A US Coast Guard ship was turning heads on the St. John’s waterfront today.

The USCGC Eagle is a 295-foot barque used for naval training purposes by the US Coast Guard.

The vessel has a long and unusual history, having come into existence in Nazi Germany as the Horst Wessel.

The ship surrendered to the British in 1945 and was won by the United States in a drawing of lots as part of war reparations. It is now used to train future officers of the US Coast Guard.

The vessel, involved in ongoing NATO operations, docked in St. John’s today to refuel and has since departed.