USS Nereus (AS-17)

USS "Nereus" (AS-17) was a Fulton-Class Submarine tender in the United States Navy.

According to Greek mythology, Nerus was the eldest son of Pontus and Gaia, and one of the manifestations of the Old Man of the Sea [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nereus ] .

"Nereus" was laid on 12 October 1943, at Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, in California;launched 12 February 1945; sponsored by Mrs. A. M. Hurst; and commissioned on 27 October 1945, with Captain L. D. Follmer in command.

After shakedown in the fall of 1945, the new submarine tender departed 15 December for Japan. Arriving Sasebo early in 1946, she stripped 39 Japanese submarines of all usable equipment and material before towing them to sea and sinking them with her guns in Operation “Roads End” 1 and 2 April.

Soon underway for home, she arrived San Diego 13 May for a year of submarine service and repair work. On 28 June 1947 she got underway for Operation “Blue Nose.” This cruise was entirely novel for a submarine tender. Together with the submarines Boarfish (SS-327), Caiman (SS–323), and Cabezon (SS–334), "Nereus" was assigned to TG 17.3. On 15 July she left for the Aleutian Islands where Rear Admiral Alan R. McCann, Commander Submarine Force Pacific came aboard. The group was underway again 25 July, this time for the Pribiloff Islands. During this transit Army Air Force planes based at Adak took part in the antisubmarine training. On 30 July "Nereus" passed through the Bering Strait and crossed the Arctic Circle.

Following along the International Date Line, the ships of Operation “Blue Nose” sighted pack ice on the morning of 1 August 1947. After reaching 72’15’ north latitude, the ships continued independently along the ice pack to determine its shape.

Before returning to her home port of San Diego, "Nereus" visited Norton Bay, Kodiak, Juneau, and Vancouver, B.C. The cruise was followed by the ship’s first overhaul, at Mare Island.

Starting in 1948 "Nereus" was primarily engaged in submarine repair and services at San Diego, Calif. During the next two decades of faithful service keeping the Navy’s submarines at peak fighting trim, "Nereus" made occasional cruises to Pearl Harbor; to Acapulco, Mexico; and various west coast ports. In 1948 she was camera ship photographing the sinking of cruiser Salt Lake City some 130 miles off the west coast. In the spring of 1955, she accompanied submarines Tunny (SSG–282), Carbonero (SS–337) and Cusk (SS–348) to Pearl Harbor and acted as observer ship and advance base headquarters during the first firing of operational missiles from submarines.

In November 1960 Halibut (SSGN–587) came alongside "Nereus", the first nuclear submarine to be serviced by a tender on the west coast. The following year she ministered to fleet ballistic missile (Polaris) submarine Theodore Roosevelt. In the fall of 1964, "Nereus" provided underwater support for the operational evaluation of the ASROC weapons system. Two years later her versatility in servicing Shields (DD–596) won her praise from ComSubPac, and the destroyer’s captain.

Nereus entered the U.S. Naval Shipyard at Mare Island, Vallejo, Calif. 1 November for overhaul until 7 April 1967. Following refresher training she reported to ComSubFlot 1 for duty 11 May. That month she visited Acapulco, Mexico and became flagship for ComSubFlot 1 and ComSubRon 5. In the fall of 1967, UNIVAC 1500 data processing equipment was installed to speed the tender operations. Into 1970 the tender served the submarines of the Pacific Fleet keeping them at peak readiness for their vital task of protecting peace and freedom.

"Nereus" was later decommissioned in 1971 [http://navysite.de/ships/as17.htm USS Nereus (AS 17) ] ] , and is currently awaiting scrap sale [ [http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/36/3617.htm Submarine Tender Photo Index (AD) ] ] .

pecifications

*Crew: approx. 1200
*Propulsion System: Diesel electric
*Propellers: two
*Length: 529.5 feet (161.4 meters)
*Beam: 73 feet (22.3 meters)
*Draft: 25.6 feet (7.8 meters)
*Displacement: approx. 18,000 tons
*Speed: 15 knots
*Armament: two Mk-30 5-inch / 38 caliber guns, four 20mm guns

External links

* [http://tendertale.com/tenders/117/117.html USS "Nereus"] page on TenderTale

Notes