Named after the American naval officer captain John Shaw (1773-1823), The Shaw was laid down on 7 February 1916 as the torpedo boat destroyer no. 68 at the Mare Island Navy Yard as part of the Sampson-class. She was launched on 9 December the same year sponsored by Mrs. Virginia Kemper Lynch, commissioned on 9 April a year later, decommissioned on 21 June 1922, stricken on 25 March three years later and directly handed over to the Coast Guard where she received the pennant CG-22. Later on in her career was she given back to the US navy since 30 June 1933 again part of the effective list. The same year however was on 1 November her name stricken while her name was needed for a new destroyer and on 5 July a year later she was again stricken and sold on 22 August to Michael Plynn, Inc., Brooklyn at New York to be broken up. She was heavily damaged in a collision on 9 October 1918 with the Aquitania and most cut in half and was rebuilt at the British navy yard at Plymouth
With a displacement of 1,111 (standard)-1.225 (full loaded) tons were her dimensions 96,1 x 9,3 x 3,3 metres or 315’3”x 30’7”x 10’9”, The two Curtiss turbines and four boilers supplied 17.696 hp allowing a speed of 2,5 knots. Her crew numbered 99 men. The armament consisted of 4-10,2cm/4” guns, 2-1pdr guns and 3-53,3cm/21” torpedo tubes.
