USS Shearwater (1887)

The USS Shearwater (1887) was a steel-hulled, twin-screw gunboat in the United States Navy. She was authorized by an Act of Congress on 3 March 1887 and was built by the Delaware River Iron Shipbuilding & Engine Works of Chester, Pennsylvania.

Launched on 25 September 1888, and commissioned on 23 October 1889, the Shearwater served primarily in the Pacific. Her early years involved patrol duties and representing American interests in various Central and South American ports.

During the Spanish-American War in 1898, Shearwater patrolled the California coast and served in the Pacific. She participated in the blockade of Mexican ports to prevent supplies from reaching Spanish forces.

Following the war, Shearwater continued her service in the Pacific, often engaged in surveying duties and exploring the waters around the Hawaiian Islands and the Philippines. She supported scientific expeditions and aided in the charting of previously unmapped areas.

In 1917, with the United States' entry into World War I, Shearwater was reclassified as a patrol gunboat, PG-56. She performed patrol duties along the Pacific coast.

The USS Shearwater was decommissioned on 27 September 1921, and sold on 22 June 1922. Her ultimate fate is not entirely clear, but she was likely scrapped.