History United States Name USNS Shearwater Namesake Shearwater , a long winged seabirdBuilder Hickinbotham Brothers Shipbuilders at Stockton, California Laid down October 1944,[ 1] FS-411 for the U.S. Army Completed in April 1945 Commissioned 25 October 1944 as U.S. Army FS-411 In service May 1964 as Survey Support Ship , USNS Shearwater (T-AG-177) Out of service February 1969 Stricken c. 1969 Identification Fate transferred to the U.S. Army ; sunk as an artificial reef in 2015 General characteristics Type Design 381 coastal freighter Tonnage 381 tons Displacement 935 tons full load Length 165 ft (50 m) Beam 32 ft (9.8 m) Draft 14 ft 3 in (4.34 m) Propulsion two 500 hp GM-Cleveland 6-298A diesel engines , twin screws Speed not known Complement 26 personnel
USNS Shearwater (T-AG-177) was a Shearwater -classmiscellaneous 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]
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] [ 4]
References
Design 381 coastal freighters
Design 381 Design 381A
