Coast Guard Eagle Visits Birthplace In Hamburg

Making its second stop on a summer tour around Europe, the Coast Guard tall ship Eagle paid a visit to its original home port on Friday.

The Eagle, which made a 20-day journey across the Atlantic Ocean and paid its first visit to Waterford, Ireland, sailed through the English Channel and Elbe River to arrive at Hamburg, Germany. The ship, originally dubbed the Horst Wessel, was built in 1936 at the Blohm and Voss Shipyard. It was greeted at the Landungsbruecken Pier by a military band and is wrapping up a three-day stint in port, where crew members led tours of the ship.

The Horst Wessel served as a training vessel for German Navy officers and was taken as a prize of war after World War II. It then sailed from Bremerhaven to New London, where it has remained ever since in a similar capacity: serving as a training ship for cadets from the as well as a foreign ambassador on international trips.

“The Eagle does not only represent the Coast Guard, but the United States,” said Lt. Jeff Janaro, operations officer aboard the Eagle, in a statement. “We are happy to be here. We are also very pleased with how the ship was built; it is a testament to renowned German craftsmanship. We’re very happy to bring the Eagle back to its birthplace.”

Eric Jones, the Eagle's captain, met with Consul General Dr. Inmi Kim Patterson; Captain Klaus Beyer, commanding officer of Regional Command Hamburg; U.S. Naval Attachés Stephen Beck von Peccoz and William Suggs; Press Attaché Mitchell Moss; and Joerg Pollmann, the site's harbormaster. In addition, crew members met with Hamburg state secretary for foreign affairs Wolfgang Schmidt and toured the city hall.

The journey celebrates the ship's 75th anniversary. It will next travel to London, England and make five more stops before returning to New London on Aug. 12.