She was the first American vessel lost in World War I. Alcedo was built in 1895 at Glasgow, Scotland, by D. and W. Henderson and Company.

She was purchased by the Navy on 1 June 1917 from Mr. George W. C. Drexel of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and commissioned at New York City on 28 July 1917.

On 17 October, the little warship picked up 118 men from the troop transport steamer SS Antilles, which had been sunk by a submerged German U-boat.

At about 01:45 the following morning, while the convoy was steaming some 75 mi (121 km) west of Belle He, an Alcedo crewman reported sighting a surfaced U-boat.

The yacht lost one officer, Lieutenant, junior grade John Melvin, and 20 sailors in the action to both wounds and drowning.