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USS Proteus (AS 19)

- decommissioned -
- later IX 518 -


Originally a ship of the FULTON - class, the USS PROTEUS was commissioned as a diesel sub tender on January 31, 1944. From 1959-60, the PROTEUS was overhauled and reconfigured to service FBM submarines. During this overhaul her hull was sliced through, cutting the ship in half, and a forty-four-foot plug weighting 500 tons was added to the hull. This new section became the missile magazine.

Until 1964, the PROTEUS was assigned to SUBRON 14 at Holy Loch, Scotland, and to SUBRON 16 at Rota, Spain. From 1964 on, PROTEUS was assigned to SUBRON 15 at Apra Harbor, Guam.

Decommissioned on July 11, 1992, the PROTEUS was stricken from the Navy list in September 1992. However, in 1994 the PROTEUS was re-instated as IX 518 serving as berthing ship for overhaul crews at Bremerton, Wash. That last assignment ended in 1999, when IX 518 was retired and stricken for the last time. PROTEUS was later sold to Esco Marine, Brownsville, Tx., for scrapping. Scrapping was completed in early 2008.

General Characteristics:Keel laid: September 15, 1941
Launched: November 12, 1942
Commissioned: January 31, 1944
Decommissioned: July 11, 1992
Builder: Moore Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Oakland, Calif.
Propulsion System: Diesel electric (12 diesel engines)
Propellers: two
Length: 574.6 feet (175.1 meters)
Beam: 73 feet (22.3 meters)
Draft: 25.6 feet (7.8 meters)
Displacement: approx. 20,000 tons
Speed: 18 knots
Armament: four 20mm guns
Crew: approx. 1250


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Crew List:

This section contains the names of sailors who served aboard USS PROTEUS. It is no official listing but contains the names of sailors who submitted their information.


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USS PROTEUS Cruise Books:


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History of USS PROTEUS:

USS PROTEUS was laid down by the Moore Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Oakland, Calif., 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 Honshu 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. 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 Argentia 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 1964 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 enroute to Guam. Arriving Apra Harbor 29 November, she established the third overseas replenishment site for the Fleet Ballistic Missile submarines of SUBRON 15 with her first customer being USS DANIEL BOONE (SSBN 629). She continued to operate at Apra Harbor and in the Pacific for the next seven years until relieved by USS HUNLEY (AS 31) in November 1971.

PROTEUS subsequently sailed for an extensive overhaul at Mare Island Naval Shipyard but returned to Guam in January 1973 after a short stop in Australia. The years 1973 through 1978 saw PROTEUS at Guam as flagship of SUBRON 15, providing logistic and material support to 18 different SSBNs. The Secretary of the Navy awarded PROTEUS a second Meritorious Unit Commendation for services during 1975 in support of the heavy submarine refit schedule and contributions to the evacuation of South Vietnamese citizens to Guam.

In 1976, the ship received its third consecutive Engineering "E" and a Battle Efficiency "E" in 1978. Following an overhaul in 1979 at Long Beach Naval Shipyard, PROTEUS returned to Guam in May 1980 after a visit to Mazatlan, Mexico.

Polaris system support continued until the last SSBN departed in July 1981. PROTEUS then embarked on a major conversion to general fleet support culminating in a deployment with the 7th Fleet to the Indian Ocean and Diego Garcia.

In 1982, the Secretary of the Navy awarded PROTEUS her third Meritorious Unit Commendation for meritorious service in support of the 7th Fleet. During the 1982 deployment the ship was recipient of its second consecutive Vattle Efficiency "E".

During 1983, PROTEUS made two deployments to Subic Bay for fleet support and upkeep of units operating in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. In 1984, PROTEUS received her fourth consecutive Battle Efficiency "E" and another Golden Anchor Award. She also made port visits to Diego Garcia, Singapore and Australia during an extended deployment.

During 1985, PROTEUS also deployed to Subic Bay and Hong Kong. Following this cruise PROTEUS was awarded a second consecutive Engineering "E" and an unprecedented fifth consecutive Golden Anchor Award. The latter was presented personally by the Commander-in-Chief U.S. Pacific Fleet in January 1986.

PROTEUS hosted the first Western Pacific Trident SSBN refit and crew exchange when USS GEORGIA (SSN 729) moored alongside in outer Apra Harbor 30 April to 10 May 1986. During 1986, she also deployed to Subic Bay, Chinhae, South Korea and Hong Kong

. In 1987, PROTEUS deployed to Chinhae, Subic Bay, Hong Kong and Yokosuka, Japan, in support of submarines operating in the Western Pacific. She also provided support to submarines stopping in Guam.

In 1988, PROTEUS won the COMSUBPAC Battle Efficiency "E". She also deployed to Subic Bay, Chinhae and Hong Kong. She made a typhoon evasion cruise in January 1988 for three days and completed a three-month IOH period in October 1988 at SRF Guam.

In March 1989, PROTEUS deloyed to Chinhae with stops in Hong Kong, Pattaya Beach, Thailand, Sasebo, Japan and Subic Bay. During a fall trip south of the Equator a large portion of the crew were initiated into the realm of "trusty Shellbacks". The ship visited the Island of Manus in the Admiralty Island Group before returning to Guam after the five-week cruise.

Decommissioned on 11 July 1992, the PROTEUS was stricken from the Navy list in September 1992. However, in 1994 the PROTEUS was re-instated as IX 518 serving as berthing ship for overhaul crews at Bremerton, Wash. That last assignment ended in 1999, when IX 518 was retired and stricken for the last time. PROTEUS was later sold to Esco Marine, Brownsville, Tx., for scrapping. Scrapping was completed in early 2008.


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Accidents aboard USS PROTEUS:



DateWhereEvents
March 12, 1962Irish Sea
USS PROTEUS suffers a brief fire during a weekend training cruise. The fire, which caused only slight damage, apparently started in a pile of rags.
December 2, 1972Pearl Harbor, HI.
USS PROTEUS experiences a blast in a boiler room while in Pearl Harbor, HI., suffering only slight damage.
May 1976Apra Harbor, Guam
Fuel oil leaks into the lower level of the ballistic missile magazine aboard the USS PROTEUS. According to the Navy, the leak was detected by magazine personnel and stopped.


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USS PROTEUS' Commanding Officers:


PeriodName
January 31, 1944 - September 12, 1944Captain Robert W. Berry, USN
September 12, 1944 - September 4, 1945Captain Charles N. Day, USN
September 4, 1945 - April 27, 1947Captain James A. Jordan, USN
April 27, 1947 - September 26, 1947Captain Richard C. Lake, USN
July 8, 1960 - August 25, 1962Captain Richard B. Laning, USN
August 25, 1962 - September 7, 1963Captain Raymond F. Dubois, USN
September 7, 1963 - January 16, 1965Captain Lindsay C. McCarty, USN
January 16, 1965 - July 14, 1966Captain Robert H. Gulmon, USN
July 14, 1966 - September 6, 1967Captain Daniel C. Clements, USN
September 6, 1967 - August 6, 1968Captain Fred T. Berry, USN
August 6, 1968 - April 10, 1970Captain R. M. Weidman, Jr., USN
April 10, 1970 - September 21, 1971Captain Frank A. Thurtell, USN
September 21, 1971 - March 6, 1974Captain John T. Rigsbee, USN
March 6, 1974 - June 8, 1976Captain Marvin S. Greer, Jr., USN
June 8, 1976 - June 6, 1978Captain Clifton G. Foster, USN
June 6, 1978 - August 7, 1980Captain Thomas R. Fox, USN
August 7, 1980 - June 18, 1982Captain Michael C. Colley, USN
June 18, 1982 - July 17, 1984Captain J. Stephen Perry, USN
July 17, 1984 - November 10, 1986Captain Herndon A. Oliver III, USN
November 10, 1986 - September 1, 1988Captain Paul W. Middents, USN
September 1, 1988 - August 16, 1990Captain Edward R. Losure, Jr., USN
August 16, 1990 - July 11, 1992Captain William A. Evans IV, USN


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USS PROTEUS Documents:

Welcome Aboard Pamphlet from 1992



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The photo below was taken and contributed by Michael Martin and shows the PROTEUS (as IX 518) at Esco Marine, Brownsville, Texas, undergoing scrapping. The photo was taken on August 1, 2007.



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