USNS Shearwater

USNS Shearwater (T-AG-177) was a Shearwater-class miscellaneous auxiliary built during the final months of World War II for the US Army as FS-411 (Design 381 coastal freighter) by Hickinbotham Brothers Shipbuilders. FS-411 was Coast Guard manned operating in the Central and Western Pacific, including Hawaii, Saipan, Tinian, Guam, during the closing days of the war.[2]

For other ships with the same name, see USS Shearwater.
History
United States
NameUSNS Shearwater
NamesakeShearwater, a long winged seabird
BuilderHickinbotham Brothers Shipbuilders at Stockton, California
Laid downOctober 1944,[1] as U.S. Army FS-411 for the U.S. Army
Completedin April 1945
Commissioned25 October 1944 as U.S. Army FS-411
In serviceMay 1964 as Survey Support Ship, USNS Shearwater (T-AG-177)
Out of serviceFebruary 1969
Strickenc. 1969
Identification
Fatetransferred to the U.S. Army; sunk as an artificial reef in 2015
General characteristics
TypeDesign 381 coastal freighter
Tonnage381 tons
Displacement935 tons full load
Length165 ft
Beam32 ft
Draft14 ft 3 in
Propulsiontwo 500 hp GM-Cleveland 6-298A diesel engines, twin screws
Speednot known
Complement26 personnel

She was placed into service by the U.S. Navy from 1964 to 1969 as USNS Shearwater (T-AG-177). After this service, she was transferred back to the U.S. Army.

Operational history as T-AG-177

Shearwater began her naval service as a survey support ship with the Military Sea Transportation Service in May 1964. Operated by a Civil Service crew, she operated in the Atlantic Ocean until mid-February 1969, when she was transferred back to the U.S. Army.

As of 2007, Shearwater was active as a fishing vessel based at Reedville, Virginia.[3] She was retired in 2013 and reefed off the coast of Delaware onto the Del-Jersey-Land Inshore Reef site in 2015.[4]

References
  1. "U.S. Army Coastal Freighters (F, FS, T)".
  2. "World War II Coast Guard-Manned U.S. Army Freight and Supply Ship Histories".
  3. "Shearwater". ShipSpotting. Retrieved 25 December 2017.
  4. "DelJerseyLand Reef - Inshore". New Jersey Scuba Diving. Retrieved 11 July 2019.


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