American Mariner as aircraft target?

[DDAY]

I've been doing some research on old Navy missile tracking ships and came
across the story of the American Mariner, which was a converted freighter.

A website says that at the end of its career in 1966, the AM was sunk in 20
feet of water in Chesapeake Bay near Lookout Point to serve as a "target"
for Navy jets flying out of Pensacola. There's also a picture of the hulk
in 1985 (nearly two decades later).

Anybody know anything about this?




D

[John Szalay]

"DDAY" > wrote in news:dxSJh.12642$tD2.9931
@newsread1.news.pas.earthlink.net:

> American Mariner

http://www.flickr.com/photos/radiorover/155327673/



"TARGET SHIP" lat=38.0689553132, lon=-76.1251953469

[John Szalay]

"DDAY" > wrote in
link.net:

> I've been doing some research on old Navy missile tracking ships and
> came across the story of the American Mariner, which was a converted
>
> Anybody know anything about this?
>
>
>
>
good photos

http://travel.webshots.com/photo/1082111803043169043APoHDj

[DDAY]

----------
In article >, John Szalay
> wrote:

> "DDAY" > wrote in news:dxSJh.12642$tD2.9931
> @newsread1.news.pas.earthlink.net:
>
>> American Mariner
>
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/radiorover/155327673/
>
> "TARGET SHIP" lat=38.0689553132, lon=-76.1251953469

Wow. Many thanks--for the photo links and the lat and long coordinates. I
am writing an article about tracking ships for a magazine and looking to get
as much info as I can. I looked around on Google Earth, but didn't find
her. But I didn't know exactly where to look either.

One question I have to answer is what kind of target ship she was. Gunnery
practice or bomb practice? Or simply a sighting target? And for how long?
The fact that the rusted hulk is still relatively intact now four decades
later indicates that she couldn't have been used for live bombing practice
or used for target practice for very long--otherwise there should be nothing
left of her.

I'll keep digging, but thanks.



D

[Paul Elliot]

DDAY wrote:
> ----------
> In article >, John Szalay
> > wrote:
>
>> "DDAY" > wrote in news:dxSJh.12642$tD2.9931
>> @newsread1.news.pas.earthlink.net:
>>
>>> American Mariner
>> http://www.flickr.com/photos/radiorover/155327673/
>>
>> "TARGET SHIP" lat=38.0689553132, lon=-76.1251953469
>
> Wow. Many thanks--for the photo links and the lat and long coordinates. I
> am writing an article about tracking ships for a magazine and looking to get
> as much info as I can. I looked around on Google Earth, but didn't find
> her. But I didn't know exactly where to look either.
>
> One question I have to answer is what kind of target ship she was. Gunnery
> practice or bomb practice? Or simply a sighting target? And for how long?
> The fact that the rusted hulk is still relatively intact now four decades
> later indicates that she couldn't have been used for live bombing practice
> or used for target practice for very long--otherwise there should be nothing
> left of her.
>
> I'll keep digging, but thanks.
>
>
>
> D

From the looks of the hulk, I would surmise that it is a gunnery
target. Lots and lots of holes, some big, some small, but no explosive
damage. A big piece of Swiss cheese. :-)

--
Heaven is where the police are British, the chefs Italian, the mechanics
German, the lovers French and it is all organized by the Swiss.

Hell is where the police are German, the chefs British, the mechanics
French, the lovers Swiss and it is all organized by Italians.

http://new.photos.yahoo.com/paul1cart/albums/

[John Szalay]

"DDAY" > wrote in
ink.net:

> ----------
> In article >, John
> Szalay > wrote:
>
>> "DDAY" > wrote in
>> news:dxSJh.12642$tD2.9931 @newsread1.news.pas.earthlink.net:
>>
>>> American Mariner
>>
>> http://www.flickr.com/photos/radiorover/155327673/
>>
>> "TARGET SHIP" lat=38.0689553132, lon=-76.1251953469
>
> Wow. Many thanks--for the photo links and the lat and long
> coordinates. I am writing an article about tracking ships for a
> magazine and looking to get as much info as I can.
>
>
>
> D
>


Hahn, Herbert Paul, "American Mariner"
a documentary biography of her role as: Liberty Ship, Training Ship,
Missile Instrumentation Ship, Mystery Ship, Test Target. Published 1990
by American Merchant Marine Museum Foundation, Kings Point, New York.
ISBN 1-879180-00-6.



http://www.usmm.net/trainingship.html

this page has the book of blueprints for the ship.
George Calvert Completed as American Mariner
USMS training ship, to USN in 1961 as (AGM-12), sunk as target 1966,

Ships - Merchant

World War II
American Liberty Ships
EC2-S-C1 type
A Study in Blueprints
Volume I

by Duane D. Borchers, Sr.

BK-050 $60.00


also named USAS American Mariner
USAF American Mariner
USNS American Mariner
T-AGM-12




http://www.marylandsilver.com/books.htm

[DDAY]

----------
In article >, John Szalay
> wrote:

> Hahn, Herbert Paul, "American Mariner"
> a documentary biography of her role as: Liberty Ship, Training Ship,
> Missile Instrumentation Ship, Mystery Ship, Test Target. Published 1990
> by American Merchant Marine Museum Foundation, Kings Point, New York.
> ISBN 1-879180-00-6.

Yeah, I've ordered that through Amazon Merchants. I'm hoping that I can
find out who authored it and if I can get access to the photos.

I've got a short article on the T-AGM Vandenberg appearing on the web on
Monday. The Vandenberg will be sunk as an artificial reef later this year.



> USAF American Mariner

Any idea about this designation? Was it a temporary designation while she
was undergoing conversion, or did the USAF actually operate ships with that
designation? I would assume that any ships that the USAF operated were
under contractors.




D

[John Szalay]

"DDAY" > wrote in
thlink.net:
>> USAF American Mariner
>
> Any idea about this designation? Was it a temporary designation while
> she was undergoing conversion, or did the USAF actually operate ships
> with that designation? I would assume that any ships that the USAF
> operated were under contractors.
>
>

Think they had some ships back in the DEW line days as well.


FWI:
I got to board the "Observation Island" once when she was in Pearl Harbor
around 1961-1962.

[Ian MacLure]

"DDAY" > wrote in
link.net:

> I've been doing some research on old Navy missile tracking ships and came
> across the story of the American Mariner, which was a converted freighter.
>
> A website says that at the end of its career in 1966, the AM was sunk in 20
> feet of water in Chesapeake Bay near Lookout Point to serve as a "target"
> for Navy jets flying out of Pensacola. There's also a picture of the hulk
> in 1985 (nearly two decades later).

Pensacola?
Oceania surely....

IBM

[DDAY]

----------
In article >, Ian MacLure
> wrote:

>> A website says that at the end of its career in 1966, the AM was sunk in 20
>> feet of water in Chesapeake Bay near Lookout Point to serve as a "target"
>> for Navy jets flying out of Pensacola. There's also a picture of the hulk
>> in 1985 (nearly two decades later).
>
> Pensacola?
> Oceania surely....

My goof. I think a website said Pax River.



D