Built as schooner Hermes by W.F. Stone & Co., Oakland, California for Wiliams- Diamond Co. agents for Jaluit Gesellschaft of Hamburg, Germany and launched in 1914.

As Hermes engaged in inter-island copra trade in the German held Pacific Islands until being interned in Hawaii at the outbreak of World War I.

Commissioned as USS Hermes April 1, 1918. Hermes engaged in patrolling the westernmost Hawaiian islands until the end of World War I.

Decommissioned January 23, 1919 and laid up at Pearl Harbor where it was used variously as an Air Detachment, Pacific Fleet depot ship and yacht until being stricken from the Navy List July 1, 1926.

Sold to Lanikai Fish Co. and renamed Lanikai in 1926. Converted to fishing trade purposes by installation of new diesel engine and a 40-ton capacity freezer room.

Sold to Hawaiian Sea Products Co. in 1929 and used in the pearling and fishing industries in Hawaiian waters. Laid up in 1931 due to poor economics of the fishing industry.

Sold to Northrup Castle in late 1933. He used Lanikai as a commercial charter yacht based at Honolulu.

Sold to Harry W. Crosby in early 1936 and homeport shifted to Seattle, Washington. Engaged in Alaskan salmon fishery trade during the summer of 1936.

Sold in early 1937 to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios for use in making Hurricane, starring Jon Hall and Dorothy Lamour. Following completion of the film Lanikai was used as the MGM yacht.

Sold April 6, 1939 to George W. Simmie acting as agent for E.M. Grim, an American resident of Manila, Philippine Islands. Assigned to Luzon Stevedoring Co. and used as Mr. Grim's yacht and inter-island trading ship.

Chartered to the U.S. Navy on or about December 4, 1941 for an indefinite period for $1 per year with the ship to be returned in the same condition as when chartered.

Commissioned as USS Lanikai, an auxillary schooner, December 5, 1941, at Cavite, P.I., Lt. Kemp Tolley commanding. Lanikai detailed to patrol the vicinity of Camranh Bay, French Indo-China with a mixed crew of U.S. Navy ratings and Philippine Insular Force seamen. Departed Manila Bay December 7, 1941. Recalled the morning of December 8 while still in the vicinity of Corregidor I. and assigned to the Inshore Patrol. Detached from Inshore Patrol December 26, and with passengers, ordered to attempt transit to the nearest friendly port.

• Arrived on the north coast of Celebes, Netherlands East Indies (now Sulawesi, Indonesia) January 5, 1942.
• Arrived Makassar, Celebes, January 10.
• Arrived Denpasar, Bali, January 19.
• Arrived Surabaya, Java, January 22. Partially refitted in NEI Navy dockyard at Surabaya.
• Departed Surabaya, February 17.
• Arrived Tjilatjap, Java, February 25. The Filipino Insular Force seamen enlisted into the U.S. Navy Reserve for duration of World War II. Most remained in service until retirement.
• Departed south from Tjilatjap with passengers February 26.
• Landfall at Montebello Island, Western Australia, March 6, 1942.
• Arrived Geraldton, March 14.
• Arrived Fremantle (port for Perth), March 18.
• Departed Fremantle, April 3, with orders to patrol the coast of Western Australia looking for evidence of Japanese landings. Patrolled north to Denham.
• LCDR Tolley transferred April 27 with LCDR Charles Adair taking command.
• Transferred to Royal Australian Navy August 22, 1942 and converted to boom defense ship.
• Commissioned HMAS Lanikai, December 9, 1942 and assigned to Albany, Western Australia.
• Decommissioned August 22, 1945 and transferred to U.S. Navy.
• Converted to schooner rig in Fremantle and returned to Manila in 1946. Luzon Stevedoring Co. refused to accept Lanikai in poor condition.
• Sunk during typhoon at Subic Bay 1947.

USS Lanikai, a 67 ton wooden hulled motorized schooner rigged ship. Armament: one 3" 1898 Spanish iron sighted rifle, one .50 AA and one .30 machine gun. Complement on commissioning was one officer and 18 crew.