Here she splashed several of the hard hitting air attackers as well as aiding ships they had damaged.

It used rail launched 36 foot motorized lifeboats to aid ships foundering on Point Reyes.

This could have been in part to maintain navigational systems, to aid ships entering the River Parrett and what is now Highbridge.

Her purpose was to aid ships, usually by towing, on the high seas or in combat or post-combat areas, plus "other duties as assigned."

Surfmen were stationed there to aid mariners and ships in distress.

She patrolled against submarines off the Irish coast, making numerous attacks with no sure results and with other destroyers aided distressed ships.

For the ship's remaining days as a gun boat, it patrolled the James with occasional attacks on Confederate positions, while aiding other ships in need of assistance.

Frequently sent to aid ships which had reported sighting submarines, she rescued survivors from the sea twice in July 1918.

Several times during the next year, she aided ships in distress, and from October 1902 made hydrographic surveys.

Fulton cruised the Atlantic coast, aiding ships in distress, conducting ordnance experiments, and training officers in gunnery.