SS James Longstreet
 SS James Longstreet before her last and final voyage
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| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | James Longstreet |
| Namesake | James Longstreet |
| Operator | International Freighting Corporation |
| Builder | Todd Houston Shipbuilding Corporation, Houston, Texas |
| Cost | $1,833,400[5] |
| Yard number | 18[3] |
| Laid down | 24 August 1942[4] |
| Launched | 31 October 1942[2] |
| Out of service | Damaged by grounding in 1943 and written off |
| Identification |
|
| Fate |
|
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type |
|
| Tonnage | 7,000 tons deadweight |
| Length | |
| Beam | 57 feet (17 m) |
| Draft | 27 ft 9.25 in (8.4646 m) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 11.5 knots (21.3 km/h; 13.2 mph) |
| Capacity |
|
| Complement | |
| Armament |
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SS James Longstreet (Hull Number 112) was a Liberty ship built in the United States during World War II. Named after the Confederate general James Longstreet, she entered service in 1942, but was wrecked in a storm on 26 October 1943 and was subsequently used as a target hulk by the United States Navy.
Construction history
Named after
Wartime history
James Longstreet was operated by the
Sandy Hook, New Jersey. She was refloated on 23 November, and towed to New York City where she was declared a total loss.[8]
Target history
Instead of being scrapped, she was acquired by the
US Navy in June 1944 and, after having her machinery removed,[12] she was used as a target ship for early air to surface guided missiles, including the Pelican[14] and ASM-N-2 Bat bombs. These tests were conducted off New York by planes flying from Floyd Bennett Field. A November 1944 gale broke James Longstreet loose from her mooring location. She was discovered drifting on 4 December 1944, and was towed to Naval Station Norfolk on 8 December. After being temporarily moored near Wolf Trap Light she resumed work as a bombing target in Pamlico Sound;[15]
but the sound was too shallow, and she once ran aground under tow to and from the target areas.
James Longstreet was then assigned as a target for Project Dove, where
Otis Air Force Base until 1970.[12] She was then left derelict, becoming one of the most-photographed objects in the Bay,[6] until April 1996, when waves submerged her in deeper water during a snowstorm.[12]
The remains of James Longstreet, also referred to as "the target ship", lie approximately 3.5 nautical miles (4.0 mi; 6.5 km) off Eastham, Massachusetts in 20 to 25 feet (6.1 to 7.6 m) of water.[7] The site is off limits to divers due to unexploded ordnance, but the remains of the ship can be observed above the water during extreme low tides.[6]
References
Citations
- ^ Beyle,p.15
- ^ Beyle,p.1
- ^ Beyle,p.12
- ^ Beyle,p.16
- ^ Beyle,p.11
- ^ a b c "5 things to know about rusted target ship in Cape Cod Bay". Cape Cod Times. Hyannis, MA. 10 October 2014. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
- ^ a b c Barbo 2008, p.90
- ^ a b "James Longstreet". Boston, MA: Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
- ^ a b Zielinski, Leon (1942–1943) [1942]. "Navy Armed Guard Cox's log - 1942-1943". Personal Handwritten Log by Navy Gun Crew Member. On board the SS James Longstreet.
- ^ Beyle,p.17
- ^ "Arnold Hague Convoy Database". Convoy Web. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
- ^ a b c d e "The Liberty Ship The James Longstreet". Gainesville, GA: The Longstreet Society. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
- ^ "Violent Storm Off U.S. Coast". The Times. No. 49688. London. 28 October 1943. col D, p. 3.
- ^ Friedman 1982, p.202.
- ^ Beyle,p.20
- ^ a b Beyle,p.21
Bibliography
- Barbo, Theresa M. (2008). Cape Cod Bay: A History of Salt & Sea. Stroud, Gloucesterchire: The History Press. ISBN 978-1-5962-9502-5.
- Beyle, Noel W. (1992). The Target Ship in Cape Cod Bay. Orleans, Massachusetts: The First Encounter Press. ISBN 0-912609-15-X.
- ISBN 978-0-87021-735-7.
41°49′53.27″N 70°02′39.28″W / 41.8314639°N 70.0442444°W
Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in October 1943 | |
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| Shipwrecks |
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| Other incidents |
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