America's rustbucket Reserve Navy: The haunting 'ghost' merchant ships sent to the scrapheap

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These rusting 'ghost' ships are the last remnants of what was once the United States' National Defense Reserve Fleet, set to protect and serve in the hour of need.

The NDRF was set up in the wake of the Second World War, and at its peak in the 1950s, the fleet consisted of nearly 2,280 ships moored across the United States.

But as the need for the fleet has diminished, so has the number of vessels, and today, just over 120 ships remain, posing a risk to the environment in the bays where they are moored. 

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Ghost ships: A number of the remaining ships in the United States' National Defense Reserve Fleet lay moored in James River, Virginia

Helping hand: The United States' National Defense Reserve Fleet was set up after the Second World War in 1945, in order to provide back-up in case of war or national emergencies

Diminished: At its height in 1950, the NDRF consisted of 2,277 ships, reduced to 230 by 2007, and 122 in April last year

The ships, jokily known as the 'Mothball Fleet', is so rarely used that many of the ships are falling apart, creating naval graveyards rather than emergency fleets. 

At its height in 1950, the NDRF consisted of 2,277 ships at eight anchorage sites: James River, Virginia; Beaumont, Texas; Suisun Bay, California; Stony Point, New York; Wilmington, North Carolina; Mobile, Alabama; Astoria, Oregon; and Olympia, Washington.

Out of these eight, only James River, Beaumont and Suisun Bay exist today. Long years of neglect and disuse have turned these ships into near wrecks, with flaking paint polluting the waters with heavy metals and hazardous chemicals.

The worst affected is the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet, where less than 50 ships remain. At its peak, in 1952, the bay had 340 ships anchored. Today, less than 50 ships remain, slowly polluting the bay, which is a critical environmental area for fish and wildlife.

The federal Maritime Administration has pledged to dismantle the fleet at Suisun Bay, with 25 ships in the worst condition taken out within two years and the remainder to be scrapped by the end of 2017.

Reduced: Out of the original eight anchorage sites, only three; James River, Virginia; Beaumont, Texas and Suisun Bay, California remain

Pollution: The worst affected mooring side is Suisun Bay in California where less than 50 ships remain, slowly releasing toxins into the bay

Going, gone: At its peak, in 1952, the Suisun Bay, California site had 340 ships anchored - today, less than 50 ships remain

The federal Maritime Administration has pledged to dismantle the fleet at Suisun Bay, with 25 ships in the worst condition taken out within two years and the remainder to be scrapped by the end of 2017

The NDRF was established to serve as a reserve of mainly merchant vessels to be activated for national defense and national emergency purposes.

The vessels can be activated within 20 days to four months, in order to provide shipping during national emergencies, either military or non-military, such as commercial shipping crises. 

Throughout its first thirty years, the National Defense Reserve Fleet vessels were activated to help transporting coal and grains in times of shortage, and ships were brought in during the Korean War, the 1961 Berlin crisis and the Vietnam War.

After the fall of Saigon in 1975, the National Defense Reserve Fleet was augmented by the Ready Reserve Fleet (RFF) to provide for military emergencies. 

Since then, ships have been activated to support U.S. troops and transport cargo in the Gulf War in 1990 and aided in several humanitarian disasters in the new millennium. 

In 2005, four National Defense Reserve Fleet ships were used for relief operations in the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and five years later, six were used in the wake of the devastating earthquake  in Haiti.

Its most recent operation took place in the wake of Hurricane Sandy in 2012, when two National Defense Reserve Fleet training vessels were called in.

As of April 30, 2014, only 122 vessels are left in the NDRF, and their numbers are reducing still. 

Zombie ship: One of the ships moored in Suisun Bay, California is covered in rust, slowly eating up the once-gray paint

No life: Long years of neglect and disuse have turned the ships into near wrecks, with flaking paint polluting the waters with heavy metals and hazardous chemicals 

The ships, jokily known as the 'Mothball Fleet' is so rarely used that many of the ships are falling apart, creating naval graveyards rather than emergency fleets