USCGC EAGLE

• German Origins: USCGC EAGLE (WIX-327) was originally built in 1936 in Germany as the training vessel Horst Wessel for the German Navy (Kriegsmarine). • War Prize: After World War II, the ship was taken by the United States as a war prize and commissioned into the U.S. Coast Guard in 1946. • Only Active Square-Rigger: EAGLE is the only active commissioned sailing vessel in the U.S. military and one of only two active square-riggers in U.S. government service. • Training Ship: EAGLE serves as a training platform for cadets at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, teaching seamanship and leadership on the open sea. • Lübeck Shipyards: The ship was constructed by Blohm & Voss Shipyard in Hamburg, Germany, the same yard that built the infamous German battleship Bismarck. • Nicknamed "America's Tall Ship": EAGLE is often called "America’s Tall Ship" due to her three towering masts and impressive sails. • International Goodwill: EAGLE has served as a goodwill ambassador, visiting ports all over the world and representing the United States at maritime festivals and tall ship races. • Length and Size: The ship is 295 feet long, with a mainmast that reaches nearly 148 feet above the waterline. • Historic Sister Ships: EAGLE is one of four sister ships built for the German Navy; her surviving sisters include Gorch Fock (Germany) and Mircea (Romania). • Secret Nazi Compartments: During her transfer to the U.S., hidden Nazi documents and weapons were found concealed aboard, a relic of her wartime service.