USS Proteus (AS-19)

The third USS "Proteus" (AS-19) was a "Fulton"-class submarine tender in the United States Navy.

History

"Proteus" was laid down by the Moore Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company, Oakland, California, 15 September 1941; launched 12 November 1942; sponsored by Mrs. Charles M. Cooke, Jr.; and commissioned 31 January 1944, Capt. Robert W. Berry in command.

After shakedown off San Diego, she stood out of San Francisco 19 March for Midway to tend submarines of Submarine Squadron 20. She arrived 3 May, and operating there until 1 December completed 51 voyage repairs and 14 refits for submarines. She returned to Pearl Harbor 4 December, and on 5 February got underway for Guam where she completed 4 voyage repairs and 24 refits by 7 August.

Assigned to occupation duty after the end of the war, "Proteus" rendezvoused with units of the 3rd Fleet and became the flagship of a 26 ship support group which steamed off the coast of Honshū until 26 August. On the 28th she anchored in Sagami Wan to begin supporting Submarine Squadron 20 as it demilitarized submarines, human torpedoes, torpedo carrying boats, and suicide boats at Yokosuka and other locations in the Sagami Wan - Tokyo Bay areas.

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

USS Proteus' complete war history summary is available at [http://tendertale.com/tenders/119/119.html TenderTale: USS "Proteus"]

Transiting the Panama Canal 6 December, she reached New London 16 December. A trip to the Canal Zone preceded cold weather operations with SubRon 8 at NS Argentia, Newfoundland during 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 the Polaris Fleet Ballistic Missile submarines, including the addition of a 44-foot section amidships.

"Proteus" recommissioned 8 July 1960, and after shakedown at Guantanamo Bay, she accomplished her first SSBN refit 20 January–21 February at New London. She then crossed to Holy Loch, Scotland arriving 3 March 1961. There for the next two years she completed 38 refits of Fleet Ballistic Missile submarines, for which she received the Navy Unit Commendation. 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 of Submarine Squadron 14.

On 24 February "Proteus" arrived at Rota, 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 to Guam. Arriving Apra Harbor 29 November 1964, 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 five years.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 by Hunley (AS-31).

In 1971, after a brief R&R visit to Pearl Harbor, Proteus proceeded to Mare Island for an extensive overhaul, including a significant propulsion upgrade. A boiler accident forced her to stay at Ford Island, Hawaii for 2 months then a Shake-down was accomplished out of Pearl Harbor, and after an R&R port call to Sydney Australia, Proteus returned to Apra Harbor for the now routine exchange with Hunley (AS-31).

The exchange was completed by mid January, 1973, and Proteus resumed her duties - In 1974 in Guam, the remaining two obsolete 5" gun turrets and munitions were removed as unnecessary for her primary mission. When Saigon fell in 1975, thousands of Vietnamese fled their country, and many made the crossing to Guam -some 100,000 of them. Every able bodied individual who could be spared was "volunteered" to help erect the refugee city - which included over 1,000 officers and men from Proteus. A hand-picked skeleton crew of individuals was left aboard to see to her safety and security; as well as handle emergencies from the boats that were in. But for that week, Proteus was out of business - for which the Secretary of the Navy awarded Proteus her second Meritorious Unit Commendation in 1975.

In 1976 Proteus received her third consecutive Engineering "E"; and the Battle Efficiency "E" in 1978. That year, Proteus was sent to overhaul at Long Beach Naval Shipyard rather than the expected retirement and decommissioning.

"Proteus" was decommissioned again in September 1992 and soon thereafter struck from the Naval Register. Two years later in 1994 "Proteus" was re-commissioned yet again as a Berthing Auxiliary and placed in service at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, Washington. At this time "Proteus" took on the new naval designation Miscellaneous Unclassified IX-518.

In September 1999 the ship was placed out of active service and laid up at the National Defense Reserve Fleet at Suisun Bay, California. She was ultimately scrapped at ESCO Marine, Brownsville, TX in 2007.

Awards, Citations & Campaign Ribbons

*Top Row - Navy Unit Commendation - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation (2) - Navy Battle "E" Ribbon (4)
*Second Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, - World War II Victory Medal
*Third Row - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - National Defense Service Medal - Humanitarian Service Medal (2)

Trivia

Naval author Robert Clark Young worked as a civilian PACE Instructor on the Proteus during the summer of 1987, researching some of the material for his controversial book, "One of the Guys".

Future actor Tony Curtis - whose birth name was Bernard Schwartz - was aboard USS Proteus at Tokyo Bay August - September 1945 - and watched much of the formal surrender activities aboard USS Missouri (BB-63) from Proteus' signal bridge. [ [http://tendertale.com/ttiii/ttiii1.html TenderTale III ] ]

ee also

See USS "Proteus" for other ships of the same name.

References

External links

* [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/p12/proteus-iii.htm history.navy.mil: USS "Proteus" AS-19]
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/3619.htm navsource.org: AS-19 "Proteus" / IX-518]
* [http://navysite.de/ships/as19.htm USS "Proteus"] website
* [http://tendertale.com/tenders/119/119.html USS PROTEUS] pages on TenderTale

Notes