USS Targeteer
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USS ''Targeteer'' was an originally projected as ''LSM-508''. The landing craft was reclassified as ''LSM(R)-508'' in February 1945 and laid down on 31 March 1945 at
Houston, TX Houston ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the seat of Harris County, as well as the principal city of ...
, by the
Brown Shipbuilding The Brown Shipbuilding Company was founded in Houston, Texas, in 1942 as a subsidiary of Brown and Root (now KBR (company), KBR) by brothers Herman and George R. Brown to build ships for the U.S. Navy during World War II. Brown Shipbuilding Company ...
Corporation. Launched on 28 April 1945, ''LSM(R)-508'' was commissioned at Houston on 25 June 1945.


Service history


Landing ship medium (rocket), 1945–1947

''LSM(R)-508'' departed Houston on 30 June and arrived at Galveston, TX, the same day to begin fitting out. She got underway again on 5 July and arrived at Charleston, SC, five days later, to receive her rocket launchers and undergo alterations. The landing ship shifted to Little Creek, VA, on 31 July. During her shakedown, conducted from 1 to 15 August 1945, Japan capitulated, ending the
war in the Pacific The Pacific War, sometimes called the Asia–Pacific War or the Pacific Theatre, was the Theater (warfare), theatre of World War II fought between the Empire of Japan and the Allies of World War II, Allies in East Asia, East and Southeast As ...
. ''LSM(R)-508'' operated out of Little Creek, off the Virginia Capes, and in the
Caribbean The Caribbean ( , ; ; ; ) is a region in the middle of the Americas centered around the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, mostly overlapping with the West Indies. Bordered by North America to the north, Central America ...
, conducting training there out of
San Juan, Puerto Rico San Juan ( , ; Spanish for "Saint John the Baptist, John") is the capital city and most populous Municipalities of Puerto Rico, municipality in the Commonwealth (U.S. insular area), Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the ...
, and Guantanamo Bay,
Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...
, into 1946. Returning to Little Creek on 24 March, the landing ship participated in further local training operations into the summer. After shifting to
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, in July, for repairs, ''LSM(R)-508'' sailed for Houston in October, transited the
Panama Canal The Panama Canal () is an artificial waterway in Panama that connects the Caribbean Sea with the Pacific Ocean. It cuts across the narrowest point of the Isthmus of Panama, and is a Channel (geography), conduit for maritime trade between th ...
on 30 November, and arrived at
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, soon thereafter, to prepare for inactivation. Decommissioned on 5 February 1947, ''LSM(R)-508'' was placed in reserve at San Diego. She remained inactive for the next 22 years. During this time, she was named ''Gunnison River'' on 1 October 1955.


Drone aircraft catapult control ship, 1960–1969

Apparently slated for disposal in late 1959, ''Gunnison River'' was reinstated on the Navy list early in 1960 and selected for conversion to a drone aircraft catapult control ship. Accordingly, reclassified to (YV-3) on 26 May 1960, ''Gunnison River'' was renamed ''Targeteer'' on 26 June 1960. Placed "in service" in March 1961, ''Targeteer'' was commissioned on 7 April 1961. Homeported at San Diego, from 1961 to 1968, ''Targeteer'' operated under the operational control of Commander, Fleet Training Group, San Diego - receiving the necessary upkeep and repairs from Service Group 1. Her primary mission included the launch and recovery of radio controlled drone aircraft and surface drone unit targets, maintained by Utility Unit 3, furnishing simulated "enemy" aircraft and high-speed surface craft exercises. The surface craft ("Firefish", were based on the supposed PT boat attacks on and in the Tonkin Gulf. These surface craft were very fast radio-controlled boats. Dubbed "the world's smallest aircraft carrier," ''Targeteer'' provided these support services for the United States Pacific Fleet into 1968. Her morse-code callsign was "N-T-Q-O" and her communication guard was held by COMTRAPAC Communications (Commander Training Command, US Pacific Fleet), on the Fleet Anti-Submarine Warfare School (now CENTER), San Diego, (while in port) where ''Targeteer'' tied up. Decommissioned on 31 December 1968, ''Targeteer'' was struck from the Navy list on 1 January 1969. The former drone aircraft catapult control craft was subsequently sold to the American Ship Dismantling Co., of Portland, OR, on 10 December 1969 and scrapped soon thereafter.


Awards

USS ''Targeteer'' received: *
American Campaign Medal The American Campaign Medal was a military award of the United States Armed Forces which was first created on November 6, 1942, by issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The medal was intended to recognize those military members who had per ...
* Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal *
World War II Victory Medal The World War II Victory Medal was a service medal of the United States military which was established by an Act of Congress on 6 July 1945 (Public Law 135, 79th Congress) and promulgated by Section V, War Department Bulletin 12, 1945. Histo ...
*
National Defense Service Medal The National Defense Service Medal (NDSM) is a service award of the United States Armed Forces established by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1953. It was awarded to every member of the U.S. Armed Forces who served during any one of four s ...


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Targeteer (YV-3) Ships built in Houston LSM(R)-501-class medium landing ships 1945 ships