A Vanishing Without a Trace
On March 25, 1921, USS Conestoga departed Mare Island, California, bound for American Samoa. The Navy tugboat never arrived. Weeks passed before the Navy even realized it was missing, due to a mistaken report that it had reached Pearl Harbor.
A Massive Search in the Wrong Place
The U.S. Navy launched one of the largest peacetime searches in its history, deploying about 60 ships and numerous aircraft to scour the Pacific—2,000 miles from where the wreck was eventually found. Early clues near San Francisco were dismissed.
Decades of Silence, Then a Discovery
In 2009, NOAA detected a sonar anomaly near Southeast Farallon Island. Years later, remote-operated vehicles confirmed the wreck’s identity. The ship had likely sought shelter from a storm, but water overwhelmed its aging systems.
Families Finally Get Answers
Fifty-six men died in the sinking. For nearly a century, their families endured silence and uncertainty. Now, the wreck lies protected as a naval grave, a final answer to a question that haunted generations.
On March 25, 1921, USS Conestoga departed Mare Island, California, bound for American Samoa.
The Navy tugboat never arrived. Weeks passed before the Navy even realized it was missing, due to a mistaken report that it had reached Pearl Harbor…🧵👇 pic.twitter.com/6hO1ia0l4r
— Detective Tiger's Stories (@TigerDetective) May 19, 2025