Shotline Diving

Connecting You to the Depths of the Great Lakes

M.F.D. 23 (August F. Janssen) US 130711

Explore the wreck of the M.F.D. 23, a historic fireboat scuttled in Lake Michigan, offering divers a glimpse into early 20th-century maritime firefighting.

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

  • Name: M.F.D. 23 (August F. Janssen)
  • Type: Fireboat
  • Year Built: 1896
  • Builder: Ribeoldt, Wolter & Co., Sturgeon Bay, WI
  • Dimensions: 110.5 ft (33.7 m) X 24.7 ft (7.5 m); 10.2 ft (3.1 m)
  • Registered Tonnage: 133 tons
  • Depth at Wreck Site: 22 m / 72 ft
  • Location: Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin
  • Coordinates: 43° 00.940′ N, 87° 48.180′ W
  • Official Number: 130711
  • Original Owners: City of Milwaukee
  • Number of Masts: None

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

  • Class: Gas screw / Fireboat (converted to auxiliary use)
  • Intended Use: Municipal fireboat for harbor firefighting
  • Propulsion: Steam screw (scrapped prior to sinking)

Description

The M.F.D. 23 was a wooden-hulled municipal fireboat, 110.5 ft (33.7 m) in length, with a 24.7 ft (7.5 m) beam and 10.2 ft (3.1 m) hold depth.

  • Gross Tonnage: 133 tons
  • Propulsion: Steam screw (original engines removed prior to scuttling)
  • Hull Construction: Wood, reinforced for fireboat operations
  • Notable Features:
    • Twin to M.F.D. 17 (formerly James Foley)
    • Equipped with firefighting apparatus and pumps when in service
    • Upright wreck with partially collapsed stern, exposed rudder, and embedded propeller

History

  • Builder: Ribeoldt, Wolter & Co., Sturgeon Bay, WI
  • Home Port: Milwaukee, WI
  • Cost to Build: $32,800 (1896)
  • Operational Record:
    • Launched 1896, entered service May 15, 1897
    • Named for Assistant Fire Chief August F. Janssen, who died in the line of duty
    • Initially docked at Cherry Street Bridge, later at Menominee River Dock
    • In 1901, renamed M.F.D. 23
    • Served as Milwaukee’s third fireboat
  • Decommissioning & Disposal:
    • Replaced by Torrent in 1922
    • Engines removed and salvaged for parts for M.F.D. 17
    • Hull stripped and towed offshore, intentionally burned and scuttled in 1923

Significant Incidents

  • Discovery: 2005 by local Wisconsin divers

Final Disposition

  • Cause of Loss: Deliberate scuttling after decommissioning
  • Salvage & Recovery: Engines and equipment removed; hull intentionally destroyed
  • Marine Board or Legal Action: None—official city disposal

Current Condition & Accessibility

  • Upright in 72 ft (22 m) of water
  • Sides opened and partially collapsed
  • Stern heavily damaged and rudder displaced
  • Propeller partially buried in lakebed

Resources & Links

References are being reviewed for this wreck.

The M.F.D. 23 (August F. Janssen) represents an important chapter in Milwaukee’s maritime firefighting history. Its wreck is a rare example of a scuttled municipal fireboat on the Great Lakes. The site offers excellent structural visibility for divers and provides a glimpse into early 20th-century urban maritime infrastructure. As a potential National Register site, it holds archaeological significance for the study of municipal vessels and fireboats of the era.