USCGC EAGLE, America's Tall Ship Started Life in the German Navy

The Eagles home port of New London, Connecticut has been home to the U.S. Coast Guard Academy since 1932. The Academy was established in 1876 when 9 Cadets came aboard the Revenue Cutter Dobbin for the first time. After continuing with a series of other cutters, a permanent land based facility was established on land donated by the New London community.

With 900 Cadets training at the Academy, the one common denominator between them is they will all, men and women alike, serve on the only American Square Rigger on active duty. This, and more information about the history of the Coast Guard Eagle can be found at their web site.

The Eagle, originally named the Horst Wessel, was built in Germany in 1936. One of three ordered constructed by Adolf Hitler as training ships for naval cadets. Interesting as they were not built to train sailors to man square rigged tall ships, but covertly to train U-Boat crews. The treaty of Versailles prevented Hitler from militarization. The three ships were constructed, with their engine rooms and frames constructed exactly like the U-Boats that would soon terrorize the open sea. Eventually a total of five of these impressive ships were built, for the soul purpose of training submarine crews.

Commissioned by Hitler himself, the Horst Wessel was home ported in Kiel on the Baltic Sea. During the war she operated as a cargo ship, while continuing to train U-Boat crews. Credited with three kills, downing Russian aircraft, and one friendly fire incident where a German war plane was downed by her deck guns.

After the war, she was confiscated along with her counter parts and distributed to allied countries as reparations. Russia, Portugal, Romania and West Germany took over the remaining four. The Horst Wessel came to America and was commissioned into the Coast Guard on May 15, 1946. With the German Captain and crew assisting on board, she was sailed to her new home port at New London.

With a standing crew of 6 officers and 56 enlisted, the Eagle sails with as many as 230 souls on board when training. Each year taking a long cruise to the Caribbean, or Europe and a couple shorter ones around the east coast.