U.S. Coast Guard Lightships
& Those of the U.S. Lighthouse Service
VESSEL DESIGNATION: LV 112/WAL 534
YEAR BUILT: 1936
BUILT AT: Wilmington (DE)
BUILDER: Pusey & Jones
APPROPRIATION: None
(Paid for by British Government -reparation for sinking of LV 117 in 1934)
CONTRACT PRICE: $300,956
SISTER VESSELS: None
DESIGN: Steam screw; steel hull; steel pilot house and deckhouses, 2 masts with lantern galleries; smokestack amidships; high degree of compartmentation, 6 exits to upper deck and many other emergency and safety features
LENGTH: 148'10" (loa); BEAM: 32'0"; DRAFT: 16'3"; TONNAGE: 1050 displ
PROPULSION: Steam - compound reciprocating engine, 600 IEP; 2 oil fired Babcock-Wilcox water tube boilers, max speed 12 knots
ILLUMINATING APPARATUS: 500mm electric lens lantern at each masthead
FOG SIGNAL: 2-tone air diaphone synchronized with radio beacon, submarine oscillator, hand operated bell
CONSTRUCTION NOTES - MODIFICATIONS - EQUIPMENT CHANGES &
IMPROVEMENTS:
Largest lightship ever built-
1936: Equipped with radio, radiobeacon, and short range warning radiobeacon
when built. Also equipped with submarine oscillator when built, however it
was later declared obsolete and removed 1939-
1943: Fitted with detection radar-
1960: Apr, to Curtis Bay Maryland for major modifications, modernization,
and refit; stack removed; repowered with Cooper-Bessemer 900 HP diesel main
engine, being until this time the last steam propelled US lightship. Fitted
with duplex 500mm lens lantern on foremast; mainmast equipped with high
intensity light consisting of 24 locomotive headlights mounted in groups of
6 on each face of a 4-sided revolving lamp housing-
Radio and visual call sign NMGZ (1940-1975)
STATION ASSIGNMENTS:
1936-1942: Nantucket Shoals (MA)
1942-1945: Examination Vessel, WWII
1945-1958: Nantucket Shoals, (MA)
1958-1960: Relief (1st District)
1960-1975: Nantucket Shoals (MA)
(1942-1945 During WWII, withdrawn from station, and used as examination
vessel serving at Portland ME; armed with one 3" gun)
(1958-1960 During most of this period, relieved stations throughout First
District including Portland, Boston, Pollock Rip, Stonehorse, Cross Rip
Buzzards Bay, and Brenton Reef. Commencing in Apr 1960, major modification,
modernization and refit was carried out at the Coast Guard Yard, Curtis Bay
Md. then reassigned to Nantucket Shoals)
HISTORICAL NOTES:
1943: Sep 1, struck by barge under tow; slight damage-
1954: Sep 14, during Hurricane Edna in 70 ft seas and 110 mph winds, bow
plates damaged, bridge and pilot house stove in, small boats demolished and
rudder severely damaged; minor injuries to several crew members-
1956: July, during preparations for being relieved, an overhand knot found
in the chain prevented hoisting anchor. Relief LV 114/WAL 532, commanded by
Ken Black, was unable to take station and had to stand by until the tender
HORNBEAM arrived from Woods Hole and cut the chain-
1958-60: Withdrawn and assigned to Relief duty, First District. Replaced by
Relief lightship WLV 196 during this period-
1959: Jan 5/6 blown 80 miles off station in hurricane force winds with 50-ft
seas; out of communication for several days due to water damaged
electronics-
1960: Apr, to Curtis Bay Yard for modernization, then reassigned to
Nantucket station later in 1960-
1975: Mar 21, withdrawn from Nantucket station, replaced by WLV 612
RETIRED FROM LIGHTSHIP DUTY: 1975; AGE: 39
SUBSEQUENT DISPOSITION:
Decommissioned Mar 28, 1975; laid up at Chelsea (MA). On Dec 6-7 1975, delivered from Boston to Nantucket, with the key crewmen being personnel from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution under the command of CAPT R. P. Dinsmore, USCG (Ret.). Used as museum until 1984; sold 1986 to Nantucket Lightship Preservation Inc., Boston. Restored for use as floating museum. 3/4 July 1986 present at the rededication of the Statue of Liberty ceremony in New York Harbor.
She was at the U.S. Lighthouse Museum in Staten Island, NY as of 2006.
COMMANDING OFFICERS:
1936-1937: David B. Studley, Master
1948-1950: CWO Edward Gosson, CO
1954: BMC John C. Corea, OIC
1956-1958: CWO George G. Bannan, CO
1958: WO Arthur H Cushing, OIC
1958-1960: CWO Robert J W Collins, CO
1960: CWO Charles J J McGrath, CO
3/1963-4/1964: CWO Glendon Grantham, CO
1965: CWO Norman Bourque, CO
1967: CWO McWilliams, CO (?)
1969- 1970: CWO R E Morong, CO
1970-1971: CWO P A Brunk, CO
1971-1972: CWO R W Johnson, CO
1972-1973: CWO J H Perry, CO
1973-1975: CWO Richard E Rainville, CO
LV-112, no date.
Bridge of LV-112.
Radio Room of LV-112.
Courtesy of Art Richmond.
LV-112 on station, circa 1976.
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