MuseumShip Memorial Wall
Courtesy of Jake Behr - US Navy Veteran
USS Ling (SS-297)
USS Ling (SS-297) is a Balao-class submarine commissioned in 1945, just three months before the end of Worl War II, and thus too late to see any action, She was decommissioned in October 1946 after only being in service for a year. She remained in the reserve fleet until 1960, when she was towed to the Brooklyn Navy Yard and used as a training submarine. She fulfilled this role until her disposal in 1971. In 1973 she was donated to the New Jersey Naval Museum in South Hackensack, NJ. In 2007 the museum was informed by the property owners that they would have to reolcate, but Ling was stuck in the mud, as she hadn't moved since 1973. She was damaged by hurrican Sandy in in 2012 and needed further repairs in 2015. In 2018, when the museum was vacating the property, she was broken into by vandals who opened her sea valves and sank her at her moorings. She was refloated soon after. A proposal was made to relocate her inland to Louisville, KY but this never came to fruition. For now she reamins in the mud on the Hackensack River, her ultimate fate uncertain.
HMS Barcross (Z185) / (HM)SAS Somerset (P285)
A Bar-class boom defense ship, she was commissioned into the Royal Navy in 1941, during World War II. She was soon deployed to Cape Town, South Africa, where she was tasked with protecting the harbor from submarine incursions. In 1943, she was transferred to the Royal South African Navy, keeping her name. She continued this role for the rest of the war. In 1946, she aided in the disposal of ammunition off Cape Town and Port Elizabeth. In 1951, she was renamed Somerset. In 1953, she helped raise the sunken minelayer HMSAS Skilpad. From the 1961 to 1986, she was the primary salvage vessel of the South African Navy. She was decommissioned in 1986 after 45 years of service. In 1988, she became a museum ship in Cape Town. As years went by, she started to deteriorate, and by 2019, had taken on a list and fell into disrepair. A debate about scrapping the ship ensued, but was ultimately decided upon, and carried out in 2024.
USS Mazapeta (YTM-181)
USS Mazapeta (YTM-181) was a US Navy tug commissioned in 1943. She spent World War II stateside. She was decommissioned in 1047 and placed in reserve but recommissioned in 1950. She was forward deployed in Guam, The Philippines and Japan for a number of years before returning home. She was decommissioned in 1976 and put up for sale. She was sold at auction into private ownership and operated as a private tugboat in San Francisco until 1998. She was then sold to a new owner but left her moored for 10 years and was eventually sold for scrap. She was discovered by preservationists before scrapping happened and was brought to Alameda, CA for preservation. As time went by her condition deteriorated and in 2023 , she sank at her moorings, causing an oil spill in the process. She was raised in 2024 and was ordered to be scrapped, as her owner could not be located.
VMS Rudolf Egelhofer / FGS Hiddensee (P6166) / USNS Hiddensee
A Tarantul-class corvette built in the Soviet Union for the Volksmarine, she was commissioned in 1985. During her time in East German service, she carried out patrols in the Baltic Sea. Following German Reunification, she was incorporated into the newly reunited Federal German Navy and renamed Hiddenssee. She only saw German service for a year before being gifted to the United States. Becoming USNS Hiddensee, she was extensively studied and used for wargames. Following post-Cold War budget cuts, she was decommissioned in 1996 and transferred to Battleship Cove in Fall River, Massachusetts. She was moored alongside other American warships as a part of a collection. However, she suffered from lack of popularity and her cheap steel used in her construction caused her to deteriorate faster than usual. Battleship Cove did not possess the funds to fully restore her. She was closed to the public and scrapped in 2023.
USS High Point (PCH-1)
The lead ship of her class of hydrofoil patrol ships, she was commissioned in 1963. She was largely experimental and laid the foundation for the United States Navy's next class of combat hydrofoils. Her tests were successful and could reach speeds of up to 48 knots. In 1975, she was transferred to the Coast Guard, who carried out similar tests. She returned to Navy control a month later. She was decommissioned in 1980 and sold to private ownership. In 2002, she was taken to Astoria, Oregon with plans to restore her to operational condition. Restoration work between 2009-2021 was slow. Eventually post-pandemic complications made the project impossible to complete and was scrapped in 2023.
BNS Imperial Marinhiero (V15)
The lead ship of her class of corvettes, she was commissioned into the Brazilian Navy in 1955. She was later followed by nine more of her class. They mostly acted as large patrol ships and minesweepers. Her life was mostly peaceful, full of training exercises and routine patrols, as well as many visits overseas. She was decommissioned in 2015 after 60 years of service. She was then donated to the Brazilian city of Rio Grande for preservation as a museum ship. In 2022, she flooded through her propeller shafts and sank at her mooring. The Brazilian Navy declared her a total loss, and she was sold for scrap in 2023.
HMAS Forceful (W126)
Built in Scotland in 1925, Forceful was originally in the service of the Queensland Tug Company and tended to ships in the Port of Brisbane, Australia. In December 1941, she was requisitioned by the Royal Australian Navy and commissioned into the fleet to take up salvage operations. One of her first war deployments was to Darwin, following the Japanese bombing. She later rescued the crew of a downed American B-26 and took part in the Battle of Timor. She was returned to civilian ownership in 1943 and continued harbor operations in Brisbane until her retirement in 1970. In 1971, she was handed over to the Queensland Maritime Museum for preservation, which kept her in operational condition. In 2006, it was discovered her hull was in bad condition and repairs were made in 2012. By 2020, her condition worsened, and Queensland's authorities intervened, giving the museum a deadline to remove her. The museum attempted to relocate her and raise funds for repairs, but the COVID-19 pandemic hindered progress. By 2023, the museum was no longer able to preserve her and was later scrapped.
USSR Dnepr / UNS Vinnytsia (U206)
USSRS Dnepr was a Grisha-class corvette commissioned into the Soviet Border Guard on September 12 1976 and assigned to the Black Sea Fleet where she carried out routine patrols. In 1992, following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, she was transferred to the Ukrainian Coast Guard, keeping her name. In 1995, she was transferred to the Ukrainian Navy and rechristened UNS Vinnytsia. In 1996 she started taking part in international naval exercises, something that would continue regularly until 2014. In March 2014, Russia annexed Crimea and seized the majority of the Ukrainian Navy, including Vinnytsia. Half of her crew defected to Russia and the ship itself would remain in Russian custody for a month. The following month she was returned to Ukraine and became a training ship. Following a review of her condition, the Ukrainian Navy wanted to decommission her in 2017, but due to the desperate need for warships, she was retained. However, she was withdrawn by 2021. It was announced she would be converted into a museum ship in Odesa. In June 2022, while undergoing conversion into a museum ship, she was sunk in port by a Russian missile in Ochakiv.
ARM Guanajuato (C-07)
ARM Guanajuato (C-07) was a gunboat-transport of the Mexican Navy commissioned in 1936. She served primarily as a coastal patrol ship. Following Mexico’s entry into World War II, she served as a convoy escort ship in waters around Central America. She continued routine patrol duties after the war, and eventually was regulated to use as a training ship. She continued active service until her decommissioning in 2001. In 2007 she became a museum ship in Veracruz and was rather successful. As time went by, she began to deteriorate, but soon a restoration project was launched. The work began but was later halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, during which, she continued to deteriorate and began to sink. In 2022, she was deemed beyond repair and was scrapped.
USCGC Alert (WMEC-127)
USCGC Alert (WMEC-127) was an Active-class patrol ship commissioned in 1927. She was originally stationed out of Boston and carried out routine patrols and prohibition enforcement. She was transferred to the West Coast in 1929, continuing this role. In 1931, she was transferred to Alaska and carried out Bearing Sea patrols. In 1940, she was transferred back to California. With war looming, she was taken over by the Navy and given additional armament. During World War II, she remained mostly a training ship. With the wars end in 1945, she was transferred back to the Coast Guard. In 1959, she was transferred to San Diego and continued routine patrols with minor search and rescue operations. She was finally decommissioned in 1969 and sold to private ownership. She eventually made her way to Portland, Oregon for preservation where she was moored until 2021. In October 2021, she sank at her moorings, the cause of which is still under investigation. She was raised in 2022 and is slated to be scrapped.
SAS Durban (M1499)
SAS Durban (M1499) was a Ton-class minesweeper commissioned by the Royal South African Navy in 1958 and remained in South African waters for much of her career. In 1970 she was converted to a patrol ship and continued this role. She was decommissioned in 1991 and became a museum ship in her namesake city of Durban. In 2021, she suffered a leak in her engine room and partially sank. This was corrected and reopened months later. In 2022, she fully sank at her moorings. Her ultimate fate is unknown.
USS Clamagore (SS-343)
USS Clamagore (SS-343) was a Balao-class submarine commissioned in 1945, two months before the end of World War II. Too late to see any action, she was mostly used for patrol duties. In 1947, she underwent the GUPPY II upgrade, greatly increasing her capabilities. She continued to carry out routine patrols in the Caribbean and Mediterranean. In 1962 during the Cuban Missile Crisis, she took up patrol duties around Cuba, enforcing the US-imposed embargo. Later that year, she underwent the GUPPY III modernization which further increased her capabilities. She was finally decommissioned in 1975 and donated to Patriot’s Point, South Carolina for preservation in 1979. She arrived there in 1981. As years went by, her hull rapidly deteriorated, and despite best efforts for continued preservation, it became impossible. In 2022, it was announced she would be scrapped.
HMAS Otama (SS-62)
HMAS Otama (SS-62) was an Oberon-class submarine commissioned into the Royal Australian Navy in 1978. She was best known for her role as an intelligence collecting submarine, earning the nickname, Mystery Boat. In 1980, she took part in the Royal Australian Navy’s largest flag-showing cruise since World War II. In 1987, two of her crew were killed in a weather-related accident. As the new missile-capable Collins-class submarines entered service in the 1990’s, the Oberon’s gradually retired from service. Otama was the last of Australia’s Oberon’s to do so, being decommissioned in 2000. In 2001, she was purchased for preservation, but plans were never solidified. Following years, no progress and fear of her sinking, she was seized in 2022 and sold for scrap.
USS Sakarissa (YTM-269)
USS Sakarissa (YTM-269) was a US Navy tug commissioned in 1943 and deployed to The Philippines, assisting larger ships in and out of harbors, and helping in construction projects. After the war, she was recalled to Pearl Harbor, where she continued her career until her decommissioning in 1974. She was acquired by the city of Astoria, Oregon and was moored along the Columbia River as a museum ship. As time went by, she deteriorated and sank at her moorings. She was raised in 2022 and is slated to be scrapped.
USS Everett F. Larson (DD-830) / ROKS Jeon Buk (DD-916)
USS Everett F. Larson (DD-830) was a Gearing-class destroyer commissioned in April 1945, during World War II, but too late to see any action. Nevertheless, she sailed to the Pacific for cleanup operations and assisting in occupation duties. In 1946, she aided in the sinking of 24 captured Japanese submarines. She was soon transferred to the Mediterranean and thus, avoided the Korean War, until being transferred back to the Pacific in 1956. In 1962, she underwent the FRAM II upgrade which increased her anti-submarine capabilities. In 1965, she deployed to Vietnam where she bombarded North Vietnamese Army positions, firing in anger for the first time. Throughout the war, she would rotate between gunfire support and aircraft carrier escort duty. In 1969, she was one of the first ships to come to the rescue of the USS Frank E. Evans (DD-754) after it was sunk in a collision with the Australian aircraft carrier, HMAS Melbourne (R21). In 1972 she was decommissioned and transferred to South Korea the same day. Rechristened ROKS Jeon Buk (DD-916) she conducted routine patrols of the South Korean coast until her decommissioning in 1999. She became a museum ship in Gangneung, South Korea soon after. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the museum was financially unable to operate and scrapped in 2021.
HMS Bullfrog / CS Retriever III / CS Cable Restorer
HMS Bullfrog was a Bullfinch-class cable laying ship, commissioned into the Royal Navy in 1944. Her primary mission was to lay Anti-Submarine Detection Investigation Committee (ASDIC) systems at key British ports. She was decommissioned in 1946, and sold into civilian service as
Retriever III, and used to repair underwater cables. In 1961, she was sold to South Africa and renamed Cable Restorer, where she continued this role, maintaining South Africa's underwater cables. She did this until 1993 when she was finally retired. That year, she became a floating
restaurant in Simon's Town, under the custody of the Simon's Town Maritime Museum. The museum later deemed her preservation no longer feasible, and ownership was transferred to private owners, who continued efforts. Ultimately, no funding was granted, and was sold
for scrap in 2018. She later sank at her moorings in 2021 while undergoing scrapping.
RFS B-39
RFS B-39 was a Foxtrot-class submarine commissioned into the Soviet Navy in 1967 and served in the Soviet Pacific Fleet. She conducted routine patrols in the Pacific as well as the West Coast of the United States & Canada. She was decommissioned in 1994 and sold to Finland. She then hopped around for many years before being donated to the San Diego Maritime Museum. As time went by, her condition deteriorated and had listing problems. In 2021, the museum announced that she would be sold for scrap in Mexico.
USS Kane County (LST-853) / ROKS Suyeong (LST-677)
An LST 542-class tank landing ship, USS LST-853 was commissioned in December 1944 during World War II and deployed to the Pacific in January 1945. She arrived in time to take part in the Battle of Okinawa and survived Japanese air raids. Upon the wars end, she began the process of bringing American Marines home. She was decommissioned in 1946 and placed in reserve. While in reserve, she was rechristened USS Kane County. She was transferred to South Korea in 1958 and rechristened ROKS Suyeong. She continued to serve until her final decommissioning in 2005. She then became a museum ship in Danghangpo. Over time, her condition deteriorated and in 2017 was declared unsafe. She was returned to the Republic of Korea Navy in 2020 and is awaiting her fate.
HMCS Norton was the lead ship of her class of tugboats built for the Royal Canadian Navy. She was commissioned in 1944, during World War II and was stationed out of Halifax. She operated along the east coast of Canada and on the St. Lawrence River. She soon became notable as the only tugboat Canada had available for salvage work, taking battle damaged vessels under tow to safe harbor. She continued to do this until her decommissioning in 1946. She was then sold into civilian service and operated on Lake Superior until her final retirement in 2018. She was donated for preservation as a museum ship in Marathon, Ontario soon after and was later brought ashore. However, the COVID-19 pandemic struck as the conversion work was still ongoing and was brought to a halt. The pandemic also dried up remaining museum funds. She was forced to be scrapped in 2020.
RFS B-143
RFS B-143 was a Foxtrot-class submarine commissioned into the Soviet Navy in 1960. Little is known of her operational history, but she was decommissioned in 1991 and later became a museum ship in Zeebrugge, Belgium. As time went by her condition deteriorated and her popularity also declined. In 2019 the museum was closed, and she was sold for scrap.
HMS Ryde
Originally built as a ferry in 1937, she was requisitioned by the Royal Navy upon the outbreak of World War II and converted into a minesweeper. She patrolled the Thames Estuary & Dover Straits until 1942, when she was converted into an anti-aircraft ship. In 1944, she took part in the D-Day landings, escorting the invasion fleet across the English Channel and protecting the Mulberry Harbors at Omaha Beach. During the invasion, she was hit by a shell from a German coastal gun, which damaged her engine room, but did not explode. She returned to Portsmouth where she was repaired. She spent the rest of the war as the Portsmouth guardship. After the war, she returned to civilian control and continued ferry operations until 1969. She briefly served as a hotel and nightclub until 1988, when it closed. From that point she was abandoned on the Isle of Wright. Despite numerous attempts for preservation, all efforts failed, and she has since completely collapsed. In 2019, she was slated to be scrapped.
USSRS B-80 was a Zulu-class submarine commissioned into the Soviet Navy in 1957, serving in the Northern Fleet. She would see patrols to various parts of the world including South America, the Arctic, and the Mediterranean. She was decommissioned in 1990. In 1991 she was purchased by Dutch businessmen who opened her as a museum ship in Den Helder, The Netherlands. In 2002, she was relocated to Amsterdam. There was however, a long running dispute of ownership of the submarine, which prevented larger plans from moving forward. These disputes continued into 2019 when the Amsterdam City Council, unable to determine the submarines rightful owner, ordered her scrapped.
USS / CSS Water Witch (Replica)
USS Water Witch was a wooden gunboat commissioned by the United States Navy in 1853. She soon deployed to South America for expeditionary and survey duties. The expedition ended in 1856 when she was fired on by a Paraguayan fort in the Rio de la Plata basin. She returned to the United States for repairs and was recommissioned in 1858. In 1859 she returned to Paraguay where the Paraguayan government apologized for the previous incident. She returned to Philadelphia for repairs in 1860. She returned to service on April 10 1861, two days before the outbreak of the Civil War. She was soon deployed to the Gulf of Mexico for blockade duty. In 1862, she captured the Confederate blockade runner, William Mallory. In October 1862, she sailed up the St. John’s River in Florida to neutralize Confederate coastal defenses. Damaged in the action, she returned to Port Royal, South Carolina for repairs. She would remain there until 1864. That year, she was boarded by Confederate Marines who successfully captured her and recommissioned her into the Confederate States Navy, keeping her name. Plans were made to sail her to Savannah, Georgia, but with Union forces advancing quickly, she was burned to prevent recapture. In 2009, the Civil War Naval Museum built a full-scale replica of her in Columbus, Georgia, hosting many artifacts of the original. However, the replica was built using untreated lumber and deteriorated. She became unstable and was demolished in 2019.
HMS Buffalo (Replica)
HMS Buffalo was storeship commissioned into the Royal Navy in 1813. She was primarily used for transport duty until 1833. In 1833 she was converted into a prison ship and was used to transport convicts to Australia. She was very important to the colonization of South Australia, transporting many notable explorers, to include James Cook. In 1837, she sailed to Quebec to put down a rebellion. She continued service until 1840. On July 28 1840, she was wreck in a storm off New Zealand. In 1980, a full-scale replica was built in the Australian city of Adelaide and used as a restaurant. In later years, the restaurant struggled financially and was forced to close. The replica was demolished in 2019.
USCGC Bramble (WLB-392)
USCGC Bramble (WLB-392) was an Iris-class buoy tender commissioned by the United States Coast Guard in 1944, during World War II. She was stationed on the West Coast to tend navigation aids. In 1947, she was called to assist with preparations for Operation Crossroads, the US Navy’s first nuclear test. She was transferred to Puerto Rico in 1949. In 1957, she and her sister cutters, USCGC Storis & USCGC Spar, were selected to transit the Northwest Passage. She underwent modifications to enhance her ability to sail through ice for the voyage. 64 days after setting off, all three ships had become the first American ships to circumnavigate North America. In 1962 she was transferred to Lake Erie where she continued her main role of tending navigation aids. In 1986 she was reassigned to the Caribbean to undertake drug enforcement duties. She returned to Lake Erie in 1987 and remained there for the rest of her career. She was decommissioned in 2003. She was donated her former homeport of Port Huron, Michigan for preservation as a museum ship. In 2011, the museum was forced to close due to lack of funds. She changed owners a number of times until finally being seized due to outstanding dock fees. She was sold at auction in 2019 and is currently being scrapped.
KD Rhamat (F24)
KD Rhamat (F24) was a unique frigate of the Royal Malaysian Navy commissioned in 1971. She was largely used as an experimental and training ship and lived a peaceful life. She was decommissioned in 2004. In 2011 she was handed over to the city of Lumut for preservation. She was successful, but in 2017, due to many storms, suffered a sever leak and listed heavily to port. The flooding was stabilized and was reopened. Eight months later, this happened, again and she sank at her moorings. She was declared a total loss and scrapped.
USS Zuni (ATF-95) / USCGC Tamaroa (WMEC-166)
USS Zuni (ATF-95) was a Cherokee-class tugboat commissioned in 1943. Deployed to the Pacific during the war, she saw action clearing beeches in the Marianas, The Philippines, & Iwo Jima. She was transferred to the Coast Guard in 1946 and renamed USCGC Tamaroa (WMEC-166). She conducted routine patrols and rescues, most notable during the 1991 Perfect Storm. She was decommissioned in 1994 and donated to the Intrepid Museum. She was then transferred to the Zuni Maritime Organization who sought to restore her to operational condition, but this was unable to materialize. She was scuttled as a reef in 2017 off Cape May, New Jersey.
USS Barry (DD-933)
USS Barry (DD-933) was a Forrest Sherman-class destroyer commissioned in 1956. In 1962 she was deployed to Cuba as a part of the Cuban Blockade during the Missile Crisis. She intercepted the Soviet merchant ship Metallurg Anosov which was carrying Soviet missiles. In 1965, she was deployed to Vietnam as a part of the USS Enterprise (CVN-65) strike group. She soon took up the role of providing fire support to Marines along the Saigon River. In 1966 she continued this role at landings in Duc Pho and Quang Ngai. Her life was mostly peaceful after that, taking part in training missions and patrols. She was decommissioned in 1982. In 1984, she was put on display at the Washington Navy Yard in Washington DC and was maintained by the Navy. In 2015, the city announced the replacement of the Fredrick Douglass Bridge with a swing bridge that would trap her in her berth. Her hull was also starting to deteriorate, and the Navy decided to dispose of the ship. She was towed out in 2016 to the inactive ship facility at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, from which she had been towed to Washington in 1983. There she would be mothballed and sold for scrapping. Scrapping was completed by 11 February 2022.
USS William R. Rush (DD-714) / ROKS Kang Won (DD-922)
USS William R. Rush (DD-714) was a Gearing-class destroyer commissioned in 1945, just after World War II. She was deployed to Korea in 1950 and destroyed a North Korean railroad line during her first shore bombardment. She was converted to a radar picket destroyer in 1952. In 1962, she was deployed to Cuba to take part of the Cuban Blockade during the Missile Crisis. In 1967, she was deployed to the Middle East to monitor the events of the Six Day War. In 1978, she as decommissioned and transferred to South Korea as ROKS Kang Won (DD-922). She conducted many patrols, and in 1984, sank a North Korean spy ship. She was decommissioned in 2000 and preserved at South Korean naval headquarters in Jinhae. By 2016, her condition had deteriorated and was scrapped that year.
USS Williamsburg (AGC-369)
Originally a private yacht, she was acquired by the United States Navy in 1941 and converted into a gunboat. During World War II, she served in the Atlantic, stationed out of Iceland, and conducting patrols around it and took part in convoy escort duty. After the war, she was converted into the presidential yacht of Harry S. Truman, who had a love for her. She then served under President Dwight D. Eisenhower, but he ordered her decommissioned after only one voyage. She was then transferred to the National Science Foundation for use as a research ship, a role she fulfilled until 1971. She later became a floating restaurant in New Jersey, before sold again to become a cruise ship. She was towed to La Spezia, Italy, but the conversion was never carried out. During this time a number of preservation groups attempted to bring her back to the United States, but none were succesful. She was scrapped in 2016.
RFS Druzhnyy (FFG-754)
RFS Druzhnyy (FFG-754) was a Krivak-class frigate commissioned into the Soviet Navy in 1975. She spent time in both the Pacific and Baltic Fleet’s and lived mostly a peaceful life. She was decommissioned in 2002 and towed to Moscow for conversion into a shopping and entertainment complex. These plans fell through and was scrapped in 2016.
USS Hartley (DE-1029) / ARC Boyaca (DE-16)
A Dealy-class destroyer escort commissioned in 1957, she served in the Atlantic her entire career. She soon took part in the Cuban Missile Crisis, enforcing the blockade of Cuba. Following the Crisis, her life was relatively peaceful, filled with patrols and NATO exercises. She was decommissioned in 1972 and transferred to Colombia that year. She was rechristened ARC Boyaca and continued to serve until 1994. She was designated for preservation in the inland city of Guatape. For this, she was dismantled and hauled inland, with plans to rebuild her and floating on Lake Guatape. However, her reconstruction never took place as funding was lost. The project later abandoned, and her remains were later scrapped in 2015.
INS Vikrant (R11)
INS Vikrant (R11) was a Majestic-class light aircraft carrier, originally built for the Royal Navy as HMS Hercules (R49) in 1945, but the war ended before she was commissioned and was laid up for sale. She was sold to India in 1961 and became the first aircraft carrier and flagship of the Indian Navy. She continued this role during the 3rd Indo-Pakistan War in 1971 and took an active role in hunting down the Pakistani submarine PNS Ghazi. She was modernized after the war but saw no further combat action. With the acquisition of the INS Viraat (R22) in 1987, she was replaced as the frontline carrier and decommissioned in 1997. She was preserved in Mumbai as a museum ship, but the Indian Navy was unable to find an industrial partner to operate the ship, and her condition deteriorated. She was declared unsafe for the public in 2012 and was scrapped in 2014.
USS LSM-45 / RHS Ypoploiarchos Grigoropoulos (L161)
USS LSM-45 was an LSM 1-class medium landing ship commissioned in 1944. She was deployed to the Pacific and took part in landings in The Philippines. She was decommissioned in 1947. She was sold to Greece in 1958 and rechristened RHS Ypoploiarchos Grigoropoulos (L161). She served until 1993. In 1998, she was discovered by the Amphibious Museum of America in Greece, half-sunk. The organization raised and towed the ship back to the United States and brought to Freedom Park in Omaha, Nebraska, where she underwent a full restoration. The organization who managed her however felt the park was not properly maintaining the ship and sought to relocate her. She was towed to Jacksonville, North Carolina and reopened in 2004. By 2008, her condition had deteriorated and was sold in 2010, and scrapped in 2014.
FS Colbert (C611)
FS Colbert (C611) was the last light cruiser built by the French Navy. She was commissioned in 1956 and was primarily used as a command ship. In 1970, she was modernized into a guided-missile cruiser. Her life remained peaceful until 1990, when she was deployed to the Persian Gulf as a part of France’s contribution to the Gulf War Coalition. She was decommissioned in 1991 and was preserved as a museum ship in Bordeaux. She suffered with chronic financial issues throughout her operation and became regarded as an eyesore by the people of Bordeaux. As the looming financial crisis began to hit Europe, she soon became an early victim and was closed in 2006. She was finally scrapped in 2014.
HMS Onyx (S21)
HMS Onyx (S21) was an Oberon-class submarine commissioned into the Royal Navy in 1967. She is most notable as the only diesel submarine that was deployed to the Falklands during the 1982 war. Her specialty was to land commando units in shallow waters where nuclear submarines could not go. She was picked up several times by Argentine Navy S-2 Trackers. She was a key part of the planned Operation Mikado – a British plan to land commandos on the Argentine mainland and destroy Argentina’s Exocet missile stockpiles. The war ended before this could be carried out. She was decommissioned in 1991 and given to the Warship Trust for preservation in Birkenhead, England. The museum closed in 2006 due to financial difficulty. She was scrapped in 2014.
USS Taussig (DD-746) / ROCS Lo Yang (DDG-914)
USS Taussig (DD-746) was an Allen M. Summner-class destroyer commissioned in May 1944, during World War II. She was deployed to the Pacific as a part of Task Force 38 and took part in The Philippines Campaign, providing gunfire support to Marines landing in Leyte. She survived Halsey’s Typhoon at the end of 1944. In 1945, she provided anti-air cover for aircraft carriers during the bombings of Okinawa and provided gunfire support during the Invasion of Luzon. She continued to screen carriers during the first bombings of the Japanese home islands. She provided gunfire support during the Battle of Iwo Jima, in which she engaged a Japanese submarine, but failed to sink it. She continued to screen carriers during the Bombing of Kure and provided gunfire support during the Battle of Okinawa, during which she shot down five Japanese planes. Her last actions of the war was to take up anti-shipping operations off the coast of Honshu with DESRON 61, during which, she sank four Japanese merchant ships. With Japan’s surrender months later, she returned home. In 1950, she was redeployed to Korea to take up operations there. She again screened carriers for strikes against North Korea and provided gunfire support at Incheon, Pohang, and Wosan. She then took up anti-submarine operations with the Republic of Korea Navy and conducted patrols of the Taiwan Strait. She returned home in 1953. She underwent the FRAM modernization in 1962, and in 1964 was deployed to Vietnam. Once there, she provided gunfire support against North Vietnamese positions. She would remain forward deployed and perform this role until 1968. She returned home in 1969 and decommissioned in 1970. In 1974 she was sold to Taiwan and rechristened ROCS Lo Yang (DD-914). She was modernized in Taiwanese service and continued serving until her final decommissioning on February 15 2000, the last of the Allen M. Summner-class to leave active service worldwide. She was transferred to Keelung City for preservation as a museum ship, but the city did not support it and she was scrapped in 2013.
HMS Plymouth (F126)
HMS Plymouth (F126) was a Rothesay-class frigate commissioned in 1961 and served her early years as the Royal Navy’s East Indies guardship. In 1970, she took part in the Beira Patrol in the Indian Ocean, intercepting supplies bound for Rhodesia. In early 1982, she was deployed to Iceland to protect British fishing trawlers but recalled when the Falklands War broke out later that year. She took part in the recapture of South Georgia and took part in the sinking of the Argentine submarine, ARA Santa Fe. She then covered Royal Marines landing at San Carlos Bay. During this she was attacked by five Argentine Dagger fighters. She was hit by five bombs and strafed by cannon fire. The bombs failed to explode and further damage was avoided. She was repaired by the time the war ended. She was the first ship to enter Port Stanley and raise the British flag on the Falklands capital. She was finally decommissioned in 1987. She was donated to the Warship Trust for preservation in Birkenhead, England. In 2006, the museum closed due to a series of financial difficulties and plans to renovate the docks. In 2012, she was sold for scrap.
CNS Nanchong (FF-502)
CNS Nanchong (FF-502) was a Jiangnan-class frigate commissioned in 1966. In 1988, she took part in the Johnson Reef Skirmish during the Sino-Vietnam War, in which she sank the Vietnamese transport VPNS HQ-604, and the rest of the Vietnamese fleet also destroyed, thus establishing Chinese control over Johnson South Reef, and China’s first major foothold in the South China Sea and preceded the current island dispute. She was decommissioned shortly after the battle and preserved at the Qingdao Naval Museum. In 2012, she was sold for scrap as her condition deteriorated and maintenance proved difficult. It was later revealed the steel she was made from was poor quality, which aided in her deterioration.
HMS Bounty (Replica)
HMS Bounty was a merchant ship, later purchased by the Royal Navy in 1787. That year, shw was deployeed to the South Pacific as a part of a scientific mission to acquire breadfruit plants. For this voyage, she was under the command of Captain William Bligh. Bligh commanded with an iron fist and used brutal discipline tactics to keep his crew in line, including depriving them of water. Eventually his crew could no longer stand his brutality and mutinied. The mutiny was succesful, and Bligh was set adrift with any crew still loyal to him. Her crew sailed to Tahiti and left with several woman. Knowing that the Royal Navy would eventually hunt them down. Bounty was beached on Pitcairn Island and burned in 1790. Her last survivor was discovered there and pardoned in 1808. The story is one of the most famous tales of the Royal Navy and has been retold several times.
In 1962, the movie, Mutiny on the Bounty, was made, and for the film, a full sized sailing replica of HMS Bounty was built in Nova Scotia. The film is regarded as a classic. The replica Bounty continued to sail to various ports and was popular to draw crowds. In 2012, off the United States East coast, she got underway to flee Hurrican Sandy, but got caught in the storm, and was sunk. Her captain and one crewmember persihed in the sinking.
USCGC Mohawk (WPG-78)
USCGC Mohawk (WPG-78) was an Algonquin-class cutter commissioned in 1935. During World War II she took up escort duties from the United States and Canada to Greenland. She remained stationed in Greenland on patrol for the duration of the war. Most notably in her career, she was the last ship to have contact with General Dwight D. Eisenhower prior to the D-Day invasion, passing weather information for the fleet. She was mistaken by British fighters for a German ship and was damaged by friendly fire. During the war, she launched 14 attacks on U-boats. She was decommissioned in 1947 and placed in reserve. In 1984 she was acquired by a private interest group who wanted to preserve her but ended up bankrupt in 1990. In 2001, she was later discovered in a Staten Island scrapyard where she was repaired. She then made her new home in Key West. By 2012 however, her condition had deteriorated severely. She was scuttled as an artificial reef that year and is now a popular dive site.
USS Garnet (PYC-15)
Originally the German yacht Caritas, built in 1925, she was purchased by the US Navy in 1941, the week before the Attack on Pearl Harbor. Rechristened USS Garnet, she was commissioned in 1942 and began conducting patrols off Southern California and later Hawaii. In 1943 she escorted a convoy from Pearl Harbor to Funafuti, but other than that, spent the rest of the war patrolling between Pearl Harbor and Midway. She returned to California in December 1945 and was decommissioned. She was sold back into private ownership in 1947. She was taken to San Pedro, hauled ashore and converted into a hotel and museum ship. The museum closed in 2012, but Garnet still sits in her current location awaiting her fate.
HMCS Fraser (DDH-233)
HMCS Fraser (DDH-223) was a St. Laurent-class destroyer commissioned in 1957, one of Canada’s first domestic destroyers. Her career was largely peaceful, but a refit in 1965 allowed her to become one of the first Canadian warships to operate helicopters and was the first Canadian warship to test the NIXIE torpedo decoy. In 1993, she was deployed to Haiti as a part of Operation Uphold Democracy. She was decommissioned in 1994, and in 1998, was put on public display Bridgewater, Nova Scotia for preservation. By 2009, her condition deteriorated and was regarded as an eyesore for residents whose waterfront properties were obscured by her. That year she was purchased back by the Royal Canadian Navy and scrapped in 2011.
RFS (U-359)
USSRS U-359 was a Whiskey-class submarine commissioned into the Soviet Navy in 1954. Little is known of her service life other than she was decommissioned in 1993. In 1991, a Danish student project asked Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev to donate a decommissioned submarine as a symbol of peace. He agreed, but the project took a few years and a payment of $110,000 to materialize. In 1993, she arrived in Kolding, Denmark, but the citizens were not happy about it and passed the submarine to town of Nakskov. The museum was plagued by financial issues throughout its existence and finally closed in 2010. She was scrapped in 2011.
USS John Rodgers (DD-574) / ARM Cuitlahuac (E-01)
USS John Rodgers (DD-574) was a Fletcher-class destroyer commissioned in 1943, and immediately deployed to the Pacific. That year she took part in the Battle of Empress Augusta Bay, shooting down a Japanese torpedo bomber. She later provided cover fire for Allied landings in the Gilbert Islands. In 1944, she saw action the Marshall Islands, Guadalcanal, Guam, the Mariana Islands, and The Philippines. In 1945, she took part in the Iwo Jima and Okinawa campaigns, shooting down two Kamikazes. She then took part in the bombardment of the Japanese home islands until the war’s end. She was in Tokyo Bay for the surrender of Japan. She was decommissioned in 1946 and placed in reserve. In 1970, she was sold to Mexico and rechristened ARM Cuitalhuac (E-01). She served a peaceful life before being decommissioned in 2001 – the last Fletcher-class destroyer in service and the only one to serve into the 21st century. She was acquired by a private organization for preservation, but plans fell through and was seized by Mexico citing over $2 million in penalties. She was scrapped in 2010.
ARM Durango (B-01)
ARM Durango (B-01) was a gunboat-transport of the Mexican Navy commissioned in 1936. She was built in Spain and commissioned by Mexico just weeks before the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War. She was not particularly seaworthy in large waters, so remained coastal. Her life was long and peaceful carrying out routine patrols. She underwent a reengining in 1967, but by the 1970’s, it was clear she was obsolete, but remained in commission as a training ship. She was finally decommissioned in 2001 after 67 years of service. She was then donated to city of Mazatlan to become a museum ship. Throughout her entire museum ship life, she struggled for money and eventually was no longer maintainable. She was sold for scrap in 2009.
RFS K-77
RFS K-77 was a Juliett-class submarine commissioned into the Soviet Navy in 1965. Much of her career history is still classified, but the class was known to stalk American carrier battlegroups. But it known that K-77 operated in the Mediterranean and the Northern Fleet. She was transferred to the Baltic Fleet in 1987. She was decommissioned in 1991 and purchased by a Finnish businessman for preservation as a museum ship in Finland. She opened in 1993, and also hosted a bar and restaurant on board. She was then relocated to Tampa until 1998. In 2001, she was used as the film site for the movie, K-19: The Widowmaker. Following filming, she was purchased by the USS Saratoga Foundation who opened her as a museum ship in Providence and was a big hit in the area. In 2007, a bad Nor’easter struck the region, and K-77 sank at her moorings due to a hatch that was left open. She was raised in 2008 but was deemed beyond repair and was scrapped.
USCGC Woodbine (WLB-289)
USCGC Woodbine (WLB-289) was a Cactus-class buoy tender commissioned into the United States Coast Guard in 1942, during World War II. For the first half of the war, she was stationed out of San Juan, Puerto Rico and tended to navigation aids while also conducting routine boat inspections. In 1944, she was deployed to the Pacific and took part in Marianas Islands Campaign, the Recapture of Guam, and the Battle of Okinawa. After the war, she returned to the United States and was reassigned to Lake Michigan. She would remain there for the rest of her career. She was decommissioned in 1972 and sold the city of Cleveland, Ohio, who used her as a training and museum ship until the 1980’s. She was then sold and converted into a fish processing ship and moved to Alaska. She fulfilled this role until 2007. She was scrapped in 2008.
USCGC New Bedford (LV-114)
USCGC New Beford (LV-114) was a lightship commissioned in 1930 and stationed off the coast of Long Island, New York. During World War II, she was armed and operated as an examination ship. She spotted a U-boat on Christmas Day 1941. She was reassigned to Massachusetts after the war and continued this role until her decommissioning in 1971. The Coast Guard donated her to her namesake city of New Bedford, Massachusetts for use as a museum ship in 1975. She was never a huge attraction in the years that followed. In 2006, a crew member left a porthole open and a storm hit the area. This caused her to flood and capsize at her moorings. The city of New Bedford tried to sell the ship with the hope of preservation, but no bidders came forward, and thus was sold for scrap the following year.
HMNZS Manawanui
Originally built for the United States Navy, HMNZS Manawanui was a naval tug commissioned into the Royal New Zealand Navy in 1948. In 1953, she was converted into a diving tender, a role which she would fulfill for the next 15 years. In 1956, she rescued the pilot of a downed TBM Avenger. In 1957, she rescued a grounded patrol boat, and in 1958, rescued the crew of the stricken freighter Holmglen. She was decommissioned in 1978 and sold to the Paeroa Historic Maritime Park for preservation. Ultimately, she was not able to be preserved and eventually scrapped.
FGS Kranich (P6083)
FGS Kranich was a Jaguar-class fast attack craft commissioned into the West German Navy in December 1959. She, like the rest of her class, operated primarily in the Baltic Sea and North Sea with intentions of disrupting potential Soviet landing operations. She was decommissioned in November 1973 and became a museum ship in Bremerhaven. She was eventually scrapped in 2006.
USS LST-1008 / MV Wanling / MV Zhong 112 / CNS Dabie Shan (LST-926)
USS LST-1008 was an LST 542-class tank landing ship commissioned in 1944. She took part in the D-Day landings and then deployed to the Pacific to take part in the occupation of Japan and deliver aid to China. After the war, she was transferred to the Republic of China government for continued service as a relief ship unde the name Wanling. She was soon renamed Zhong 112 and became a merchant ship. She was abandoned by her crew during the chaos of the Chinese civil war in 1950, was later found in Shanghai by the People's Liberation Army. She was repaired and commissioned into the PLA Navy as Dabie Shan, where she continued to serve until her decommissioning in 1999. She was donated to the Qingdao Naval Museum where she was moored until 2005, when she was scrapped due to her deteriorating condition.
HMCS Carlplace (K664) / BRD Mella (F451)
HMCS Carlplace (K664) was a River-class frigate commissioned in 1944 and took up convoy escort duty in the Atlantic. She did this throughout the war, seeing no major action. She was decommissioned in 1945 and sold to the Dominican Republic the following year. Recommissioned as BRD Presidente Trujillo, the incumbent President of the Dominican Republic, and used primarily has his yacht. With the fall of his dictatorship, she was renamed Mella in 1962, and the following year, brought democratic President Juan Bosch back from exile. In 1965, she bombarded Santo Dominigo during the Dominican Civil War. By 1970, she was the flagship of the Dominican Navy and the only frigate that was seaworthy. She was decommissioned in 1998 and became a museum ship in Santo Dominigo. In 2003, the Dominican Republic offered to return her to Canada for preservation but was declined as she was in poor condition. She was scrapped that year.
USS Cabot (CVL-28) / ESPS Dedalo (R01)
USS Cabot (CVL-28) was an Independence-class light aircraft carrier commissioned in 1943. She took part in several major actions in the Pacific, most famously the Battle of the Philippine Sea and the Mariana’s Turkey Shoot and repelled numerous kamikaze attacks, one of which struck her flight deck killing 62 of her crew. She was repaired and continued action against the Japanese home islands. She was decommissioned in 1947, but reactivated in 1948 as a training carrier, when she was decommissioned again in 1955. In 1967 she was sold to Spain and became ESPS Dedalo (R01) and was modernized for jet operations. She served Spain until 1989 and decommissioned. She was sold to a private company for preservation and towed back to the United States. She was moored in New Orleans while a permanent home was located. During this time, and embezzlement scandal bankrupted the museum fund and was seized and sold for scrap to pay creditors.
IJN Shiga (DE-4711)
IJN Shiga (4711) was an Ukuru-class destroyer escort commissioned in March 1945 and took up patrol duties around Japan. She survived the war and was converted into a weather survey ship for the Japanese Ministry of Transport, under the name MAS Kojima. She continued this role until her decommissioning in 1964. She was then brought ashore and became the centerpiece of a maritime amusement park in Chiba City. By 1998, however, her hull had deteriorated severely and was scrapped. She was the only surviving Japanese warship from World War II in existence.
USCGC Relief (LV-84)
USCGC Relief (LV-84) was commissioned in 1907 and stationed at various ports along the East Coast. She was decommissioned in 1965. In 1968, she became the floating headquarters of a maritime union in Maryland until being sold again in 1987. She was towed to Yonkers, New York and became a floating restaurant, but was abandoned soon after. In 1991 she came under ownership of the Intrepid Museum in New York City, but was sold by the museum in 1993 in favor of a lightship in better condition. She entered drydock in 1994 to begin a restoration and become a restaurant in Staten Island. Her owners abandoned her in dry dock and was towed to an abandoned pier in Brooklyn and left there to rot. She sank at her moorings in 1997. Her wreck is used for diver training by the NYPD.
SS America / USS West Point / SS Australis
One of the largest American built ocean liners at the time, she entered service in 1940, before being pressed into naval service in 1941. Before the United States entered the war, her first task was bringing American citizens from the waring nations home. An agreement with the British allowed her and other American troopships to transport British soldiers from Canada to wherever they were needed. While on one such convoy, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor and the United States entered the war, she was in India at the time. From there she supported Allied troop movements in the Indian Ocean. She would operate in every theater of the war until its end in 1945. She took part in Operation Magic Carpet, returning Allied soldiers home in 1946, before being returned to United States Lines for civilian passenger service. She was very popular on the Transatlantic route before being sold in 1964 to Greece’s Chadris Line and renamed SS Australis. She continued cruise service until 1979. Following years of layup and an uncertain future, In 1994 she was sold to Thailand to become a floating hotel. While under tow, her towlines snapped, and she ran aground in the Canary Islands and broke in half. She was declared a total loss.
USS Inaugural (AM-242)
USS Inaugural (AM-242) was an Admirable-class minesweeper commissioned in 1944 and deployed to the Pacific. She arrived in time to take part in the Battle of Okinawa. During which she made several attacks on Japanese submarines and engaged Japanese aircraft, including Kamikazes. After the war, she took up minesweeping duties around Japan & Korea, cleaning up ruminants of the war, successfully clearing 82 of them. She was decommissioned in 1946 and placed in reserve. In 1968, she was preserved as a museum ship in St. Louis and was very successful. In 1993, the Great Flood occurred and caused her to slip her moorings and sank in the floodwaters, with her wreck resting on the bed of the Mississippi river. She remains there to this day.
USCGC Comanche (WPG-76)
USCGC Comanche (WPG-76) was an Algonquin-class cutter commissioned in 1934. During World War II, she was assigned to the Greenland Patrol and some convoy escort duty. In 1943, the U-boat, U-223, fired on her convoy and sank the transport, SS Dorsetshire. Comanche rescued 97of her survivors. She continued this role throughout the war. She was decommissioned in 1947 and placed in reserve. In 1948 she was sold to the Virginia Pilots Association for use as a barracks ship. In 1984, she was acquired by Patriot’s Point for preservation and restoration. In 1989, Hurricane Hugo struck the East Coast, and threw her up against the hull of the USS Yorktown (CV-10). She was damaged beyond repair and in 1991, was scuttled as a reef off Charleston.
ARV Zulia (D21)
ARV Zulia was the second of three Nueva Esparta-class destroyers of the Venezuelan Navy. The Trio were the first major warships the country had ever operated and were the beginning of a planned Naval expansion, which was never fully implemented. Zulia was commissioned in 1956 and took an active part in conducting exercises with the United States and other Latin American Navies. In 1962, she took part in the Puerto Cabello insurrection, a Naval revolt. She and two other destroyers bombarded Venezuelan Marine positions near her base. The revolt was put down the next day. A few months later, she was deployed to Cuba to assist the United States in their blockade of the island during the Cuban missile crisis. The rest of her life was relatively peaceful. She was decommissioned in 1978 and donated to the University of Zulia for preservation. Years later she was abandoned by her caretakers and sank at her moorings. Despite new attempts to preserve her, she was raised and sunk as a target ship in 1983.
USS Long Island (CVE-1) / MS Nelly / MS Seven Seas
USS Long Island (CVE-1) was the world’s first escort aircraft carrier. The ship type came about the sudden need for more warships, with war looming on the horizon. It was proposed to convert merchant ships into small aircraft carriers. Originally the cargo ship, SS Mormacmail, she was selected as the first ship to undergo conversion, mostly as an experiment. Rechristened USS Long Island, she was commissioned in Summer 1941 and testing was successful. Many more classes of the type followed. She did one Atlantic convoy as an anti-submarine ship but was mostly used for pilot training and aircraft delivery. Her aircraft were the first to be delivered and operate from Henderson Field in Guadalcanal. After the war, she transported Allied soldiers home and was soon decommissioned in 1946. She was then sold to Canada-Europe Line and converted into a passenger ship. Renamed MS Nelly and later MS Seven Seas, she served this role until 1966. In 1968 she was purchased by Rotterdam University for use as a hostel. She served this role until 1977, when she was scrapped.
ORP Burza - (H73)
ORP Burza (H73) was a Wicher-class destroyer commissioned into the Polish Navy in 1932. In 1939, she fled to the United Kingdom as a part of the Peking Plan. Once war broke out, she operated as a part of the Royal Navy, under the Polish flag. In 1940, she took up operations supporting Allied troops in Norway and France with gunfire support and anti-aircraft cover. During the Bombardment of Calais, she and British destroyers, HMS Vimera and HMS Wessex were attacked by 27 German aircraft. The attack damaged Burza & Wessex, while Vimera was sunk. She was repaired and took up convoy escort duty until 1944. From that point she was used as a training ship and submarine tender. After the war, she remained in service with the Navy of the Polish People’s Republic until 1960. She was preserved as a museum ship in Gdynia. Her condition deteriorated, and in 1977 was replaced by in the role by ORP Blyskawica and later scrapped.
RN Nautilo / KMS UIT-19 / JRM Sava (P-802)
RN Nautilo was a Flutto-class submarine commissioned into the Regia Marina in July 1943. She would not see any action under the Italian flag, as two months after her commissioning, Italy signed an armistice with the Allies and switched sides. Her crew scuttled her in Venice to prevent her capture by Germany. She was refloated by Germany and commissioned into the Kriegsmarine as KMS UIT-19. She was sunk a second time by the Royal Air-Force in the Yugoslav port of Pula in 1944. After the war, she was raised by the Yugoslav Navy and commissioned as JRM Sava and became a key pillar of Yugoslav’s post-war submarine fleet. In 1958, she became a training submarine. She was decommissioned for the final time in 1971. After decommissioning, she became the worlds first submarine nightclub in the Croatian port of Dubrovnik, affectionally called the “Yellow Submarine” due to her new paint job. Eventually she lost popularity and was closed. She was scrapped in 1974.
USCGC Brenton Reef (LV-39)
USCGC Brenton Reef (LV-39) was a lightship commissioned in 1875 and operated along the East Coast until her decommissioning in 1935. She was towed to Gloucester, Massachusetts and became a floating restaurant. The restaurant operated until 1974 when it was closed, and later towed to Boston. Plans were made to reopen her in Beverly, Massachusetts and was made seaworthy for the tow, but sank in a storm along the way.
USS Banning - (PCEC-886)
USS PCE-886 was PCE 842-class patrol ship commissioned on May 31 1945, during World War II, but too late to see any action. She would be commissioned, decommissioned, and recommissioned on-and-off, never seeing any action. In 1956, she was officially named USS Banning. She was decommissioned for the final time in 1961 and months later, became a museum ship in Hood River, Oregon. The museum proved unsuccessful and returned to Navy custody in 1969. In 1972, she was sold into private ownership and renamed Growler. In 1973, she foundered off Cape Prince of Wales, Alaska and was lost.
RMS Queen Elizabeth
RMS Queen Elizabeth was built in Clydebank, Scotland in 1938, and completed by mid-1939. However, World War II broke out before she could enter passenger service and was requisitioned by the Royal Navy as a troop transport. Throughout the war, she ferried Allied soldiers to various fronts of the war all across the world. After the war ended, she finally entered service as a passenger liner. She fulfilled this role until her retirement in 1967. She was then sold to Fort Lauderdale, Florida to become a hotel, but the Florida climate made it difficult to maintain her and was closed in 1970. She was sold and reactivated to become a school ship and was sailed to Hong Kong. In 1972, while undergoing conversion, in Hong Kong, a fire broke out aboard her, and sank in Victoria Harbor. Her wreck was later scrapped.
MS Batory
MS Batory was a Polish ocean liner built in 1936 as the flagship of Gdynia-American Line, and was very popular, being known as the most famous Polish ship. Her passenger service life was cut short following Germany’s invasion of Poland in 1939. She escaped Poland and was requisitioned by the Allied powers for wartime duties. Remaining under the Polish flag, she served as both a troop transport and a hospital ship. She took part in many key campaigns including the Evacuation of Dunkirk, the Invasion of Sicily, and the North African Campaign. Despite many Axis attempts to sink her, they all failed, and she was known as the Lucky Ship of Poland. She returned to Poland in 1946 and resumed her passenger service, which she continued until 1969. That year she was withdrawn and became a floating hotel in Gdynia, but this proved to be a failure and was sold for scrap in 1971.
TCG Hamidiye
A unique protected cruiser, she was built in British shipyards and commissioned into the Ottoman Navy in 1902 as a part of the Ottoman Empire's naval modernization program. She didn't wait too long to see action as in 1908, she was deployed to help quell pro-Greek uprisings on Samos Island, and later put down further civil unrest in Constantinople. In 1912, the First Balkan War broke out, bringing the Ottoman Empire into conflict with Greece, Serbia, Montenegro, & Bulgaria. On November 21 1912, she was bombarding Bulgarian positions along the coast, when a flotilla of Bulgarian torpedo boats engaged her. The lead boat, BNG Drazki, successfully torpedoed her and damaged her, forcing her to retreat. She was soon repaired and in January 1913, engaged and sank the Greek merchant raider RHS Macedonia, and proceeded to bombard Greek coastal defenses. In March 1913, she sailed to Albania to bombard Greek & Serbian positions. While en route, she attacked a Greek convoy and sank six merchant ships. During World War I, she saw heavy combat in the Black Sea against the Imperial Russian Navy, engaging the Russians several times alongside larger Ottoman ships and raided the Russian coast. Following the Ottoman Empire's defeat in World War I, she was allowed to be retained by the new Republic of Turkey as a part of the Turkish Naval Forces. She continued to serve in frontline duties until 1940, when she became a training ship. She was finally decommissioned in 1947. In 1949, she became a museum ship in Istanbul but proved not to be successful. She remained in reserve until 1964, when she was scrapped.
USCGC Bear - (AG-29)
Originally the Newfoundlander sealing ship, SS Bear in 1874, she was acquired by the United States Revenue Cutter service in 1885 for the purpose of Arctic expedition. She conducted routine patrols of Alaskan waters from 1885 to 1926. She was decommissioned that year and became a museum ship in Oakland under the name, Bear of Oakland. In 1932, she was purchased by Admiral Richard E. Byrd to use for Antarctic exploration, which she conducted two voyages to. In 1939, she was commissioned by the Navy as USS Bear. In 1941, as the United States entered World War II, she evacuated the last Americans from Antarctic research stations, fearing they would be attacked. From 1941 to 1944 she served in the Atlantic as a part of the Greenland Patrol. She was decommissioned in 1944, citing her age. In 1948 she was sold to Canada to become a sealing ship once again, but this proved to costly and was left abandoned. In 1962, she was sold to Philadelphia to become a museum ship and restaurant. She underwent a light restoration in Nova Scotia before being towed out in 1963. While under tow, a gale struck and severed the tow line, and she sank in the storm. She holds many distinctions in her career.
USS Ranger (PG-23) / USS Rockport / USS Nantucket (IX-18) / TV Emery Rice
Originally USS Ranger, she was a gunboat commissioned in 1873. For much of her early years, her life was peaceful and conducted patrols and port visits globally. In 1880, she was converted into a hydrographic survey ship and conducted survey operations off Baja California and Central America. She was later decommissioned in 1891 but recommissioned in 1892 for patrol duties in the Bearing Sea. She then resumed survey duties in Central America in 1894. She was decommissioned on and off again between 1903 and 1908 due to mechanical issues. In 1909, she was donated to the Massachusetts Maritime Academy for use as a training ship. In 1917 she was renamed USS Rockport, and later USS Nantucket. She was rearmed during World War I and returned to her former life as a gunboat until the war's end. In 1940, she was briefly loaned to the newly established United States Merchant Marine Academy as a training ship. She returned to Massachusetts in 1942 and renamed Emery Rice. She continued this role until her decommissioning in 1944. She was the preserved as a museum ship until being scrapped in 1958.
HMS Nile / HMS Conway
HMS Nile was a ship-of-the-line. She was launched in 1839, but went right into reserve. She wasn't commissioned until 1854 and joined the Baltic squadron. She was deployed to the Gulf of Finland during the Crimean War. In 1855 she engaged the Russian Navy off Hammeliski, succesfully boarding and burning several Russian warships. She returned to the United Kingdom the following year and took part in Queen Victoria's Fleet Review. She was later forward deployed to Bermuda following the Trent Affair, which could've resulted in British intervention in the American Civil War. She was later recalled to the United Kingdom and finally decommisoned in 1863. In 1876 she was donated to the Mercantile Marine Service Association for use as a training ship. She was rechristened HMS Conway and housed 250 cadets. She would fulfill this role for several decades. During World War II she survived the Liverpool Blitz. She returned to training duties after the war. in 1953 she sailed to be refitted, but was violently grounded by strong tides, which broke her back. She then caught fire in 1956, resulting in her total loss
USS Hartford
USS Hartford was a sloop-of-war commissioned in 1858. She took an active role in the American Civil War as the flagship of Admiral David Farragut, the United States’ first admiral. She would skirmish with the Confederate Navy many times, but most notably at the Battle of Mobile Bay in 1864, in which a crushing defeat to the Confederacy was dealt. After the war, she was deployed to the Pacific as a part of the newly formed Asiatic Squadron. Her life was peaceful after that. She remained in service as a training ship until 1926. President Franklin D. Roosevelt earmarked her for preservation, but World War II sidelined these plans, and following his death were also abandoned, and was allowed to deteriorate. In 1945, she was classified as a relic with hopes of restoration, but as her condition worsened, she sank at her moorings in 1956 and was deemed a total loss. She was broken up for scrap in place.
KEB Tver
KEB Tver was a 26-ore galley built for personal use by Catherine the Great in 1767 for her voyage on the Volga River. She was commissioned into the Imperial Russian Navy that year. Catherine the Great embarked on May 2 1767 and the voyage lasted until June 5 1767. She returned to St. Petersburg the following year was handed over to the Kazan Admiralty for preservation. By 1804, she was the only surviving Imperial galley and in the 1880’s, more steps were taken to preserve her. In 1918, during the chaos of the Russian Revolution, she was saved from destruction by Kazan University’s historical society, who took over preservation. By the end of the year, the museum fell under the control of the Soviet government and administered by the newly founded People’s Commissariat for Education and the Tatar State Museum, who continued preservation. In 1954, in order to promote the communist agenda, she was burned by the Soviet Department of Culture. Plans in the works to construct a full-sized replica.
FS Duguay-Trouin / HMS Implacable
The FS Duguay-Trouin was a Temeraire-class ship-of-the-line commissioned into the French Navy in 1800. During the Napoleonic Wars, she engaged the Royal Navy on and off until the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. During the battle Duguay-Trouin was heavily damaged after engaging four British frigates. She was boarded by the Royal Marines and captured soon after. She was repaired and recommissioned into the Royal Navy as HMS Implacable. In 1808, she took part in the Anglo-Russian War alongside Sweden, engaging several Russian ships at the Battle of Kronstadt. During the battle, she sank the Russian frigate Vsevolod. In 1809 she engaged the Russian Baltic Fleet capturing six gunboats. In 1810, she took part in the Siege of Cadiz, and continued action against Napoleon until 1813. In 1840, she undertook her last combat action bombarding Acre. In 1842 she was declared unfit for service and recalled. She was repaired and continued life as a training ship. In 1908, King Edward VII personally intervened to save the ship for preservation. Fund raising campaigns were successful. She was neglected during World War II and by wars end, citing no funds available from private or government, the Royal Navy was unable to continue preserving her. She was offered to France to retake her but declined for the same reasons. It was decided to scuttle her with explosives in 1949.
HMS Wellesley
HMS Wellesley was a third-rate ship-of-the-line commissioned in 1815. Her life was mostly peaceful until 1840 when she was deployed to China to take part in the 1st Opium War. She was successful in destroying most of China’s coastal cannons and fleet of Junks. She took part in the key Battle of Shanghai in 1842, which ultimately lead to a British victory in the war. In 1854, she was regulated to a training ship. In 1940, during a German air raid on Denton, England, she was struck by several bombs and sank. She was raised in 1948 and broken up. She was still a commissioned warship at the time of her loss, giving her the infamous distinction of being the last sail warship to be sunk by enemy action.
USS Oregon - (BB-3)
USS Oregon (BB-3) was an Indiana-class battleship commissioned in 1896. During the Spanish-American War, she took part in the Battle of Santiago de Cuba which saw the destruction of the Spanish Caribbean Fleet and bombardment of Spanish coastal batteries. She later sailed to the Pacific to take part in the Philippine-American War, where she conducted several coastal bombardments. In 1900 she was deployed to China to reinforce the Eight Nation Alliance during the Boxer Rebellion. With the arrival of the Dreadnought’s, she was decommissioned in 1906, but recommissioned after modernization in 1911. She took no part in World War I but did transport troops to Russia during the Russian Civil War. She was decommissioned for the last time in 1919. She was preserved in Portland, but in 1941, was scrapped, as her steel was needed for World War II.
KEB General-Admiral Apraksin / IJN Okinoshima
KEB General-Admiral Apraksin was a Admiral Ushakov-class coastal defense ship commissioned into the Imperial Russian Navy in 1899. Her career started off rough with her grounding in the Gulf of Finland, she was freed after great effort. In 1905, she and her two sister ships, Admiral Ushakov & Admiral Seniavin, were selected to Admiral Nebogatov’s squadron to confront Japan in the Pacific, embarking on what would later be known as the Voyage of the Damned. On May 27 1905, all three ships took part in the Battle of Tsushima. As the Russian Fleet was decimated by the Japanese, Admiral Ushakov was sunk, and General-Admiral Apraksin & Admiral Seniavin were captured as prizes. Both ships were recommissioned into the Imperial Japanese Navy as IJN Okinoshima & IJN Mishima respectively. In Japanese service, she took part in the Siege of Tsingtao against Germany. She was decommissioned in 1922 and became a museum ship in 1924. In 1939, she was damaged by a sever storm, and forced to be scrapped.
USS Holland - (SS-1)
USS Holland (SS-1) was the US Navy’s first commissioned submarine. Largely an experimental vessel, she was launched in 1897 and shown off to the US Navy to demonstrate the effectiveness of submarines. The US Navy was convinced and purchased the submarine, officially commissioning her that year, and named her after her creator. She served as the basis for the five Plunger-class submarines that followed her. She was decommissioned in 1910 and set to be sold for scrap but purchased for preservation in 1913. During World War I she served as a traveling exhibit across the Northeast United States before finally being put on permanent display in Paterson, New Jersey. Unfortunately, as the Great Depression struck the country, her preservation was no longer affordable and scrapped in 1932.
SMS Erzherzog Franz Ferdinand
SMS Erzherzog Franz Ferdinand was a Radetzky-class battleship commissioned into the Austro-Hungarian Navy in 1910. She took part in the Bombardment of Ancona in 1915. This was her only major combat action of the war. Her fate was the same as SMS Tegetthoff’s, being seized by the Italians and put on display in Venice. She was scrapped in 1926 in accordance with the Washington Naval Treaty.
SMS Tegetthoff
SMS Tegetthoff was the lead ship of Austria-Hungary’s sole class of Dreadnought’s commissioned in 1912. She took part in the Bombardment of Ancona in 1915, but with most of the Austro-Hungarian Navy, found herself bottled up in the Adriatic Sea until the Otranto Raid in June 1918, in which her sister, SMS Szent Istvan was torpedoed and sunk by the Italian torpedo boat, RN MAS-15. Tegetthoff stood alongside and rescued Szent Istvan’s survivors. After the raid, it was clear that war was lost for Austria-Hungary, and she and the entire navy, was handed over to the State of Slovenes, Croats, and Serbs. The Allies did not recognize the transfers, and Italy seized several ships. She steamed into Venice under her own power and was put on display as a war trophy and opened to the public. The Washington Naval Treaty forced her to be scrapped, which was carried out in 1924.
HMS Foudroyant
HMS Foudroyant was a ship-of-the-line commissioned into the Royal Navy in 1798. She saw action in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars against France, seeing many victories and briefly served as the flagship of Admiral Horatio Nelson. Following Napoleon’s final defeat in 1815, she was drydocked for four years of repairs. In 1819, she was regulated to guardship duties in Plymouth. In 1862 she became a training ship and fulfilled this role until 1884. She was finally decommissioned in 1891 and marked for breaking, but public protest saved her. She was purchased and restored to her original state and used as a sail training ship. She then made a traveling tour around the United Kingdom. In 1897, she was docked in Blackpool, England when a sever storm ripped her from her moorings and violently grounded her. Her crew was saved, but Foudroyant was a total loss and later broken up.
