Speaker Series: "Cape Cod Bay’s Target Ship"

Chatham Marconi Welcomes Peter Schwind to its Speaker Series

Do you remember “The Target Ship”?  What was the need for a target ship and why was it brought to Cape Cod Bay?  Perhaps you have your own stories of seeing the SS James Longstreet out in Cape Cod Bay in the '60s, '70s and early '80s.  You won't want to miss hearing all about this rare and unique fixture of Cape Cod history! 

Built in Houston and launched in October 1942, the SS James Longstreet was a 441-foot Liberty ship, one of 2,708 such cargo ships built to move supplies overseas during WWII.  The ship was in active wartime service for less than one year and made three voyages abroad with stops in Australia, India, Ceylon, Liverpool, Halifax and Wales.  When back in the U.S. it passed through the harbors of Savannah, New York City and Boston.

Learn the true story of the ship, discover what it was used for and facts about it that few know.  Our speaker will also discuss little known stories about the Longstreet, the ship’s final days, and its current status. 

Historian and Cape Codder Peter Schwind was raised in Eastham, Massachusetts. He is the son of Phil Schwind, a well-known local fisherman and author.  His mother, Helen was a library trustee and maker of the famous bayberry “slicker” and other candle products.  Peter attended Eastham Grammar School and Orleans High School, but eventually left the Cape to pursue a career as an engineer with Polaroid Corporation.  He returned to the Cape in 1978 and started commercial fishing in 1988.  Today, he is a commercial fisherman and summer resident of Eastham.
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