USAS American Mariner

USAS American Mariner, originally commissioned as the SS George Calvert (build number 2007/MC Hull 20) should not be confused with the SS George Calvert (build number 2016/MC Hull 29) which was constructed shortly thereafter.

USAS American Mariner
History
United States
Name
  • George Calvert
  • American Mariner
NamesakeGeorge Calvert
OwnerWar Shipping Administration (WSA)
Operator
Orderedas type (EC2-S-C1) hull, MCE hull 20
Awarded14 March 1941
BuilderBethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard, Baltimore, Maryland[2]
Cost$4,021,748[1]
Yard number2007
Way number7
Laid down15 August 1941
Launched30 December 1941
Sponsored byMiss Margaret E. Voss
Completed12 February 1942
Commissioned30 December 1941 (USCG)
Decommissioned31 August 1942 (USCG)
RenamedAmerican Mariner, 30 December 1941
ReclassifiedZ3-EC2-S-C1 Training Ship
Identification
FateTransferred to US Army, 18 June 1958
United States
NameAmerican Mariner
OwnerUS Army
Acquired18 June 1958
RefitBrooklyn Navy Yard, 1961
Identification
FateTransferred to Military Sea Transportation Service, 7 January 1964
United States
NameAmerican Mariner
OwnerMilitary Sea Transportation Service
Acquired1964
In service7 January 1964
Out of service7 January 1966
Stricken7 January 1964
Identification
FateIntentionally grounded for use as a target ship, October 1966
General characteristics [3]
TypeZ3-EC2-S-C1 Training Ship
Displacement
Length
  • 441 feet 6 inches (135 m) oa
  • 416 feet (127 m) pp
  • 427 feet (130 m) lwl
Beam57 feet (17 m)
Draft24 ft 7 in (7.49 m)
Installed power
  • 2 × Oil fired 450 °F (232 °C) boilers, operating at 220 psi (1,500 kPa)
  • 2,500 hp (1,900 kW)
Propulsion
Speed11.5 knots (21.3 km/h; 13.2 mph)
Range23,000 mi (37,000 km)
Endurance45 days
Capacity9,507 barrels bunker C
Complement
  • 12 officers, 55 crew,
  • 50 RCA engineers
Sensors and
processing systems
  • C-band, L-Band/UHF-band radar
  • Infra-red systems, optics
  • 70 mm cameras, AGAVE

USAS American Mariner was a United States Army research vessel from January 1959 to 30 September 1963. She was originally assigned to the DAMP Project by the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) to attempt to collect radar signature data on incoming intercontinental ballistic missiles in the Caribbean, the South Atlantic Ocean, and the Indian Ocean. Her initial operations involved providing radar track on the Atlas missile, which was under development at the time. Subsequently, she provided track on other types of missiles as they proceeded through their development and operational stages. In September 1963 the original contract was transferred to the USAF until the completion of the testing phase in 1964.

Laid down in 1941 as the Liberty ship SS George Calvert (MC #20), she first saw service as the United States Coast Guard training ship TS American Mariner, as which she served until 1953, when she was placed in reserve. After her Army career, she was transferred to the United States Air Force on 1 October 1963, and was redesignated USAFS American Mariner. After Air Force service, she was transferred to the United States Navy on 7 January 1964 and designated USNS American Mariner (T-AGM-12). The mission was not essentially changed as a result of transfer of vessel management. On 1 January 1966 the vessel was stricken from the Navy list and returned for disposal. On 1 October 1966 title to the vessel was transferred to the Navy for disposal and later in the month she was scuttled in shallow water in the Chesapeake Bay about 5 nautical miles (9.3 km) northwest of Ewell, Smith Island, Maryland, for use for a target ship.[4]

She appears to have been the only ship to have served in the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Army, the U.S. Air Force, and the U.S. Navy after being built for service with the United States Merchant Marine.

  1. ^ a b c d MARCOM.
  2. ^ Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyards 2008.
  3. ^ Navsource.
  4. ^ MARAD.