USSProteus(AS-19)

For other ships with the same name, seeUSS Proteus.

USSProteus(AS-19)

USSProteus(AS-19) in 1980
History
United States
Namesake	Proteus
Builder	Moore Dry Dock Company
Laid down	15 September 1941
Launched	12 November 1942
Commissioned	31 January 1944
Decommissioned	26 September 1947
Recommissioned	8 July 1960
Decommissioned	September 1992
Recommissioned	1994, reclassified IX-518
Decommissioned	September 1999
Stricken	13 March 2001
Fate	Scrapped, 2007
General characteristics (as built)
Class and type	Fulton-classsubmarine tender
Displacement	9,734 long tons (9,890 t)
Length	529 ft 6 in (161.39 m)
Beam	73 ft 4 in (22.35 m)
Propulsion	diesel-electric
Speed	18.5knots(34.3 km/h; 21.3 mph)
Complement	1,487
Armament	4 ×5 "/38 caliber guns 8 ×40 mmguns 23 ×20 mmguns

The thirdUSSProteus(AS-19)was aFulton-classsubmarine tenderin theUnited States Navy.

Construction and commissioning

Proteuswas laid down by the Moore Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company,Oakland, California,15 September 1941; launched 12 November 1942; sponsored byMrs. Charles M. Cooke, Jr.;and commissioned 31 January 1944.

Service history

1944–1959

After shakedown offSan Diego,she stood out ofSan Franciscoon 19 March forMidwayto tendsubmarinesof Submarine Squadron 20. She arrived 3 May, and operated there until 1 December completing 51 voyage repairs and 14 refits for submarines. She returned toPearl Harbor4 December, and on 5 February got underway forGuamwhere she completed 4 voyage repairs and 24 refits by 7 August.

Assigned to occupation duty after the end of the war,Proteusrendezvoused with units of the3rd Fleetand became the flagship of a 26-ship support group which steamed off the coast ofHonshūuntil 26 August. On the 28th she anchored inSagami Wanto begin supporting Submarine Squadron 20 as it demilitarized surrendered Japanese submarines, human torpedoes, torpedo carrying boats, and suicide boats atYokosukaand other locations in the Sagami Wan-Tokyo Bayareas. Future actorsTony Curtis– whose birth name was Bernard Schwartz – andLarry Storchwere aboardProteusat Tokyo Bay in August–September 1945 – and watched much of theformal surrender activitiesaboardUSSMissourifromProteus's signal bridge.

Also assigned to repair Japanese submarines, she remained until 1 November, when she headed home.

USSProteusbeing lengthened at Charleston in 1959.

Transiting thePanama Canalon 6 December, she reachedNew London16 December. A trip to the Canal Zone preceded cold weather operations with SubRon 8 atNS Argentia,Newfoundlandduring November, after which she returned to New London. Decommissioned and placed in service 26 September 1947, she provided vital service to the submarine base at New London until January 1959. On the 15th she entered Charleston Naval Shipyard for conversion to a tender for thePolaris Fleet Ballistic Missile submarines,including the addition of a 44-foot section amidships.

1960–1992

Proteusrecommissioned 8 July 1960, and after shakedown atGuantanamo Bay,she accomplished her firstSSBNrefit 20 January–21 February at New London. She then crossed toHoly Loch,Scotland, arriving 3 March 1961. There for the next two years she completed 38 refits of Fleet Ballistic Missile submarines. She received theNavy Unit Commendationfor her accelerated deployment of all SSBNs alongside during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Back at Charleston for overhaul in 1963, on 2 January 1964 she resumed operations at Holy Loch to provide support and refits to the Fleet Ballistic Missile submarines ofSubmarine Squadron 14.

On 24 FebruaryProteusarrived atRota, Spain,to establish the second overseas replenishment site for Fleet Ballistic Missile submarines, returning to Holy Loch 12 April. On 29 June she put in at Charleston and on 16 October was en route toGuam.ArrivingApra Harbor29 November, she established the third overseas replenishment site for the Fleet Ballistic Missile submarines. She continued to operate at Apra Harbor and in the Pacific for the next seven years, taking a five-month time off for self-overhaul in 1968 – relieved byHunley(AS-31).

In 1971, after a brief R&R visit to Pearl Harbor,Proteusproceeded to Mare Island for an extensive overhaul, including a significant propulsion upgrade. A boiler accident forced her to stay at Ford Island, Hawaii for two months then a shake-down was accomplished out of Pearl Harbor, and after an R&R port call to Sydney Australia,Proteusreturned to Apra Harbor for the now routine exchange withHunley.

Operation New Lifecamp sign creditingProteus,1975

The exchange was completed by mid-January, 1973, andProteusresumed her duties. In 1974 personnel from the Ship Repair Facility atNaval Base Guamremoved the remaining 5-inch gun turret and munitions as unnecessary for her primary mission – leaving only the four 20mm mounts as her main defensive weapons. WhenSaigon fellin 1975, some 100,000 Vietnamese fled their country and were processed by the U.S. on Guam. In a massive undertaking calledOperation New Life,every able-bodied individual who could be spared helped provide facilities to care for the refugees. As part of that effort over 1,000 officers and men fromProteusworked with Seabee construction personnel to erect the refugee tent city atOrote Fieldon Naval Base Guam, leaving only a hand-picked skeleton crew of individuals aboard to see to her safety and security; as well as handle emergencies from the boats that were in. But for that week,Proteuswas out of business as usual – for which the Secretary of the Navy awardedProteusher second Meritorious Unit Commendation in 1975; and she (along with other participating Navy Units) were awarded the first award of the Navy Humanitarian Service Medal (established by Executive Order January 1977 for actions beginning 1 April 1975).

In 1976Proteusreceived her third consecutive Engineering "E" and second Humanitarian Medal forTyphoon Pameladisaster relief; and the Battle Efficiency "E" in 1978. That year,Proteuswas sent to overhaul at Long Beach Naval Shipyard rather than the expected retirement and decommissioning.

Transfer of aPolaris missilebetweenProteusandUSSPatrick HenryatHoly Loch,Scotland,in 1961.

In 1980, her overhaul ended,Proteusreturned to Guam via a port call in Mazatlán, Mexico. Once again, she relieved the USSHunleyand resumed duties as the Guam home-ported submarine tender. The ensuing year saw Proteus conduct the last Pacific SSBN refits under the aegis of Submarine Squadron 15. Following, the standing down of Submarine Squadron 15 on 30 September 1981,Proteuswas placed under the command of Submarine Group 7 with additional duty as Submarine Group 7 Rep Guam. The missile magazine was deactivated, various modifications were made to the ship, and theMarine Detachmentdeparted. On 21 October 1981, the Proteus was awarded the Battle "E" Efficiency. In November 1981,Proteusdeparted Guam on a six-month deployment to Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. 22 December 1981,Proteuscrossed the equator and received Neptunis Rex and Davy Jones aboard forShellback ceremonies.Although a submarine tender, while at Diego Garcia,Proteusworked on any ship needing assistance. In March 1982, still in Diego Garcia,Proteusprovided repair assistance toHMSSheffieldwho tied up toProteus'sport side. After leaving Diego Garcia, theSheffieldsailed to the Falkland Islands where she sank on 10 May 1982 after an Argentine air attack on 4 May 1982.Proteusreturned to Guam in May 1982, after port calls in Fremantle, Australia and Subic Bay, RP and with a second crossing of the Equator. In the fall of 1983,Proteusonce again visited Subic Bay, RP, along with a November stop in Hong Kong prior to returning to Guam on 9 December 1983. Another Indian Ocean deployment to Diego Garcia followed from May to September 1984 with stops inSingaporeand both Perth and Darwin, Australia as well as a third crossing of the Equator.

During 1987-1989 Proteus continued Fast Attack and SSBN support while homeported in Guam and deployed to Subic Naval Base, Philippines, Chinhae, S. Korea, and Japan. Proteus during these years enjoyed liberty ports in Hong Kong and Pattaya, Thailand.

Proteuswas decommissioned again in September 1992 and soon thereafter struck from theNaval Register.

1994–2007

1994Proteuswas re-commissioned yet again as a Berthing Auxiliary and placed in service atPuget Sound Naval Shipyard,Bremerton, Washington.At this timeProteustook on the new naval designation Miscellaneous UnclassifiedIX-518.

In September 1999 the ship was placed out of active service and laid up at theNational Defense Reserve FleetatSuisun Bay,California. Late 2007 she was towed to Esco Marine, Brownsville, Texas for scrapping; which was completed in early 2008.

Awards

Navy Unit Commendation	Meritorious Unit Commendation with onestar	Navy E Ribbon
Navy Expeditionary Medal	Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal	World War II Victory Medal
Navy Occupation Medal with "ASIA" clasp	National Defense Service Medal with two stars	Humanitarian Service Medal with one star

See also

• Norwalk Class Cargo Ships

References

• This article incorporates text from thepublic domainDictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.The entry can be foundhere.
• This article includes information collected from theNaval Vessel Register,which, as a U.S. government publication, is in thepublic domain.The entry can be foundhere.

External links

• navsource.org: AS-19Proteus/ IX-518
• USSProteuswebsite
• USSProteuspages on TenderTale