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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

USNS American Mariner (T-AGM-12)
ex
 USAFS E- American Mariner (? - 1964)
 US Army Ship American Mariner (1959 - ?)
 TS American Mariner (1941 - 1942)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Charlie - Victor - November
 NCVN
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from left to right
American Campaign Medal - American Campaign Medal - National Defense Service Medal
American Mariner Class Missile Range Instrumentation Ship
  • Laid down, 15 August 1941, as SS George Calvertt, a Maritime Commission type (EC2-S-C1) hull, under Maritime Commission contact (MC hull 20) at Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard, Baltimore, MD.
  • While under construction redesignated and as a Maritime Commission type Z3-EC2-S-C1 Training Ship
  • Launched, 30 December 1941
  • Completed, 12 February 1942, at Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation's Key Highway Plant, Baltimore, MD., as a cadet training ship, manned by the US Coast Guard and unlicensed merchant marine personnel of the US Maritime Service
  • Commissioned by the US Coast Guard, SS American Mariner (FIX), 30 December 1941
  • Decommissioned, 31 August 1942
  • Renamed TS American Mariner and placed in service as a cadet training ship, circa 1942-43
  • Assigned to Massachusetts Maritime Academy (AMA) as a school ship in 1946
  • Laid up at Kings Point, N.Y, in 1950
  • Transferred lay up, 9 December 1953, to the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Hudson River, Jones Point, N.Y.
  • Converted at Brooklyn Navy Yard in 1961 to a Missile Range Instrumentation Ship
  • Placed in service by the US Army in January 1959, assigned to ARGMA (Advanced Research Guided Missiles Agency), Redstone Arsenal, and commissioned US Army Ship American Mariner, manned by civilian mariners under contract to Mathiesen Tankers and RCA Service Company engineers and scientists. She remained in the Army inventory as an RCAS missile tracking ship for DAMP (Downrange Anti-ballistic Missile Program) until 1 January 1964
  • Assigned to the AMR (Atlantic Missile Range) under the Air Force and Pan American control
  • Transferred to the US Navy Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS) and placed in service as USNS American Mariner (T-AGM-12), 7 January 1964
  • Placed out of service, 7 January 1966 and struck from the Naval Register
  • Final Disposition, intentionally grounded on a sand bar 7 miles east of Point Lookout, between Point Lookout and Smith's Island (38.02.439 N 076.92.08W) for use as an aerial bombing target. American Mariner replaced ex-USS Hannibal (AG-1) as a target in 1966.
    Specifications
    Displacement 4,023 t.(lt), 14,250 t.(fl)
    Length 441' 7"
    Beam 57' 11"
    Draft 24' 7"
    Speed 11 kts.
    Armament none
    Propulsion reciprocating steam engine, single propeller, 2,500shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Source
    TS American Mariner
    American Mariner 52k Massachusetts Maritime Academy school ship TS American Mariner underway in 1946. Massachusetts Maritime Academy web site
    US Army American Mariner
    American Mariner 53k US Army (RCA) Range Instrumentation Ship US Army Ship American Mariner drydocked at Baltimore, MD. while having her bottom scraped and painted, date unknown. Robert Hurst
    American Mariner 64k US Army (RCA) Range Instrumentation Ship US Army Ship American Mariner departing Baltimore, MD., 16 February 1960, for the South Atlantic to track US Department of Defense missile shoots. Ron Reeves
    American Mariner 150k US Army Range Instrumentation Ship US Army Ship American Mariner showing indicators to tracking equipment aboard the ship. Photo from Newsletter, 1 January 1964. United States Military. Robert Hurst
    American Mariner 68k US Army Ship American Mariner at anchor, Ascension Island, circa 1959-1964 Photo by Ted Bojanowski
    American Mariner 98k US Army Ship American Mariner at anchor, Ascension Island, circa 1959-1964 Photo by Ted Bojanowski
    American Mariner 114k US Army Ship American Mariner moored at Chagaramus Pier, Trinidad W.I., circa 1959-1964 Photo by Ted Bojanowski
    American Mariner 87k US Army Ship American Mariner moored at Chagaramus, Trinidad W.I., circa 1959-1964 Photo by Ted Bojanowski
    American Mariner 112k US Army Ship American Mariner moored at Recife, Brazil, circa 1959-1964 Photo by Ted Bojanowski
    American Mariner 65k US Army (RCA) Range Instrumentation Ship US Army Ship American Mariner moored, place unknown, circa 1959-1964 Photo by Ted Bojanowski
    USAFS E- American Mariner
    American Mariner 56k US Air Force Range Instrumentation Ship USAFS E- American Mariner pierside, date and location unknown Robert Hurst
    American Mariner 57k
    American Mariner 81k US Air Force Range Instrumentation Ship USAFS E- American Mariner pierside, date and location unknown Robert Hurst
    Ex-American Mariner (T-AGM-12)
    American Mariner 195k Ex-USNS American Mariner (T-AGM-12) anchored off Point Lookout, Chesapeake Bay in 1966. Ex-American Mariner (T-AGM-12) was sunk in October 1966 by Underwater Demolition Team 22 as a replacement target vessel for ex- USS Hannibal (AG-1).
    US Naval History and Heritage Command Photo # NH 89099, courtesy of Naval Air Station, Patuxent River, Maryland.    		 US Naval History and Heritage Command
    American Mariner 46k Bow view of target ship ex-American Mariner at anchor off Point Lookout, Chesapeake Bay, 1980. Photo courtesy Arthur Davis Whitaker Jr. Robert Hurst
    American Mariner 79k Ex-American Mariner moored in the Chesapeake Bay and being used as a target ship, 6 May 2006 Photos by Chip Seelig
    American Mariner 30k
    There is no DANFS history for USNS American Mariner (T-AGM-12) available at Navsource
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    MARAD Vessel History Database
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 1 March 2019