Collection

Ships

Ships, builders, home ports, specifications, and histories.

Showing 15,851–15,900

Name	Type	Hull Num	Class	Status	Comm Is Date	Decom Sunk Or Reclass	Reclass Num	Builder	Built City	Built State	Home Port	Historynotes
Savannah	Fr			oos		1862-02-11 00:00:00.000		New York Navy Yard	New York	NY		2nd Savannah Launched May 5 1842 Flagship of Pacific Squad… 2nd Savannah Launched May 5 1842 Flagship of Pacific Squadron 1844 Mexican War Flagship of Pacific Squadron 1849-52 Flagship of Home Squadron 1859-60 Civil War (Also see Confederate SwStr Savannah) 1861, shared in capturing Confederate vessels E. J. Waterman and Cheshire Feb 11 1862, taken out of service and used as instruction and practice ship at U.S. Naval Academy Sold 1883
Savannah	Galley		Savannah	Sold	1799-03-20 00:00:00.000			John Patterson	Savannah	GA		1st Savannah Placed in service Mar 20 1799 Sold in Feb 180… 1st Savannah Placed in service Mar 20 1799 Sold in Feb 1802
Savannah	Gunboat											Civil War Delivered 1865 Army vessel in Eastern Theater A… Civil War Delivered 1865 Army vessel in Eastern Theater Also see other Savannah
Savannah	Steamer											Civil War Used to transport Gen. Sherman's troops in early … Civil War Used to transport Gen. Sherman's troops in early 1865
Savannah	SwStr			Renamed		1863-04-28 00:00:00.000	*		New York	NY		Built 1856 Purchased 1861 by State of Georgia Civil War C… Built 1856 Purchased 1861 by State of Georgia Civil War Confederate Navy Nov 1861, defense of Port Royal Sound, SC Renamed Oconee, qv, Apr 28 1863 (Also see Union Navy Frigate Savannah and other Savannah)
Savannah	AOR	4	Wichita	Decom	1970-12-05 00:00:00.000	1995-07-28 00:00:00.000		General Dynamics	Quincy	MA		5th Savannah Vietnam War 1972, coast of Vietnam Aug 1994,… 5th Savannah Vietnam War 1972, coast of Vietnam Aug 1994, Operation Able Vigil Sep 1994, Operation Support Democracy, off Haiti Decommissioned 7/28/95 1 Battle Star and Meritorious Unit Citation Vietnam War
Savannah	CL	42	Brooklyn	Decom	1938-03-10 00:00:00.000	1947-02-03 00:00:00.000		New York Shipbuilding Co.	Camden	NJ		4th Savannah WW II Aug 5 1942, Atlantic Fleet, CPT L. S. F… 4th Savannah WW II Aug 5 1942, Atlantic Fleet, CPT L. S. Fiske Nov 1942, Operation Torch, invasion of North Africa, CPT Leon S. Fiske Jul 1943, Operation Husky, invasion of Sicily, CPT Robert W. Cary Sep 1943, Operation Avalanche, invasion at Salerno, CPT Robert W. Cary Decommissioned Feb 3 1947 Struck Mar 1 1959 Sold for scrapping Jan 25 1966 3 Battle Stars WW II
Savannah	AS	8		Decom	1918-01-14 00:00:00.000	1926-12-16 00:00:00.000	*	Flensburger Schiffbau Gesellschaft	Flensburg	GE		3rd Savannah Built 1899 ex Saxonia Seized upon U.S. entry… 3rd Savannah Built 1899 ex Saxonia Seized upon U.S. entry into World War I Renamed Jun 9 1917 WW I - The name Savannah dropped Sep 15 1933 and then known only as AS-8, qv
Savo Island	AKV	28		Struck		1959-09-01 00:00:00.000		Kaiser Shipbuilding Co., Inc.	Vancouver	WA		Ex CVE-78, qv Ex CVHE-78, qv Reclassified AKV-28 May 7 195… Ex CVE-78, qv Ex CVHE-78, qv Reclassified AKV-28 May 7 1959, after decommissioning Struck Sep 1 1959 Sold Feb 29 1960
Savo Island	CVE	78	Casablanca	Decom	1944-02-03 00:00:00.000	1946-12-12 00:00:00.000	*	Kaiser Shipbuilding Co., Inc.	Vancouver	WA		Maritime Commission Hull 1115 Ex Kaita Bay (AVG-78) Reclas… Maritime Commission Hull 1115 Ex Kaita Bay (AVG-78) Reclassified ACV-78 Aug 20 1942 Reclassified CVE-78 Jul 15 1943 Renamed Savo Island Nov 6 1943 Commissioned Feb 3 1944, CPT C. E. Eckstrom WW II Oct 1944, Invasion of Leyte, CPT C. E. Ekstrom Jan 1945, Invasion at Lingayen Gulf, CPT C. E. Ekstrom Mar-Apr 1945, Operation Iceberg, Okinawa operations Decommissioned Dec 12 1946 Reclassified CVHE-78, qv, Jun 12 1955 4 Battle Stars and Presidential Unit Citation WW II
Savo Island	CVHE	78		Reclas		1959-05-07 00:00:00.000	*	Kaiser Shipbuilding Co., Inc.	Vancouver	WA		Ex CVE-78, qv Reclassified CVHE-78 Jun 12 1955, after decom… Ex CVE-78, qv Reclassified CVHE-78 Jun 12 1955, after decommissioning Reclassified AKV-28, qv, May 7 1959
Sawfish	SS	276	Gato	Decom	1942-08-26 00:00:00.000	1946-06-26 00:00:00.000		Portsmouth Navy Yard	Portsmouth	NH		WW II May 5 1943, sank Japanese converted gunboat Hakkai Ma… WW II May 5 1943, sank Japanese converted gunboat Hakkai Maru off Honshu, CDR Eugene T. Sands 7/27/43, sank Japanese minelayer Hirashima off Kyushu, Japan, CDR Sands Dec 8 1943, sank Japanese passenger-cargo ship Sansei Maru Midway Dec 19th 1943 7/26/44, sank Japanese submarine I-29 in Luzon Strait, P.I. Sep Oct 9 1944, sank Japanese tanker Tachibana Maru south of Formosa Oct 23 1944, sank Japanese seaplane tender Kimikawa Maru Oct 1944, Invasion of Leyte, CDR A. B. Banister Mar-Apr 1945, Operation Iceberg, Okinawa operations
Saxis	SP	615		Lost	1917-05-05 00:00:00.000	2927-07-07 00:00:00.000						Motor boat Acquired by Navy May 5 1917 WW I - Lost Jul 7 … Motor boat Acquired by Navy May 5 1917 WW I - Lost Jul 7 1917
Say Gay	freighter											WW II
Sayona II	SP	1109		oos	1917-08-03 00:00:00.000	1918-12-20 00:00:00.000		H. Manley	Crosby	MA		Yacht Ex Tip Top Built 1907 Acquired by Navy Jul 1917 In… Yacht Ex Tip Top Built 1907 Acquired by Navy Jul 1917 In service Aug 3 1917 WW I - 5th Naval District Out of service Dec 30 1918 and returned to owner
Sayonarra II	SO	587		oos	1917-05-08 00:00:00.000			George Lawley & Sons	Neponset	MA		Motor boat Built 1916 Acquired by Navy Apr 25 1917 In ser… Motor boat Built 1916 Acquired by Navy Apr 25 1917 In service May 8 1917 WW I - 1st Naval District Out of service Mar 1919 and returned to owner
Scabbardfish	SS	397	Balao	Transferred	1944-04-29 00:00:00.000	1965-02-26 00:00:00.000		Portsmouth Navy Yard	Portsmouth	NH		WW II Departed Midway Island Aug 17 1944 Arrived Midway Oc… WW II Departed Midway Island Aug 17 1944 Arrived Midway Oct 12 1944 for two weeks Nov 16 1944, sank a Japanese 2,100 ton inter-island steamer southeast of Honshu Nov 22 1944, sank Japanese ship Kisagagi Maru 11/28/44, sank Japanese submarine I-365 off Honshu, Japan Placed in reserve, out of commission, Feb 1948 Placed in commission Oct 1964 and transferred to Greece Feb 26 1965 Renamed Triana (S-86) 5 Battle Stars WW II
Scammel	RC			Sold		1801-06-20 00:00:00.000			Portsmouth	NH		Named for Alexander Scammell, qv (Scammel a mis-spelling of … Named for Alexander Scammell, qv (Scammel a mis-spelling of Scammell) Launched about Sep 17 1798 Revenue Cutter Service Transferred to Navy May 20 1799 Out of service on or after Jun 5 1801 Sold Jun 20 1801
Scamp	SS	277	Gato	Sunk	1942-09-18 00:00:00.000	1944-12-21 00:00:00.000		Portsmouth Navy Yard	Portsmouth	NH		1st Scamp WW II 7/27/43, sank Japanese submarine I-24 off … 1st Scamp WW II 7/27/43, sank Japanese submarine I-24 off Admiralty Islands Aug 18 1943, sank Japanese passenger-cargo ship Kansai Maru in Bismark Sea Nov 10 1944, sank Japanese ship Tokyo Maru (sank the following day from damage) Jan 14 1944, sank Japanese tanker Nippon Maru Reported as presumed lost in Pacific Ocean area 12/21/44. CDR John C. Hollingsworth Struck Apr 28 1945 7 Battle Stars WW II
Scamp	SSN	588	Skipjack		1961-06-05 00:00:00.000			Mare Island Naval Shipyard	Vallejo	CA		2nd Scamp Vietnam War 3 Battle Stars Vietnam War
Scandinavia	SP	3363		Decom	1918-10-05 00:00:00.000	1919-05-21 00:00:00.000		G. T. Taylor Marine Railway	Norfolk	VA		Built 1916 Motorboat urchased by Navy Oct 5 1918 WW I - … Built 1916 Motorboat urchased by Navy Oct 5 1918 WW I - Decommissioned May 21 1919 and transferred to Coast and Geodetic Survey the same day
Scania	AKA	40	Artemis	Decom	1945-04-16 00:00:00.000	1947-09-02 00:00:00.000		Walsh-Kaiser Co., Inc.	Providence	RI		Maritime Commission Hull 1901 WW II Decommissioned Sep 2 1… Maritime Commission Hull 1901 WW II Decommissioned Sep 2 1947 Struck Sep 16 1947 Sold Jul 13 1965 for scrapping
Scanner	AGR	5		Decom	1958-09-28 00:00:00.000	1965-07-21 00:00:00.000		J. A. Jones Construction Co.	Panama City	FL		Ex YAGR-5, qv Reclassified AGR-5 Sep 28 1958 Decommissione… Ex YAGR-5, qv Reclassified AGR-5 Sep 28 1958 Decommissioned Jul 21 1965 Struck Sep 1 1965 Transferred to Maritime Administration Feb 4 1966
Scanner	YAGR	5	Guardian	Reclas	1956-01-30 00:00:00.000	1958-09-28 00:00:00.000	*	J. A. Jones Construction Co.	Panama City	FL		Ex Edwin D. Howard, qv Acquired by Navy from Maritime Admin… Ex Edwin D. Howard, qv Acquired by Navy from Maritime Administration Jun 10 1955 Renamed Scannar and classified YAGR-5 Commissioned Jan 30 1956 Pacific Fleet Reclassified AGR-5, qv, Sep 28 1958
Scantic	Hog Islander							American International Shipbuilding	Philadelphia	PA		WW I - Built for the war but not completed in time to parti… WW I - Built for the war but not completed in time to participate
Scarpe	SP	713		Returned	1917-05-01 00:00:00.000	1919-05-16 00:00:00.000		W. S. Burgess	Marblehead	MA		Motor boat Delivered to Navy on loan May 1 1917 and placed … Motor boat Delivered to Navy on loan May 1 1917 and placed in service the same day WW I - 1st Naval District Returned to owner May 16 1919
Schenck	DD	159	Wickes	Reclas	1919-10-30 00:00:00.000	1944-09-25 00:00:00.000	*	New York Shipbuilding Corp.	Camden	NJ		Named for RADM James F. Schenck, qv WW II Aug 5 1942, Atla… Named for RADM James F. Schenck, qv WW II Aug 5 1942, Atlantic Fleet, LT B. Taylor 12/24/43, sank German submarine U-645 in North Atlantic area Reclassified AG-82, qv, Sep 25 1944 1 Battle Star WW II
Schenck	AG	82		Decom	1944-09-25 00:00:00.000	1946-05-17 00:00:00.000		New York Shipbuilding Corp.	Camden	NJ		Named for RADM James F. Schenck, qv Ex DD-159, qv Reclassi… Named for RADM James F. Schenck, qv Ex DD-159, qv Reclassified AG-82 Sep 25 1944 WW II Decommissioned May 17 1946 Struck Jun 5 1946 Sold Nov 25 1946 for scrapping
Schendctady	Hog Islander							American International Shipbuilding	Philadelphia	PA		WW I - Built for the war but not completed in time to parti… WW I - Built for the war but not completed in time to participate
Schenectady	Tanker				1942-12-31 00:00:00.000			Kaiser Co., Inc., Swan Island	Portland	OR		Maritime Commission Hull 793 Merchant ship Original operat… Maritime Commission Hull 793 Merchant ship Original operator, Deconhil Shpg. WW II Damaged Jan 6 1943 on West Coast
Schenectady	LST	1185	Newport	Active	1970-06-13 00:00:00.000			National Steel & Shipbuilding Corp.	San Diego	CA	San Diego	Vietnam War 3 Battle Stars Vietnam War (Vol 6 of DANFS says… Vietnam War 3 Battle Stars Vietnam War (Vol 6 of DANFS says 1 Battle Star *** )
Schley	DD	103	Wickes	Reclas	1918-09-20 00:00:00.000	1943-01-02 00:00:00.000	*	Union Iron Works	San Francisco	CA		Named for RADM Winfield S. Schley, qv Originally commission… Named for RADM Winfield S. Schley, qv Originally commissioned DD-103. Decommissioned 6/01/22 Recommissioned 10/03/40 WW II Dec 7 1941, at Pearl Harbor during attack on Pearl Harbor Reclassified APD-14 Feb 6 1943
Schley	APD	14	Wickes	Decom	1943-01-02 00:00:00.000	1945-11-09 00:00:00.000		Union Iron Works	San Francisco	CA		Originally commissioned DD-103, qv Reclassified APD-14 1/02/… Originally commissioned DD-103, qv Reclassified APD-14 1/02/43 WW II Oct 1944, Invasion of Leyte, LCDR E. T. Farley Jan 1945, invasion at Lingayen Gulf, LCDR E. T. Farley Decommissioned 11/09/45 11 Battle Stars WW II (as DD and APD) Scrapped 3/29/46
Schmitt	DE	676		Reclas	1943-07-24 00:00:00.000	1945-01-24 00:00:00.000	*	Bethlehem Steel Co.	Quincy	MA		Originally commissioned DE-676 Reclassified APD-76 1/24/45
Schmitt	APD	76			1945-01-24 00:00:00.000			Bethlehem Steel Co.	Quincy	MA		Named for RADM Winfield S. Schley, qv Originally commission… Named for RADM Winfield S. Schley, qv Originally commissioned DE-676 Reclassified APD-14 Feb 6 1943 WW II Jan-Feb 1944, Invasion of Marshall Islands Apr 1944, landings at Aitape and Tumleo May 1944, landing at Biak Jul 1944, landing at Sansapor Sep 1944, landing at Morotai Oct 1944, landings on islands at mouth of Leyte Gulf Dec 1944, landings at Ormoc Bay Dec 1944, landings at Mindoro Jan 1945, invasion at Lingayen Gulf Feb 1945, landing at Mariveles Harbor Apr 1945, Operation Iceberg, Okinawa operations Decommissioned Nov 9 1945 Struck Dec 5 1945 Scrapping completed May 29 1946 11 Battle Stars WW II (as DD and APD)
Schofield	DEG	3	Brooke		1968-05-11 00:00:00.000			Lockheed Shipbuilding & Construction Co.	Seattle	WA		Named for RADM Frank H. Schofield, qv Vietnam War 4 Battle… Named for RADM Frank H. Schofield, qv Vietnam War 4 Battle Stars Vietnam War
Schoharie	Hog Islander							American International Shipbuilding	Philadelphia	PA		WW I - Built for the war but not completed in time to parti… WW I - Built for the war but not completed in time to participate
Schoharie	ST	1984										Army vessel In service 1953 1996, Hythe
Schoharle												Merchant ship WW II
Schoodic	Hog Islander							American International Shipbuilding	Philadelphia	PA		WW I - Built for the war but not completed in time to parti… WW I - Built for the war but not completed in time to participate
Schroeder	DD	501	Fletcher		1943-01-01 00:00:00.000			Federal Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.	Kearny	NJ		WW II Nov-Dec 1943, Operation Galvanic, Gilbert Islands ope… WW II Nov-Dec 1943, Operation Galvanic, Gilbert Islands operation, LCDR J. T. Bowers Oct 1944, Invasion of Leyte, CDR R. W. McElrath Apr-Jun 1945, Operation Iceberg, Okinawa Campaign, CDR R. W. McElrath
Schroon	Hog Islander							American International Shipbuilding	Philadelphia	PA		WW I - Built for the war but not completed in time to parti… WW I - Built for the war but not completed in time to participate
Schultz	SwStr			Blown up			*		New York	NY		Also known as A. H. Schultz, qv Civil War Served Confedera… Also known as A. H. Schultz, qv Civil War Served Confederates in Jame River, as flag of truce boat Blown up in James River by Confederate torpedo accidentally
Schurz	Gbt			Sank	1917-09-15 00:00:00.000	1918-06-21 00:00:00.000			Wilhelmshaven	GE		Named for Civil War general Carl Schurz, qv Built 1894 Ex … Named for Civil War general Carl Schurz, qv Built 1894 Ex German ship Geier Seized by U.S. at Pearl Harbor in 1917 Renamed Schurz Jun 9 1917 Commissioned Sep 15 1917 WW I - Sank Jun 21 1918 after being rammed by merchant ship florida southwest of Cape Lookout Struck Aug 26 1918
Schuyler	AK	209	Alamosa	Decom	1944-12-20 00:00:00.000	1946-04-22 00:00:00.000		Leathen D. Smith Shipbuilding Co.	Sturgeon Bay	WI		Maritime Commission Hull 2163 WW II Decommissioned Apr 22 … Maritime Commission Hull 2163 WW II Decommissioned Apr 22 1946 and simultaneously returned to War Shipping Administration Struck Jun 5 1946 Sold Feb 5 1971 for scrapping
Schuyler Colfax					1943-11-16 00:00:00.000			California Shipbuilding Corp.	Los Angeles	CA		Maritime commission E Hull 1899 Merchant ship Original ope… Maritime commission E Hull 1899 Merchant ship Original operator, Los Angeles Tanker Operators WW II
Schuyler Otis Bland	AK	277	Schuyler Otis Bland		1961-08-04 00:00:00.000			Ingalls Shipbuilding Corp.	Pascagoula	MS		Built 1951 Assigned to American President Lines Transferre… Built 1951 Assigned to American President Lines Transferred to Waterman Steam Ship Co. Into reserve Jul 25 1952 American Mail Line Delivered to Navy Aug 4 1961 Assigned to Military Sea Transportation Service Aug 28 1961
Schuylkill	AO	76	Suamico	Decom	1943-04-09 00:00:00.000	1946-02-14 00:00:00.000		Sun Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.	Chester	PA		ex Louisburg, Maritime Commission Hull 306 WW II Nov-Dec 1… ex Louisburg, Maritime Commission Hull 306 WW II Nov-Dec 1943, Operation Galvanic, Gilbert Islands operation, CDR F. A. Hardesty Jun-Aug 1944, Operation Forager, Invasion of Saipan and Tinian, CDR F. A. Hardesty Oct 1944, Invasion of Leyte, CPT F. A. Hardesty Jan 1945, invasion at Lingayen Gulf, CDR J. B. McVey Feb 1945, Invasion of Iwo Jima Decommissioned 2/14/46 Transferred to Maritime Commission 4/27/46 Reacquired by Navy 1/30/48, assigned to Military Sea Transport Service 10/01/49 7 Battle Stars WW II
Schwartenhonst	X	24										Dutch ship WW II Army vessel Southwest Pacific Area fleet
Science No. 2	Steamboat											Civil War Used by Army January 1865, Ohio River

Background and Sources Collection notes, historical context, and related resources

Ships

Purpose

The Ships table is the most comprehensive and nearly complete of the tables in this site. It includes tens of thousands of different vessels. It is primarily, but not exclusively, Navy ships, that have helped make American history.

Fewer than half of the vessels in the table are named. Most of the others are identified only by a number but one that is unique to that vessel (called hull numbers by the Navy). The most famous of the latter is PT-109, John Kennedy’s PT boat that was sunk in World War II. Another famous group is the “LSTs”, the Landing Ships-Tank of World War II fame. (Some crew members who served on these big, ungainly vessels said that LST stood for Large Slow Target.) Following World War II, the Navy started giving the LSTs names, but those in the war were identified only by their hull numbers.

DANFS

The most authoritative and most common source of information about the Navy’s commissioned and named ships, plus the LSTs, is the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS). This series of eight books was published by the Navy and was not available through commercial book stores. The books are now out of print, but are available through the used book market. Much if not all of their content is now also available online at the Naval History and Heritage Command’s DANFS site.

Many thousands of watercraft had non-unique numbers, or semi-unique numbers, the latter including landing craft that carried the number of the transport that carried them plus a number of their own (such as PA-91-15). I have not tried to include these latter craft in this project.

The World War II Commercial Fleet

The Navy in World War II utilized many commercial vessels, even in the dangerous landing operations, the most famous being the Liberty Ships, which were mostly freighters, and their larger replacements, the Victory Ships. These and other commercial vessels from that war are included in the table. The U.S. built thousands of these ships and other commercial type ships during and shortly after World War II. Lists of the various types of commercial design ships built for the war, and separate lists of what ships were built by each shipyard, are at the Maritime Commission site.

Some of these were turned over to the Navy to operate, but most were operated by commercial shipping companies, even in battle and particularly in dangerous convoys crossing the Atlantic.

The liberty ships were named for people, and a book has been published that identifies who these people were. It is Liberty Ships, the People Behind the Names, compiled by Capt. Robert Deschamps and published in 1999. It is probably available online.

The Army’s Ships

The Army has also used thousands of ships and other watercraft over the years, especially in the Civil War and World War II. Major sources of information about these vessels are:

The Army’s Navy Series Volume I, Marine Transportation in War. The U.S. Army Experience 1775-1860, by Charles Dana Gibson and E. Kay Gibson.

The Army’s Navy Series Volume II, Assault and Logistics Union Army Coastal and River Operations 1861-1866, by Charles Dana Gibson and E. Kay Gibson.

U.S. Army Ships and Watercraft of World War II, by David H. Grover.

Smaller Vessels

Many books and web sites have been published about the tens of thousands of smaller vessels that the Navy used during World War II. I have found several of them and am sure there are many more that I’m not aware of.

Two fine examples are:

Ten Thousand Men and One Hundred Thirty “Mighty Midget” Ships–The U.S.S. LCS(L)s in World War II, by Raymond A. Baumler. This is about the Landing Ship Support (Large) vessels. This book was privately published and printed in 1991 by PIP Printing, Rockville MD.

At Close Quarters, PT Boats in the United States Navy, by Robert J. Bulkley, Jr. This book has extensive information about the history of each PT-Boat, many of the men who served on them, and their organizations. This book was first printed in 1962 for the Navy by the Government Printing Office, and has been reprinted by the Naval Institute Press.