USS Preserver
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History | |
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Builder | Basalt Rock Company |
Laid down | 26 October 1942 |
Launched | 1 April 1943 |
Commissioned | 11 January 1944 |
Decommissioned | 23 April 1947 |
In service | 1 December 1950 |
Out of service | 7 August 1992 |
Stricken | 16 March 1994 |
Fate | Sold for scrap, 30 November 2005 |
General characteristics | |
Tonnage | 1,441 tons |
Displacement | 1,530 tons |
Length | 213 ft 6 in (65.07 m) |
Beam | 39 ft (12 m) |
Draught | 14 ft 4 in (4.37 m) |
Propulsion | diesel-electric , twin screws, 2,780hp |
Speed | 15 kts. |
Complement | 120 |
Armament | two gun mounts; four .50-caliber machine guns |
USS Preserver (ARS-8) was a
World War II service
After shakedown out of San Francisco, California, Preserver steamed for Pearl Harbor 26 February in company with PC–1139. The next day she was ordered to come about and to report to Port Director, San Pedro, Los Angeles, for orders. She was once again underway for Pearl Harbor 5 March, with YOG–18 in tow. Arriving Pearl Harbor 16 March, she reported for duty with Service Squadron 2.
Saipan operations
Preserver worked at clearing
Damaged by bomb
She was at Seeadler Harbor, Manus, 6 October, and departed five days later for Leyte Gulf. A bomb penetrated her hull 20 October, flooding her motor room and causing loss of power throughout the ship. Battle damage repairs necessitated calls at Hollandia, New Guinea; Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides; and finally at Pearl Harbor from 5 February 1945 through the following July.
After final repairs Preserver stood out of Pearl Harbor 8 August, bound for Kwajalein Atoll, the
After the close of hostilities, Preserver participated in salvage operations during the weapons tests at Bikini Atoll, and then decommissioned at San Diego, California, 23 April 1947.
Reactivated during Korean War
She recommissioned at San Diego 1 December 1950, and in January 1951 transferred from the
Arctic operations
Since assuming duties out of Norfolk, Preserver performed salvage, rescue, and towing assignments along the Atlantic coast. From 1952 through 1962, she deployed annually for Arctic operations which took her to Greenland, Labrador, Newfoundland, and Nova Scotia as duty salvage ship. She also assisted in the MSTS resupply missions to Greenland.
Supporting search for the Thresher
In 1962 Preserver conducted towing operations to
Final operations
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bf/USS_Preserver_%28ARS-8%29_with_sunken_tanker_Ocean_Eagle_off_Puerto_Rico_1968.jpg/220px-USS_Preserver_%28ARS-8%29_with_sunken_tanker_Ocean_Eagle_off_Puerto_Rico_1968.jpg)
Further Atlantic Ocean operations were followed by a Mediterranean deployment from February–June 1964. In March 1968 Preserver pumped out of the bow of
In January 1986 she was tasked with leading the salvage and recovery efforts of the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. During the transit to Port Canaveral the ship recovered the nose piece of the external fuel tank. The Preserver was on station through April 1986. On 7 March 1986, divers from the USS Preserver using sonar located what they believed to be the crew compartment (confirming it during a dive the next day) and commenced recovery operations of the fallen astronauts.[1] John Devlin made the confirmation dive to verify that the wreckage was in fact the crew compartment.[2] On 9 March, NASA announced the finding to the press.[3] The ship received a Navy Unit Commendation for the operation. She was decommissioned on 30 September 1986, and recommissioned the following year.
After Hurricane Hugo, the Preserver was sent to Puerto Rico to aid in the recovery of a sunken ship. The ship drove through Hugo en route to Guantanomo bay, Cuba where it picked up two barges loaded with telephone poles to take to Puerto Rico. It performed the first tandem tow in 40 years of US naval history. The Preserver arrived safely at Puerto Rico and stayed there for nearly two months recovering a sunken vessel from the harbour.
Final decommissioning
Preserver decommissioned, 7 August 1992 and was transferred to the
Military awards and honors
Preserver received three
- Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive – 20 October 1944)
- Navy Unit Commendation
- Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation(3)
- Navy Battle "E" Ribbon(4)
- American Campaign Medal
- Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal
- World War II Victory Medal
- Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)
- National Defense Service Medal
- Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (2 Dominican Republic)
- Coast Guard Unit Commendation
- Philippines Liberation Medal
References
This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.
- ^ Isikoff, Michael (10 March 1986). "Remains of Crew of Shuttle Found". The Washington Post. Retrieved 5 March 2009.
- ^ "Evidence hints that astronauts were alive during fall". NBC News.
- ^ "Divers locate crew compartment of the Challenger". The Chronicle-Telegram. 10 March 1986. Retrieved 5 March 2009.
External links
- Photo gallery of Preserver at NavSource Naval History
- [1] Basalt Rock Company Shipbuilding History