USS Seneca ( AT - 91 ) USS " Seneca " ( AT - 91 ) was a constructed for the United States Navy during World War II . Her purpose was to aid ships , usually by towing , on the high seas or in combat or post - combat areas , plus " other duties as assigned . " She served in the Atlantic Ocean performing various tasks . " Seneca " was laid down at Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , on 7 September 1942 by the Cramp Shipbuilding Co . ; launched on 2 February 1943 ; and commissioned at the Philadelphia Navy Yard on 30 April 1943 , Lt . Herman B . Conrad commanding . World War II North Atlantic operations . The tug completed fitting out and post - commissioning availability on 19 May and departed for trials , drills , and calibrations in the Delaware Bay . Three days later , she cleared the Delaware Capes and arrived at Norfolk , Virginia , for shakedown training . " Seneca " next stood out of Norfolk on 18 June , towing a target raft to Guantanamo Bay , Cuba . From 27 June until 7 July , she conducted anti - submarine warfare ( ASW ) training in the Guantanamo Bay operating area ; then she headed for Trinidad to begin a tour of duty with the U . S . 4th Fleet . Rescuing German U - boat survivors . For the next 21 months , " Seneca " was assigned target towing , general rescue , and salvage duties in the waters off the coast of Brazil . During one of her early rescue missions , " Seneca " captured two survivors of a German U - boat sunk by Allied ASW patrols . " Seneca " was re - designated ATF - 91 on 15 May 1944 . On 9 April 1945 , she departed Bermuda for Norfolk with a dual tow . Upon arrival , she entered the Norfolk Navy Yard for overhaul . On 25 May 1945 , she cleared Norfolk for a tour of duty at Port Everglades , Florida , and Key West , Florida , with the Surface Group of the Anti - submarine Development Detachment . She towed targets and recovered torpedoes until her departure from Key West on 19 February 1946 . " Seneca " towed a large floating crane to Philadelphia , arrived on the 26th , and later shifted to Norfolk for overhaul . Post - war operations . Following overhaul , " Seneca " commenced 25 years of operations out of Norfolk and Little Creek , Virginia . Her routine during this time consisted of target towing , rescue and salvage work , and ship towing ; most often these were reserve ships moving from one berthing area to another or former Navy ships to be sunk as targets . Her sphere of operations consisted of the Atlantic seaboard , the Caribbean , and the Gulf of Mexico . She spent much of her career in the Guantanamo Bay area and in the British West Indies , but also frequented the New England , Canadian , and Greenland coasts . On one occasion , she even made a tow to Reykjavík , Iceland . Between 1946 and 1971 , " Seneca " only ventured out of the western Atlantic three times . On 1 May 1961 , she departed Mayport , Florida , with " AFBD - 7 " in tow and made Holy Loch , Scotland , a month later . Leaving her charge at Holy Loch , " Seneca " sailed to Penzance , England , on 5 June . She stood out of Penzance on the 13th and arrived in Norfolk , Virginia , on the 24th . In the summer of 1964 , she participated in the tow of and " YFNB - 36 " from Norfolk to Rota , Spain . She sailed to the Mediterranean in 1966 for a five - month deployment with the U . S . 6th Fleet after which she resumed her normal routine in the western Atlantic . Decommissioning . Decommissioned in July 1971 , " Seneca " was transferred to the Maritime Administration on 18 November 1971 for lay up with the James River Group , National Defense Reserve Fleet , Fort Eustis , Virginia . She was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 30 October 1985 . In the late 1980s , the ship was modified at the United States Coast Guard Yard for use as floating laboratory space . The ship was moored at the former Engineering Experiment Station in Annapolis , Maryland , later part of the Carderock Division of the Naval Surface Warfare Center . It continued to serve in this capacity until 18 June 1997 , when it was towed to Portsmouth , Virginia . It was finally disposed of as a target on 21 July 2003 .