1960-1970

Location & historical notes: Delaware, southeasterly from the entrance to the Delaware Bay, 17 miles and 089 degrees from the Fenwick Island Lighthouse, moored in 100 feet of water.  The station was replaced by the Delaware Lighted Horn Buoy "D," a LNB.

Lightships assigned:

1960-1965: LV-107 / WAL-529

YEAR BUILT: 1923

BUILT AT: Bath (ME)

APPROPRIATION: '?

BUILDER: Bath Iron Works

CONTRACT PRICE: $200,000

SISTER VESSELS: LV 106,108,109,110,111

DESIGN: Steam screw; steel hull, steel pilot house and deck houses, 2 masts with lantern galleries; smokestack amidships

LENGTH: 132'4" (loa); BEAM: 30'0"; DRAFT: 14'7"; TONNAGE: 775 displ

PROPULSION: Steam - compound reciprocating engine, 400 IHP; 2 oil fired Scotch marine boilers, 120 psi; 4 bladed propeller; max speed 9 knots

ILLUMINATING APPARATUS: 375mm electric lens lantern at each masthead

FOG SIGNAL: 12" steam chime whistle, submarine bell, hand operated bell

CONSTRUCTiON NOTES - MODIFICATIONS - EQUIPMENT CHANGES & IMPROVEMENTS: LV 107-
Delivered Feb 2, 1924-
Equipped with radio and radiobeacon when built-
1933: Fog signal changed to steam diaphragm horn (Leslie 17" Typhon)-
194?: Repowered with GM 400HP diesel, 4'9"dI.a propeller, max speed 7.5 knots-
1955: Fitted with TRSCăl radar, duplex 375mm lens lantern on foremast-
1959: USCG lists vessel with F2T air diaphone; other characteristics as above-
Radio and visual call sign NMGV (1940-1965)

STATION ASSIGNMENTS: LV 107/ WAL 529
1924-1933: Cape Lookout Shoals (NC)
1934-1942: Winter Quarter Shoal (VA)
1942-1945: Examination Vessel, WWII
1945-1960: Winter Quarter Shoal (VA)
1960-1965: Delaware (DE)
1965-1968: Relief Third District (based at Cape May NJ)

(Cape Lookout station discontinued 1933)
(1942-1945 during WWII, withdrawn from Winter Quarter, assigned to 5th District
stationed at Portsmouth (VA) and used as examination vessel; no armament)

HISTORICAL NOTES: LV 107 / WAL 529-
1927: Mar 2, parted chain and off station in severe NW storm; regained station next day when weather moderated-
1928: Sep 18, in hurricane force winds, parted chain and unable to make headway under power; steamed inshore and anchored until weather improved; regained station Sep 20-
1930: Sep 12, during hurricane, plating buckled on starboard bow; deck stanchions bent; dragged 1 1/2 mi north of station-
1936: Sep 17/18, in track of hurricane, barometer 28.80, dragged off station; ship's side near starboard cargo port stove in by heavy seas; radio disabled due to water damage; generators and storage batteries broke loose from mountings; motor boat demolished by boarding seas; regained station Sep 19

More notes:

RETIRED FROM LIGHTSHIP DUTY: 1968; AGE: 45

SUBSEQUENT DISPOSITION: Decommissioned Apr 15, 1968; transferred to Hampton (VA) Nov 21, 1968 as museum. Hulk said to have been seen at Hampton 1980. Reported in 1984 to be at North American Metals, shipbreakers yard at Bordentown NJ and remained there as of 1988.

COMMANDING OFFICERS: LV 107 / WAL 529

1924-1925:   Arthur M Hudson, Master
1925-?:         Charles F Tull, Mate
1929-?:         Barnette, Master
1938-?:         Samuel F Dowdy, Mate
?-1946:         WO J.B. Reynolds, CO
1946-1949:   WO P.R. Tittermary, CO
1949-1949:   WO H.T. Peele, CO
1949-1951:   WO W.E. Dinterman, CO
1951-1954:   CWO J.W. Berry, CO
1954-1958    CWO E.W. Thomas, CO
1958-1959:   CWO Dewey H. Scarborough, Jr., CO
1959-1962:   CWO M N Joynes, CO
1962-1964:   CWO William L. Taylor, CO
1964-1965:   WO Louis R. Stowe, CO
1965-1966:   WO James O. Deardoff, CO
1966-1967:   WO Paul Drumgoole, CO
1967-1968:   WO Gary Day, CO

1965-1970: LV-116 / WAL-538

YEAR BUILT: 1930

BUILT AT: Charleston (SC)

APPROPRIATION: ?

BUILDER: Charleston Drydock & Machine Co

CONTRACT PRICE: $274,434

SISTER VESSELS: LV 100,113,114,115,117

DESIGN: Diesel-electric propelled; steel hull; steel deckhouses; 2 masts, smokestack amidships

LENGTH: 133'3" (loa); BEAM: 30'0"; DRAFT: 13'0"; TONNAGE: 630 displ

PROPULSION: Diesel-electric - one 350 HP electric motor driven by any or all of four 75 KW diesel engine/generator units; 350 SHP @ 300 RPM; 5'9"dia propeller; max speed 10 knots, average 9 knots

ILLUMINATING APPARATUS: 375mm electric lens lantern at each masthead

FOG SIGNAL: Electric diaphragm horn using 4-way multiple horn; hand operated bell

CONSTRUCTION NOTES - MODIFICATIONS - EQUIPMENT CHANGES & IMPROVEMENTS: LV 116-
Launched Oct 22, 1929; completed Aug 14,1930 - Equipped with radio and submarine bell when built-
1933: Equipped with radiobeacon-
1935: Fog signal changed to air diaphone F2T-
1945: Fitted with detection radar-
1964: USCG lists vessel with duplex 375mm lens lantern on foremast, 13,000cp each lamp; AN/SPN-l1 radar; other characteristics as shown above-
Radio and visual call sign NMJD (1940-1970)

STATION ASSIGNMENTS: LV 116 / WAL 538
1930-1933: Fenwick Island Shoal (DE)
1933-1942: Chesapeake (VA)
1942-1945: Examination Vessel, WWII
1945-1965: Chesapeake (VA)
1965-1970: Delaware (DE)

(Fenwick station discontinued Jun 30, 1933)
(1942-1945 during WWII, withdrawn from Chesapeake station, assigned to 1st District based at Sandwich (MA) and used as examination vessel off
northern entrance to Cape Cod Canal; armed with two 20mm/80)
(Chesapeake station discontinued 1965)
(Delaware station discontinued 1970)

HISTORICAL NOTES: LV 116/WAL 538-

1936 Sep17/18, in track of hurricane, parted chain and adrift; dropped spare anchor and ran full ahead for 10 hours to reduce dragging; motor launch and whaleboat damaged, dory carried away; relieved for repair Sep 19 and took station again Sep 25

More notes:

RETIRED FROM LIGHTSHIP DUTY: 1970; AGE: 40

SUBSEQUENT DISPOSITION: Decommissioned Aug 25, 1970; transferred to National Park Service Aug 25, 1971 and on display at Hams Point, Washington DC until 1980; moved in 1982 to Baltimore Harbor Place, Constellation Dock; afloat and open to public.  Maintained by Coast Guard Reserve unit.  Marked CHESAPEAKE

COMMANDING OFFICERS: LV 116 / WAL 538

1930-1937: Alexander Andrews, Master 
1937-?: Robert E Tillette, Mate

1948-1949: CWO Givizanni, CO; BMC Everett, XO

1964: CWO G H Yarrington, CO

Back to Lightship Stations and the Ships that Served on them.

Copyright © 2004  United States Coast Guard Lightship Sailors Association INC. All rights reserved. Copyrights also protected by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998
Revised: 10/23/06.