THE TARGET SHIP
U. S. Navy Target
Ship
Located approximately 7 miles East of Pt Lookout in the
Central Chesapeake Bay ( 38.02.439 North Latitude and 076.09.208
West Longitude) lays the Joseph Holland. Built in 1898, a
Collier, by J. Blumer and Co., Sunderland, Great Britain.
She was acquired by the U.S Navy 16 April 1898 and commissioned
USS Hannibal, 7 June 1898. Decommissioned, 15 August 1911;
Re-commissioned, 16 October 1911; Decommissioned in 1920 at
Philadelphia, PA; Re-commissioned, 9 February 1921 as USS
Hannibal (AG-1), Decommissioned, 20 August 1944 and struck
from the Naval Register (date unknown). Final disposition,
sunk as a bombing target, March 1945.
Specifications: Displacement 4,000 tons; Length 274' 1";
Beam 39' 2"; Draft 17' 7"; Speed 9 knots; Complement
244; Armament one 4" gun mount, two 3" guns, 8 .50
cal. machine guns.
On October 21, 1966, The American Mariner was sunk in 20 feet of water
in the Chesapeake Bay next to Hannibal to be used as a target
ship for Navy pilots flying from Patuxent River Naval Air
Station. She remains there today.
American Mariner began construction in Bethlehem-Fairfield
Shipyard in Baltimore, MD, as S.S. George Calvert, U.S. Maritime
Commission hull number 20. Immediately upon launching, the
standard construction and outfitting contract with Fairfield
was cancelled, and she was towed to the Bethlehem Shipbuilding
Corporation's Key Highway plant in Baltimore for completion
as a cadet training ship. At that time, her name was changed
to American Mariner to become a companion to American Seaman
and American Sailor as cadet training vessels. She continued
in service as a training ship until 1950, when she was laid
up at Kings Point, NY. She was still used for training even
though laid up until December 1953 when she was transferred
to the Hudson River Reserve Fleet at Jones Point, NY. Here
she remained until June 1958 when she was towed out of reserve
for conversion into a missile tracking platform for the Army.
She began her new duties on the Atlantic Missile Range in
January 1959. She continued as a missile tracking ship for
various agencies until 1965.
Specifications: Displacement: 4,023 t. (lt); 14,250 t.(fl);
Length 441' 7"; Beam 57' 11";
Draft 24' 7"; Speed 11 knots; Propulsion, reciprocating
steam engine, single propeller, 2,500shp.
Should you have any questions or desire further information,
please call or e-mail
Capt. Gary Sacks at 301-872-5506 or write:
