USS ''Commodore'' (401B), also known as R.T.S. ''Commodore'', was a landlocked "dummy"

training ship A training ship is a ship used to train students as sailors. The term is mostly used to describe ships employed by navies to train future officers. Essentially there are two types: those used for training at sea and old hulks used to house class ...

of the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

. Built to resemble a small

escort ship Ocean escort was a type of United States Navy warship. They were an evolution of the World War II destroyer escort types. The ocean escorts were intended as convoy escorts and were designed for mobilization production in wartime or low-cost mass ...

, she was built at the

United States Naval Training Center Bainbridge United States Naval Training Center Bainbridge (USNTC Bainbridge) was the U.S. Navy Training Center at Port Deposit, Maryland, on the bluffs of the northeast bank of the Susquehanna River. It was active from 1942 to 1976 under the Commander of ...

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

. She was equipped with operational guns and equipment, except for an engine, to allow for the training of sailors in shipboard operations in a reasonably safe environment during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

and the early

Cold War The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...

era. ''Commodore'' was equipped with most of the facilities found on a real ship, including deck guns, a

pilot house A bridge (also known as a command deck), or wheelhouse (also known as a pilothouse), is a room or platform of a ship, submarine, airship, or spaceship from which the ship can be commanded. When a ship is under way, the bridge is manned by an off ...

davit Boat suspended from Welin Quadrant davits; the boat is mechanically 'swung out' Gravity multi-pivot on Scandinavia'' file:Bossoir a gravité.jpg, Gravity Roller Davit file:Davits-starbrd.png, Gravity multi-pivot davit holding rescue vessel on ...

s with

whaleboat A whaleboat is a type of open boat that was used for catching whales, or a boat of similar design that retained the name when used for a different purpose. Some whaleboats were used from whaling ships. Other whaleboats would operate from the s ...

s, and mooring lines fastened to earth-bound

bollard A bollard is a sturdy, short, vertical post. The term originally referred to a post on a ship or quay used principally for mooring boats. In modern usage, it also refers to posts installed to control road traffic and posts designed to pre ...

s, so that recruits could even learn the proper casting off of

hawser Hawser () is a nautical term for a thick rope used in Mooring (watercraft), mooring or towing a ship. A hawser is not waterproof, as is a Nautical cable, cable. A hawser passes through a hawsehole, also known as a cat hole, located on the wikt: ...

s and other lines connecting the ship to its dock. Her name ''"Commodore"'' referred to the namesake of the base, Commodore

William Bainbridge Commodore William Bainbridge (May 7, 1774July 27, 1833) was a United States Navy officer. During his long career in the young American navy he served under six presidents beginning with John Adams and is notable for his many victories at sea. ...

. Due to her landlocked condition, ''Commodore'' was referred to by the cadets who trained aboard her as "The Never-Sail".Quesenbery 2007, p.36 (The same nickname, "USS ''Neversail''," was also given to the landlocked training "ship" USS ''Recruit'' at

Naval Training Center San Diego Naval Training Center San Diego (NTC San Diego) is a former United States Navy base located at the north end of San Diego Bay, used as a training facility, commonly known as "boot camp". The Naval Training Center site is listed on the Nationa ...

.) ''Commodore'' was dismantled when the base was closed in the 1970s.

References

Notes

;Bibliography * Quesenbery, Erika L. ''United States Naval Training Center, Bainbridge''. Arcadia Publishing, 2007.
USNTC Bainbridge Association
Landlocked ships Training ships of the United States Navy {{US-mil-ship-stub