Although based technically on the Erie-class gunboat, the Treasury class was heavily modified for Coast Guard service. Its 12,300-nautical-mile range exceeded the Erie's 8,000 nautical miles and shows how propulsion choices followed a different operational priority. The cutters also escorted convoys during the Second World War, with Taney receiving an unusually heavy centerline gun battery for Pacific service. Wartime armament did not erase the class's long-endurance purpose.
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Treasury-class cutters: range adapted to the Coast Guard mission
The Treasury class shows how a hull derived from a Navy gunboat could be reshaped around Coast Guard endurance and patrol needs.