USNS Shearwater (T-AG-177)

History
United States
Name:	USNS Shearwater
Namesake:	Shearwater, a long winged seabird
Builder:	Hickinbotham Brothers Construction Division at Stockton, California
Laid down:	October 1944,[1] as U.S. Army FS-411 for the U.S. Army
Completed:	in April 1945
Commissioned:	25 October 1944 as U.S. Army FS-411
In service:	May 1964 as Survey Support Ship, USNS Shearwater (T-AG-177)
Out of service:	February 1969
Struck:	c. 1969
Fate:	transferred to the U.S. Army; fate unknown
General characteristics
Type:	Design 381 coastal freighter
Tonnage:	381 tons
Tons burthen:	935 tons
Length:	165 ft
Beam:	32 ft
Draft:	14 ft 3 in
Propulsion:	two 500 hp GM-Cleveland 6-298A diesel engines, twin screws
Speed:	not known
Complement:	26 personnel

USNS Shearwater (T-AG-177) was a Shearwater-class miscellaneous auxiliary built during the final months of World War II for the US Army as FS-411 (Design 381 coastal freighter). FS-411 was Coast Guard manned operating in the Central and Western Pacific, including Hawaii, Saipan, TInian, Guam, during the closing days of the war.^[2]

She was placed into service by the U.S. Navy from 1964 to 1969 as USNS Shearwater (T-AG-177). After this service, she was transferred back to the U.S. Army.

Operational history as T-AG-177

Shearwater began her naval service as a survey support ship with the Military Sea Transportation Service in May 1964. Operated by a Civil Service crew, she operated in the Atlantic Ocean until mid-February 1969, when she was transferred back to the U.S. Army.

References

• This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
• NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive - T-AG-177 Shearwater