The USS Searcher (YAGR/AGR-4) was a Guardian-class radar picket ship, originally constructed as a Liberty Ship named James W. Wheeler. Built under a Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 2338), she was laid down on December 11, 1944, by J.A. Jones Construction in Panama City, Florida. The vessel was launched on January 23, 1945, and delivered to the Calmar Steamship Company on February 5, 1945. In 1954, the ship was acquired by the U.S. Navy from the Maritime Administration and reclassified as YAGR-4 in August of that year. She underwent conversion into a radar picket ship at the Charleston Naval Shipyard, where her role was to serve as part of the Distant Early Warning Line, providing early warning defense for North America. She was commissioned as USS Searcher on April 2, 1955. Following her commissioning, Searcher departed Charleston on May 16, 1955, for Newport, Rhode Island, where she completed her shakedown and began her patrol duties. Her primary function was to operate offshore with sophisticated electronic search and tracking equipment capable of detecting and reporting enemy aircraft at long distances, as well as controlling interceptor aircraft if necessary. She also conducted weather reporting during her cruises, which lasted three to four weeks at a time. Throughout her service, Searcher played a vital role during the Cold War, including during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, when she operated at sea for 60 out of 67 days. On November 13, 1955, she was damaged by an engine room fire that burned for over six hours but was otherwise able to continue her patrols. In March 1964, she lost her screw in a heavy gale while 450 miles east-southeast of Cape Cod and was subsequently towed by the Coast Guard Cutter Yakutat and a Navy tug. She was decommissioned on July 1, 1965, and transferred to the Maritime Administration, remaining in the Hudson River Reserve Fleet until she was sold for scrap in 1970. The Searcher’s service highlights her importance in the early warning defense network during the Cold War era.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.