]

The ship remained at Funafuti until 25 November, tending torpedo boats and engaging in rescue operations as American forces prepared for the coming assault on the Gilberts and Marshalls. On 12 November the Hilo and other units from Funafuti rescued Eddie Rickenbacker and the crewmen of a crashed B-17 after they were adrift at sea in rubber boats for 21-days. She next sailed for Noumea, New Caledonia, arriving on 2 December, and from there escorted four PT boats to Cairns, Queensland, where she moored on 11 December.[5]

Hilo was then sent to set up the first torpedo boat base in New Guinea, at Milne Bay, arriving on 17 December. Commencing operations soon after their arrival, Hilo's boats contributed to the hard-fought Buna-Gona campaign in New Guinea as allied forces began their return to the Philippines. The boats fired at Japanese ashore, destroyed barges loaded with men and supplies, and even fought submarines in support of the troops ashore. On 13 January 1943, her designation was changed to AGP-2.[5]

In February 1943, Hilo explored the coast for a suitable advance PT boat base, and by the 28th had established one at Kana Kope. The torpedo boats stationed there with Hilo soon had a chance to fight, as Japanese efforts to reinforce their Lae and Salamaua garrisons led to the Battle of the Bismarck Sea from 2–4 March. The tender remained at Kana Kope until late April, when she began to move up the New Guinea coast to various anchorages. As Hilo's torpedo boats continued to take part in the successful New Guinea campaign, Hilo herself underwent many air raids and endured extremes of climate and disease before being relieved on 20 October. The tender sailed to Sydney, Australia, arriving on 13 November, and sailed again on 9 February 1944 for Milne Bay.[5]

Hilo again took up her tending duties in the New Guinea area and was transferred to Talasea, New Britain on 26 March. She remained there until 4 June tending two squadrons of torpedo boats, after which she shifted her operations to Mios Woendi and became a command ship for torpedo boat operations in the U.S. 7th Fleet her tender equipment removed. The ship remained there until 6 November.[5]

With the invasion of the Philippines underway, Hilo sailed to Leyte Gulf, arriving on 12 November. During the next months the ships in the Gulf were under almost constant air attack. Hilo was nearly hit on 26 November as kamikaze attacked San Juanico Straits; one kamikaze crashed some 250 yd (230 m) ahead of the tender. Hilo's gunners scored several kills during this period.[5]

Commander, Motor Torpedo Boat Squadrons, 7th Fleet, shifted his flag to Cyrene on 16 January, and for the next nine months Hilo was occupied with passenger voyages to various islands, including Mios Woendi and the Palaus. She departed Samar on 26 October 1945 for the United States via Eniwetok and Pearl Harbor. Hilo received four battle stars for service in World War II.[5]