Amesbury

A historic black and white photo, view from the ship's bow looking aft, a large vessel moving backwards into the water from land, being launched for the first time
USS Amesbury, DE 66, in port. Photo: U.S. National Archives

History

Amesbury was commissioned in 1943 as a destroyer escort. The warship was named for Lt. Stanton Amesbury who was killed in enemy action over Casablanca on November 9, 1942, while attached to an aviation squadron in the Atlantic Area. Amesbury's first assignment was duty with the Atlantic Convoy 7, followed by participation in the Normandy invasion.

Returning to the United States in August, 1944, Amesbury was assigned temporary duty with the Fleet Sonar School in Key West. In 1945, Amesbury was one of the 104 destroyer escorts converted to high-speed transports at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. Amesbury was then assigned hull number APD-46 and equipped with a five-inch turret gun and three twin-mount 40-millimeter anti aircraft guns.

Ordered to the Pacific Theater, Amesbury supported landings in Korea and China during 1945, carrying Underwater Demolition Team Twelve. Amesbury returned to Florida in 1946, was decommissioned and never performed active service again. Chet Alexander Marine Salvage of Key West purchased it in 1962 for scrap.

A historic black and white photo, view from the ship's bow looking aft, a large vessel moving backwards into the water from land, being launched for the first time
Amesbury, locally known as "Alexander's Wreck," was built as a U.S. Naval destroyer escort in 1943 and later converted to a high-speed transport vessel. While the vessel was being towed to deep water to be sunk as an artificial reef, it grounded and broke up in a storm before it could be refloated. Amesbury rests 5 miles west of Key West. Photo: US Navy.

Archaeology

Amesbury's remains consist of two sections of hull and superstructure lying 600 feet (200 yards) apart. The southern section consists of its bow and port side while the northern section is its stern and starboard side. Fifty feet behind the bow is the 5-inch gun mount behind a semicircular shield. Behind that is the twin 40-millimeter Bofors-style anti-aircraft guns mounted on an elevated pedestal.

Marine life covered bow of a shipwreck in murky water
Amesbury's bow lying on its side. Photo: Brenda Altmeier/NOAA

A debris field on the east side of the hull contains pieces of the collapsed upper hull, bridge, and superstructure. The northern section of wreckage includes the stern, another Bofors gun and mount, miscellaneous debris, and heavy Welin davits used to transport and launch four Landing Craft Vehicle Personnel boats.

Site Map

Archaeological drawing of the shipwreck
Amesbury Site Map. Credit: East Carolina University, Maritime Studies Program

Buoy Map

A map showing how a single mooring buoy is above a shipwreck
Image: NOAA