USCGC Citrus (WLB-300)

USCGC Citrus in 1984 after conversion to a medium-endurance cutter.
History
United States
Name:	USCGC Citrus (WLB-300)
Builder:	Marine Iron & Shipbuilding Corporation Duluth, Minnesota
Cost:	$853,987
Laid down:	29 April 1942
Launched:	15 August 1942
Commissioned:	3 April 1943
Decommissioned:	1 September 1994
Nickname(s):	"Sit and Rust"
Fate:	Transferred to the Dominican Navy
Notes:	Call sign= NRPQ
Dominican Republic
Name:	Almirante Juan Alejandro Acosta (C-456)
Acquired:	1995
Status:	Active
General characteristics
Class and type:	Cactus (A)
Displacement:	935 long tons (950 t) full load (1945) 1,026 long tons (1,042 t) full load (1966) 700 long tons (711 t) light (1966)
Length:	180 ft (55 m)
Beam:	37 ft (11 m)
Draft:	12 ft (3.7 m) (1945) 14.6 ft (4.5 m) (1966)
Propulsion:	1 electric motor connected to 2 Westinghouse generators driven by 2 Cooper-Bessemer-type GND-8, 4-cycle diesel engines; single screw
Speed:	13.0 kn (24.1 km/h) sustained (1945) 11.9 kn (22.0 km/h) sustained (1966) 8.3 kn (15.4 km/h) economic(1945) 8.5 kn (15.7 km/h) economic(1966)
Complement:	6 Officers, 74 men (1945) 4 officers, 2 warrants, 47 men (1966)
Sensors and processing systems:	Radar: Bk (1943); SLa-1 (1945) SPS-64(V) (2007) Sonar: WEA-2 (1945)
Armament:	1-3"/50 (single), 4-20mm/80 (single), 2 depth charge tracks, 2 Mousetraps, 4 Y-guns (1945) None (1966) 102 mm/45 DP, 2 20 mm, 4 7.62 mm M60 (2007)

USCGC Citrus (WAGL-300/WLB-300/WMEC-300) was a Cactus (A)-class seagoing buoy tender built in 1942 in Duluth, Minnesota, and now operated by the navy of the Dominican Republic.

During World War II, the 180-foot ship helped build LORAN stations on the Aleutian Islands. From 1945 to 1979, Citrus largely helped maintain aids to navigation in Alaskan waters. In 1980, she was converted into a medium-endurance cutter homeported at Coos Bay, Oregon.

In 1995, after 51 years' service, it was transferred to the Dominican Navy, which commissioned it the Almirante Juan Alejandro Acosta.

After the Coast Guard took over the United States Lighthouse Service in 1939, the plans for the USLS Juniper class of 177 ft (54 m) seagoing buoy tenders were modified to 180 ft (55 m). These were built in three classes. The Cactus (A) class had 12 vessels, the Mesquite (B) class had six, and the Iris (C) class had 20. Twenty were built at one of two shipyards in Duluth, Minnesota.

Citrus was laid down 29 April 1942 at the Marine Iron & Shipbuilding Corporation in Duluth. She was launched on 15 August 1942 and commissioned on 3 April 1943.

USCGC Citrus was initially assigned to the Ninth District in April 1943. With home port in Detroit, Michigan, the cutter was to be used for general aids to navigation and icebreaking on the Great Lakes.

The cutter was re-assigned to Alaska Sector, Northwestern Sea Frontier on 15 September 1943. Construction work on the Western Aleutian LORAN chain began during the latter part of 1943. Beginning in November 1943, men and materials began to arrive at sites 62 (Sitka), 63 (Amchitka), and 64 (Attu). Citrus and two Liberty ships, SS George Flavel and SS McKenzie, transported Coast Guard construction crews to erect Quonset huts for Construction Detachment "A" at Massacre Bay, Attu and at Baxter Cove, Adak. Unloading at Adak was done with 5' x 7' steel pontoon-type barges. They arrived on 24 December 1943. Heavy ground swells made unloading materiel from the cutter to the barge precarious. Despite the possibility of a sudden squall, both barges made the beach about sundown. Temporary floodlights were then rigged and unloading operations continued until 1200 on Christmas Day. As the storm increased in intensity, Citrus was unable to maintain her anchorage and was forced to return to Massacre Bay until the storm subsided on 2 January 1944.