Q: "I have a challenge for Bob C.!  Can you come up with any military
    (army, navy, etc.) missions with "ferret" in the name?
 
A: I know, but if I told, someone would be silenced.
 
Good question; I know of at least 2, but I admit I have NEVER researched
the possibility (I found them all accidentally while looking for other
things).  I have photocopies of the missions in one of three massive
stacks of material I have to file and at the moment I am writing a paper,
so give me a week and I'll find them for you.  That will also give me
some time to do a bit of research.
 
Up front, I have to say I suspect you have knowledge of something and want
to see if I can, er, ah, ferret it out, or, um, weasel out of it. ;-)
 
MORE SHIPS NAMED FERRET:
When I posted the details of the three USA ships named Ferret, I was tired
and confused myself when I included the British vessel.  I knew there where
three, and counted three, and quit.  There were 3 USA ships, which
including the British ship, would have totaled 4.
 
The first Ferret (ca. 1804) was a schooner built at Norfolk Naval Yard, and
commissioned 18 April 1809 (the date difference reflects the commissioning
of the shipbuilding [1804], and when the ship was rigged, outfitted and
launched [1809]).  It was commanded by Lt. C. Gadsden Jr.  This Ferret
displaced 148 tons, was 73 ft long, had a 23.75 ft beam, with a depth in
hold of 7.5 ft.  She was manned by 64 men and was armed by 10 guns.  This
is the boat that was rerigged as a brig and renamed Viper in 1810.  She was
captured during the War of 1812 off British Honduras on 13 January 1813 by
the British ship HMS Narcissus (a 32 gun frigate) and pressed into British
service, although no records exist for the time after capture.
 
The second USA ship to hold the name Ferret was also a schooner, armed with
8 guns and 53 men.  She was bought by the Navy at Charleston SC in November
1812 and commanded by Lt. C. E. Crowley.  During a gale, she grounded in
Stono Inlet while making passage from Port Royal to Charleston and broke
up.  There was no loss of life.  This is the Ferret I forgot to mention.
 
The third Ferret was also schooner, displacing 53 tons.  She was armed with
3 guns and crewed 31 men.  She was bought on 20 December 1822 from the
Baltimore MD ship yards and commissioned in 1823 with Lt. S. Henley
commanding (later Lt. C. H. Bell).  This is the Ferret that served in
the "Mosquito Fleet" used to pacify pirates in the Spanish and Mexican
islands (Cuba, Puerto Rico, West Indies, etc.).  She was based in Key West,
but twice went to the Washington Shipping Yards for repair and refitting.
On 4 February 1825 (I mistakenly reported 1830-1831, which shows how tired
my memory was), the Ferret capsized in the heavy seas produced by a gale,
about 8 miles off Port Canasi (near Havana, Cuba).  An officer and three
men were sent for help while the rest of the crew lashed themselves to the
wreck.  By morning, the ship was nearly sunk, so the crew built a raft
from the sails, main boom and foremast.  At that time, the Jackall arrived
to save the survivors after 21 hours of clinging to the broken ship.  5 men
drowned.
 
There is NO doubt that all three ships were named after the domesticated
ferret.  There are no more records of official US ships named Ferret,
although there is a good possibility that small boats which would have
never been recorded might have held the name.  One reason why the name has
never been reused is because old time sailors were a very superstitious
bunch, and the loss of three ships named Ferret in such a short time sort
of jinxed the name.  By the time people forgot the misfortunes of the three
ships, the Navy had established new protocols for naming and Ferret has
never been reused in that capacity.  I haven't research non-Navy sources,
and I suspect numerous private ships and boats held the name.
 
The British had AT LEAST 18 ships, boats and bases named Ferret (or
Ferrett).  Most of the records are lost or difficult to confirm, but I
know 4 were sloops: a) 1704, surrendered in 1706; b) 1711 (The Ferrett,
which I mentioned was built and based in the Colonies), surrendered in
1718; c) 1721, sold in 1731; and d) 1760, foundered in 1776 (served in
action in Martinique and Havana in 1762).  I also know of two destroyers
named Ferret a) 1893, broken up in 1910; and b) 1911, sold in 1921 (served
in action at Heliogoland in 1914, Dogger Bank in 1915 and the Belgian Coast
in 1917).  One base near Londonderry was named Ferret (1940).
 
Additionally, NATO has the armored fighting vehicle named the Ferret.  I
also believe at least one missile was named Ferret.  I have not researched
the Navies of other countries, but would appreciate any information if
anyone has it.
 
On Friday there will be a pop quiz.
 
Bob C and 15 Mo' Historical Hurons
[Posted in FML issue 3188]