World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseSubmarine tender USS Proteus entered service in Jan 1944. She held her shakedown cruise off San Diego, California, United States. Between May and Dec 1944, she served in Midway with Submarine Squadron 20; at Midway she completed 51 voyage repairs and 14 refits for submarines. Between Feb and Aug 1945, she served at Guam, completing 4 voyage repairs and 24 refits. Between Aug and Oct 1945, after the end of the Pacific War, she served in Japan to support submarines of the naval occupation force. During this time, she also repaired and/or demilitarized Japanese submarines, torpedo boats, and special attack vessels at Yokosuka and other locations in the Sagami Bay-Tokyo Bay areas.

ww2dbaseUSS Proteus was decommissioned from naval service in 1947, but would remain operational for services at the submarine base in New London, Connecticut, United States. In 1959, at Charleston Navy Yard, North Charleston, South Carolina, United States, she was lengthened by 44-feet while being converted to support Polaris Fleet Ballistic Missile submarines. Upon completion, she was recommissioned into service in Jul 1960. After a shakedown cruise at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, she returned to New London to assume her new role. She completed her first refit of a ballistic missile submarine between 20 Jan and 21 Feb 1961 before moving on to Fleet Ballistic Missile Refit Site One, a US Navy submarine base located at Holy Loch, Scotland, United Kingdom. At Holy Loch, she completed 38 refits and would receive a Navy Unit Commendation. She returned to Charleston Navy Yard for overhaul in 1963, and then returned to Europe briefly; during this time, she helped establish Fleet Ballistic Missile Refit Site Two in Rota, Spain. After refitting in Charleston Navy Yard, she sailed to Guam, arriving in late Nov 1964, to help establish Fleet Ballistic Missile Refit Site Three at Apra Harbor. In 1968, she was replaced by USS Hunley for five months as she performed a self-overhaul at Apra Harbor. In 1971, she departed Apra Harbor for Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, United States and then to Mare Island Navy Yard in California, United States for an extensive overhaul. After a post-overhaul shakedown cruise off Pearl Harbor and a brief visit to Sydney, Australia, she returned to Apra Harbor in mid-Jan 1973 to resume her previous role, relieving USS Hunley. In 1974, her 5-inch gun turrets were removed. For one week in 1975, over 1,000 members of her crew helped in the construction of a refugee camp at Orote Point, Guam for Vietnamese refugees while a very small crew remained on board to continue serving USS Proteus' main mission; for the accomplishments during this week, s 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. he was awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation by Secretary of the Navy J. William Middendorf. In 1976, she assisted in relief efforts after Typhoon Pamela. In 1977, she was awarded two Navy Humanitarian Service Medals for the 1975 work with Vietnamese refugees and the 1976 work with Typhoon Pamela survivors. Between 1978 and 1980, she was at Long Beach Naval Shipyard on Terminal Island, California, United States for overhaul. After the completion of the overhaul, she returned to Guam, once again relieving USS Hunley. In Sep 1981, she was transferred to Submarine Group 7 as the final squadron she serviced, Submarine Squadron 15, stood down. She departed Guam in Nov 1981 for British-controlled Diego Garcia Atoll in the Indian Ocean. In May 1982, she returned to Guam after making port calls at Fremantle Australia and Subic Bay, Philippines. She visited Subic Bay once again in the fall of 1983. In Nov 1983, she made port call at Hong Kong before returning to Guam in Dec 1983. In mid-1984, she made port calls at Singapore; Perth, Australia; and Darwin, Australia en route to Diego Garcia, where she would remain from May through Sep 1984. She was decommissioned from service for the second time in Sep 1992. In 1994, she was recommission for the third and final time with the designation number of IX-518. After five years of service as a berthing auxiliary at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard at Bremerton, Washington, United States, she was decommissioned for the final time. Between Sep 1999 and late 2007, she was located at the National Defense Reserve Fleet at Suisun Bay, California. She was towed to the facilities of Esco Marine in Brownsville, Texas, United States before the end of the year for scrapping, which would be completed in early 2008.

Submarine Tender Proteus (AS-19) Interactive Map

Photographs

Proteus Operational Timeline

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3.  C. Peter Chen says:
5 Jun 2018 06:52:36 AM

To Doug Humble: Thank you for pointing out the misspelling. It has been corrected.