History
United States
Name	USS Quicksilver
Namesake	Previous name retained
Builder	Jahncke Navigation Company, New Orleans, Louisiana
Acquired	24 May 1917
Decommissioned	28 January 1919
Stricken	17 May 1919
Fate	Sold 30 June 1919
General characteristics
Type	Patrol vessel
Length	50 ft 8 in (15.44 m)
Beam	10 ft (3.0 m)
Draft	1 ft 7 in (0.48 m)
Speed	22 knots
Armament	2 × 1-pounder guns

USS Quicksilver (SP–281) was a United States Navy patrol vessel in commission from 1917 to 1919.

Quicksilver was built by the Jahncke Navigation Company at New Orleans, Louisiana. The U.S. Navy acquired her under charter from her owner, Ernest Lee Jahncke, for World War I service as a patrol vessel. Jahncke delivered her to the Navy on 24 May 1917, and she was commissioned as USS Quicksilver (SP-281).

Quicksilver operated out of New Orleans on section patrol until late in World War I. On 1 October 1918 she was ordered to Naval Air Station Pensacola at Pensacola, Florida, where she was sorely needed in connection with training flights over Florida Bay. She continued in this duty until 27 November 1918, when she returned to New Orleans.

Quicksilver was decommissioned at New Orleans on 28 January 1919. She was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 17 May 1919, and was sold on 30 June 1919 to George Plant of Washington, D.C.

References

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here. NavSource Online: Section Patrol Craft Photo Archive Quicksilver (SP 281)