SS United States Towed from Mobile Berth Ahead of Sinking

Sam LaGrone – November 9, 2026 5:24 PM

The hulk of the ocean liner and secret troop transport SS United States was towed from its berth in Mobile, Ala., ahead of its sinking to become an artificial reef off the coast of Florida, according to ship spotters.

Bought in 2024 by Okaloosa County, Fla., from a group that had failed to turn the ship into a floating museum, SS United States has been moored in Mobile since March of 2025 undergoing the final preparations before being sunk. The work included removing items from the ship, cleaning tanks and the smokestacks for a planned installation ashore.

A judge denied a last-minute emergency motion from SS United States Preservation Foundation, a group seeking to keep the museum plan on track, that would stop the towing of the ship.

“Deployment operations are scheduled to begin at the deployment site on November 12 at 10 a.m.,” reads a statement from Okaloosa County.

SS United States was built by Newport News Shipbuilding and began transatlantic service in 1952. The ship still holds the fastest Atlantic crossing time of any passenger liner: three days and 11 hours. The ship was designed with a wartime role to transport thousands of troops to Europe as needed.

The ship left service in 1969 and was moored in Philadelphia for decades before traveling to Mobile.

Sam LaGrone

Sam LaGrone is the editor of USNI News. He has covered legislation, acquisition and operations for the Sea Services since 2009 and spent time underway with the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, the Canadian Navy, the French Navy and the Spanish Armada.
Email: slagrone@usni.org
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