The U.S. Navy's Reserve Fleet: A History of Ships in Limbo

🚢The U.S. Navy's reserve fleet has existed since the inception of the navy, but the organized system of putting ships into reserve is relatively recent.

💰Budget cuts and changing needs have often led to ships being put into reserve, with limited funding available for their upkeep.

⚓️Ships in reserve required infrastructure for storage, including dockyards, crew accommodation, and storage areas for armaments.

🛠️The process of putting ships in reserve involved removing masts, guns, and supplies, and then mooring the hull in an estuary or basin.

🔁Ships in reserve could be brought back into service relatively quickly, requiring re-equipment and reactivation.

Why were ships put into reserve?

—Ships were put into reserve due to budget cuts, changing needs, or periods of non-existence of the U.S. Navy.

What challenges did ships in reserve face?

—Ships in reserve faced challenges of deterioration, decay, and uncertainty about their future usability.

How were ships preserved in reserve?

—Ships in reserve were docked, masts and guns were removed, hulls were sealed, and supplies were repurposed. Some ships were also stored on stocks.

What determined the condition of ships in reserve?

—The condition of ships in reserve varied depending on factors such as the ship's previous state, the maintenance crew, and the climate in the storage location.

Could ships in reserve be reactivated?

—Ships in reserve could be reactivated, but it depended on their condition and the availability of funding.

00:13[Music] The U.S. Navy's reserve or mothball fleet has a long history of ships being put into storage due to budget cuts or changing needs.

00:34The reserve fleet has existed since the inception of the U.S. Navy, but an organized system of putting ships into reserve is relatively recent.

01:15Ships in reserve required infrastructure such as dockyards, accommodation, and storage areas for armaments.

02:16The process of putting ships in reserve involved removing masts, guns, and supplies, and then mooring the hull in an estuary or basin.

03:30Ships in reserve faced challenges of deterioration, decay, and uncertainty about their future usability.

05:10Ships in reserve could be reactivated, but it depended on their condition and the availability of funding.