USNS ''Coastal Crusader'' (AK-220/ORV-16/T-AGM-16/AGS-36) was an that was constructed for the

US Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage of ...

during the closing period of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. She was later acquired by the

US Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

in 1946 and the

US Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...

in 1957 before being reacquired by the USN in 1964 and as a

missile range instrumentation ship A tracking ship, also called a missile range instrumentation ship or range ship, is a ship equipped with antennas and electronics to support the launching and tracking of missiles and rockets. Since many missile ranges launch over ocean areas for ...

Construction

''Coastal Crusader'', a C1-M-AV1 cargo vessel, was laid down under a

US Maritime Commission The United States Maritime Commission (MARCOM) was an independent executive agency of the U.S. federal government that was created by the Merchant Marine Act of 1936, which was passed by Congress on June 29, 1936, and was abolished on May 24, 195 ...

(MARCOM) contract, MC hull 2174, on 12 April 1945 at

Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin Sturgeon Bay is a city in and the county seat of Door County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 9,646 at the 2020 Census. The city is well-known regionally for being the largest city of the Door Peninsula, after which the county is na ...

, by the Leathem D. Smith Shipbuilding Company; launched on 24 June 1945; sponsored by Mrs. DeForrest Colburn; and completed on 26 July 1945. On 25 February 1945, the Navy had assigned the name ''Wexford'' and the designation AK-220 to the projected ship; but the contract for her acquisition by the Navy was cancelled in August 1945 because of the cessation of hostilities in the Pacific Ocean and the

surrender of Japan The surrender of the Empire of Japan in World War II was announced by Emperor Hirohito on 15 August and formally signed on 2 September 1945, bringing the war's hostilities to a close. By the end of July 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy ...

. ''Coastal Crusader'' thus entered mercantile service, never having borne the name ''Wexford''.

US Army service

The vessel was placed in service 30 August 1946, by the US

Army Transportation Service The United States Army Transport Service (ATS) was established as a sea-going transport service that was independent of the Navy Department. ATS operated army transport ships for both troop transport and cargo service between United States ports ...

as USAT ''Private Joe R. Hastings''. She was returned to the

Reserve Fleet A reserve fleet is a collection of naval vessels of all types that are fully equipped for service but are not currently needed; they are partially or fully decommissioned. A reserve fleet is informally said to be "in mothballs" or "mothballed"; a ...

on 27 October 1949.

US Air Force service

Renamed ''Coastal Sentry'', she was acquired by the

on 13 March 1957, which redesignated her an Ocean Range Vessel, USAFS ''Coastal Crusader'' (ORV-16). She operated on the Air Force's

Eastern Test Range The Eastern Range (ER) is an American rocket range (Spaceport) that supports missile and rocket launches from the two major launch heads located at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and the Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Florida. The range ha ...

during the late 1950s and early 1960s.

US Navy service

The US Navy acquired ''Coastal Crusader'' from the Air Force in 1964, a placed her in service with the

Military Sea Transportation Service Military Sealift Command (MSC) is an organization that controls the replenishment and military transport ships of the United States Navy. Military Sealift Command has the responsibility for providing sealift and ocean transportation for all US m ...

(MSTS) and redesignated her a

Missile Range Instrumentation Ship A tracking ship, also called a missile range instrumentation ship or range ship, is a ship equipped with antennas and electronics to support the launching and tracking of missiles and rockets. Since many missile ranges launch over ocean areas for ...

, USNS ''Coastal Crusader'' (T-AGM-16). Navy records indicate ''Coastal Crusader'' was redesignated as a

Survey Ship A survey vessel is any type of ship or boat that is used for underwater surveys, usually to collect data for mapping or planning underwater construction or mineral extraction. It is a type of research vessel, and may be designed for the purpo ...

, ''Coastal Crusader'' (AGS-36) in 1969, and finally struck from the

Navy List A Navy Directory, formerly the Navy List or Naval Register is an official list of naval officers, their ranks and seniority, the ships which they command or to which they are appointed, etc., that is published by the government or naval author ...

on 30 April 1976.

Inactivation

''Coastal Crusader'' was subsequently sold by the

Maritime Administration Maritime administrations, or flag state administrations, are the executive arms/state bodies of each government responsible for carrying out the shipping responsibilities of the state, and are tasked to administer national shipping and boating issue ...

(MARAD) on 12 April 1977. She was scrapped later that year.

Notes

;Citations

Bibliography

Online resources * * * *

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Coastal Crusader (T-AGM-16) Alamosa-class cargo ships Ships built in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin 1945 ships World War II merchant ships of the United States Type C1-M ships of the United States Air Force Type C1-M ships of the United States Navy Cold War auxiliary ships of the United States Signals intelligence Missile range instrumentation ships of the United States Navy Research vessels of the United States Navy