The third USS ''Penguin'' (ASR–12) was a submarine rescue ship in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. She was the

lead ship The lead ship, name ship, or class leader is the first of a series or class of ships that are all constructed according to the same general design. The term is applicable to naval ships and large civilian vessels. Large ships are very comple ...

of a class of three vessels (''Penguin'', , and ) all originally laid down as fleet ocean tugs before being converted to rescue ships before completion. ''Penguin'' was laid down as ''Chetco'' (AT-99) by the Charleston Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co.,

Charleston, South Carolina Charleston is the List of municipalities in South Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint of South Carolina's coastline on Charleston Harbor, an inlet of the Atla ...

, 9 February 1943; launched 20 July 1943; sponsored by Mrs. H. S. Dickinson; renamed and reclassified USS ''Penguin'' (ASR–12), 23 September 1943; and commissioned 29 May 1944.

North Atlantic operations

''Penguin'', a

submarine A submarine (often shortened to sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. (It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability.) The term "submarine" is also sometimes used historically or infor ...

rescue and salvage vessel reported for duty with SubRon 1, at

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, 9 June 1944. Based there after shakedown training, she served as a target and torpedo recovery ship for Allied submarines training in the area; performed towing assignments; participated in the planting and sweeping of experimental mine fields; and conducted salvage operations. Included in the latter were operations on a sunken

U-boat U-boats are Submarine#Military, naval submarines operated by Germany, including during the World War I, First and Second World Wars. The term is an Anglicization#Loanwords, anglicized form of the German word , a shortening of (), though the G ...

near

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between April and June 1945. Shifting to

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, for the period 5 July–7 September, ''Penguin'' served as a target vessel and a rescue and salvage ship for submarines undergoing sea trials, then returned to New London, and, for the remainder of the year alternated between those two submarine bases. Permanently attached to New London with the new year, 1946, she remained there until November when she participated in cold weather operations off

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Decommissioning

On her return to New London she continued her duties as rescue and salvage ship, target and torpedo recovery vessel, and escort and towing vessel. In June 1947 she joined the

Atlantic Reserve Fleet The United States Navy maintains a number of its ships as part of a reserve fleet, often called the "Mothball Fleet". While the details of the maintenance activity have changed several times, the basics are constant: keep the ships afloat and s ...

, decommissioning, at Atlantic Reserve Fleet, New London, 4 September.

Reactivation for Atlantic operations

''Penguin'', berthed at New London for four and a half years, recommissioned 3 April 1952. On 28 April, she reported for duty with the Atlantic Fleet's Submarine Forces, and on 23 July, arrived at

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, her new homeport. For the next nine years, with only occasional interruptions for submarine exercises or salvage operations in the

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, and, in August 1954, off

, she carried out her mission in the

area for SubRon 12. During that period, however, she established a new record for ships of her class by "rescuing", during training operations, personnel from a submarine 349' below the surface, 24 February 1955. In 1961, ''Penguin'' entered another first on her record. On 20 March she departed for

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, becoming the first ASR to be deployed to the

Sixth Fleet The Sixth Fleet is a numbered fleet of the United States Navy operating as part of United States Naval Forces Europe and Africa. The Sixth Fleet is headquartered at Naval Support Activity Naples, Italy. The officially stated mission of the Sixt ...

. Since that time she has continued salvage operations, primarily on downed aircraft, and weapons evaluation tests; provided target and torpedo recovery services; and performed towing services for the Atlantic Fleet and, in 1963, 1964, 1967 and 1969, for the 6th Fleet. While with the latter she has also served as flagship for that fleet's

force. Fortunately, however, into 1970, she had not been called on to conduct rescue operations for an actual submarine disaster.

References

External links

Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships

*

The US Navy

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Penguin (ASR-12) Penguin-class submarine rescue ships Ships built in Charleston, South Carolina 1943 ships World War II auxiliary ships of the United States