''Canonicus'' (ACM-12) was a ''Camanche''-class auxiliary

minelayer A minelayer is any warship, submarine or military aircraft deploying explosive mines. Since World War I the term "minelayer" refers specifically to a naval ship used for deploying naval mines. "Mine planting" was the term for installing control ...

in the

United States 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 ...

. It was named for

Canonicus Canonicus (c. 1565 – June 4, 1647) was a chief of the Narragansett Indigenous Peoples. He was wary of the colonial settlers, but he ultimately befriended Roger Williams and other settlers. Biography Canonicus was born around 1565,Benjami ...

, a chief of the Narragansett Indians. ''Canonicus'' was originally delivered to the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

Coast Artillery Corps The U.S. Army Coast Artillery Corps (CAC) was an administrative corps responsible for coastal, harbor, and anti-aircraft defense of the United States and its possessions between 1901 and 1950. The CAC also operated heavy and railway artillery ...

, Mine Planter Service in 1942 by Marietta Manufacturing Company of

Point Pleasant, West Virginia Point Pleasant is a city in and the county seat of Mason County, West Virginia, United States, at the confluence of the Ohio and Kanawha Rivers. The population was 4,101 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Point Pleasant, ...

. The ship was named USAMP ''Major General Erasmus Weaver'' for Erasmus M. Weaver, Jr., the first chief of the National Guard Bureau. After serving in the Mine Planter Service of the U.S. Army Coast Artillery Corps, it was transferred to the Navy in 1944, classified ACM-12. ''ACM-12'' was reclassified MMA-12, 7 February 1955 and assigned the name ''Canonicus'' on 1 May 1955. ''Canonicus'' was never commissioned and thus never bore the "

United States Ship United States Ship (abbreviated as USS or U.S.S.) is a ship prefix used to identify a commissioned ship of the United States Navy and applies to a ship only while it is in commission. Before commissioning, the vessel may be referred to as a " pr ...

" (USS) prefix showing status as a commissioned ship of the U.S. Navy. After being in reserve with the Navy the ship became a yacht, was converted to diesel, and became the

Sandy Hook Sandy Hook is a barrier spit in Middletown Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. The barrier spit, approximately in length and varying from wide, is located at the north end of the Jersey Shore. It encloses the southern ...

pilot boat ''New Jersey''.

References

External links

Canonicus (MMA 12) ex-ACM-12 (NavSource Online)

{{DEFAULTSORT:Canonicus (Acm-12) Ships built in Point Pleasant, West Virginia 1942 ships Mine planters of the United States Army Camanche-class minelayers World War II mine warfare vessels of the United States