The first USC&GS Discoverer was a survey ship that served in the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey from 1922 to 1941.

Construction and United States Navy career, 1919-1922

Discoverer was laid down as the United States Navy

United States Navy

The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

 minesweeper

Minesweeper (ship)

A minesweeper is a small naval warship designed to counter the threat posed by naval mines. Minesweepers generally detect then neutralize mines in advance of other naval operations.-History:...

 USS Auk (Minesweeper No. 38)

USS Auk (AM-38)

USS Auk was an Lapwing-class minesweeper acquired by the U.S. Navy after World War I for the task of removing mines that had been placed during the war.The first ship to be named Auk by the Navy, Minesweeper No...

 by the Todd Shipyards Corporation at New York

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

, New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

, on 20 June 1918. She was launched

Ship naming and launching

The ceremonies involved in naming and launching naval ships are based in traditions thousands of years old.-Methods of launch:There are three principal methods of conveying a new ship from building site to water, only two of which are called "launching." The oldest, most familiar, and most widely...

 on either 28 September 1918 and commissioned

Ship commissioning

Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service, and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military...

 on 31 January 1919.

Auk assisted in sweeping the North Sea Mine Barrage in 1919. She spent 1920 in ordinary

In ordinary

In ordinary as a phrase has two technical meanings recorded by the Oxford English Dictionary:# In relation particularly to the staff of the British royal household, and more generally to those employed by the Crown, it is used as a suffix showing that the appointment is to the regular staff, for...

 at Portsmouth

Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Portsmouth is a city in Rockingham County, New Hampshire in the United States. It is the largest city but only the fourth-largest community in the county, with a population of 21,233 at the 2010 census...

, New Hampshire

New Hampshire

New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...

, and was redesignated AM-38 that year. She was decommissioned

Ship decommissioning

To decommission a ship is to terminate her career in service in the armed forces of her nation. A somber occasion, it has little of the elaborate ceremony of ship commissioning, but carries significant tradition....

 at Portsmouth on 28 December 1920.

United States Coast and Geodetic Survey career

While Auk lay in reserve

Reserve fleet

A reserve fleet is a collection of naval vessels of all types that are fully equipped for service but are not currently needed, and thus partially or fully decommissioned. A reserve fleet is informally said to be "in mothballs" or "mothballed"; an equivalent expression in unofficial modern U.S....

, the Coast and Geodetic Survey found itself in urgent need of ships to replace those which for reasons of age or unsuitability for the work to be performed had been disposed of. While ships like Auk were, in general, well-adapted to the kind of work they would be performing in the Coast and Geodetic Survey, being robust, steel

Steel

Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...

-hulled

Hull (watercraft)

A hull is the watertight body of a ship or boat. Above the hull is the superstructure and/or deckhouse, where present. The line where the hull meets the water surface is called the waterline.The structure of the hull varies depending on the vessel type...

 ships that had proved their seaworthiness while in Navy service as minesweepers, their accommodations were too small to take care of the large surveying

Surveying

See Also: Public Land Survey SystemSurveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, and science of accurately determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional position of points and the distances and angles between them...

 parties that were to be embarked on board for the hydrographic

Hydrography

Hydrography is the measurement of the depths, the tides and currents of a body of water and establishment of the sea, river or lake bed topography and morphology. Normally and historically for the purpose of charting a body of water for the safe navigation of shipping...

 and topographic

Topography

Topography is the study of Earth's surface shape and features or those ofplanets, moons, and asteroids...

 work they would perform in the survey; however, their design permitted their conversion to allow the increase in accommodation necessary for survey work. Under the terms of an Executive Order of 12 October 1921, Auk and her sister ship

Sister ship

A sister ship is a ship of the same class as, or of virtually identical design to, another ship. Such vessels share a near-identical hull and superstructure layout, similar displacement, and roughly comparable features and equipment...

, the minesweeper

Minesweeper (ship)

A minesweeper is a small naval warship designed to counter the threat posed by naval mines. Minesweepers generally detect then neutralize mines in advance of other naval operations.-History:...

 USS Osprey (AM-29)

USS Osprey (AM-29)

USS Osprey was an commissioned by the United States Navy for service in World War I. She was responsible for removing mines from harbors, and, in her role as rescue and salvage ship, she was responsible for coming to the aid of stricken vessels....

 were taken to the Boston Navy Yard

Boston Navy Yard

The Boston Navy Yard, originally called the Charlestown Navy Yard and later Boston Naval Shipyard, was one of the oldest shipbuilding facilities in the United States Navy. Established in 1801, it was officially closed as an active naval installation on July 1, 1974, and the property was...

 at Boston, Massachusetts

Massachusetts

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...

, and transferred to the Coast and Geodetic Survey on 7 April 1922. The Survey renamed them USC&GS Discoverer and USC&GS Pioneer respectively. While in Coast and Geodetic Survey service, Discoverer, Pioneer, and survey ship USC&GS Guide

USC&GS Guide (1918)

The first USC&GS Guide was a survey ship that served in the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey from 1923 to 1941.-Construction and United States Navy service:...

 -- the former Navy minesweeper USS Flamingo (AM-32) -- became known as the "Bird Boats" because of their original Navy names.

On 8 April 1922, Lieutenant Commander

Lieutenant Commander

Lieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander...

 H. A. Seran, USCGS, took charge of Discoverer and Pioneer. Discoverer, with Lieutenant Commander Seran in command, stood out of Boston on 28 April 1922 and transited the Cape Cod Canal

Cape Cod Canal

The Cape Cod Canal is an artificial waterway traversing the narrow neck of land that joins Cape Cod to mainland Massachusetts.Part of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, the canal is roughly 17.4 miles long and connects Cape Cod Bay in the north to Buzzards Bay in the south...

 that day. She reached the William Cramp and Sons

William Cramp and Sons

thumb | upright | 1899 advertisement for William Cramp & Sons William Cramp & Sons Shipbuilding Company of Philadelphia was founded in 1825 by William Cramp, and was the preeminent U.S. iron shipbuilder in the 19th century. The American Ship & Commerce Corporation bought the yard in 1919 but closed...

 shipyard

Shipyard

Shipyards and dockyards are places which repair and build ships. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance and basing activities than shipyards, which are sometimes associated more with initial...

 at Philadelphia

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...

, Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

, on 29 April 1922 and soon commenced a major overhaul and conversion into a survey ship. Discoverers metamorphosis was completed by early August 1922; and, on 9 August 1922, she got underway from Philadelphia for the Virginia Capes

Virginia Capes

The Virginia Capes are the two capes, Cape Charles to the north and Cape Henry to the south, that define the entrance to Chesapeake Bay on the eastern coast of North America....

. Reaching Norfolk

Norfolk, Virginia

Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....

, Virginia

Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...

, on 10 August 1922, she tarried there until heading out to sea on the evening of 1 September 1922. Giving the United States Atlantic Fleet — then on maneuvers

Military exercise

A military exercise is the employment of military resources in training for military operations, either exploring the effects of warfare or testing strategies without actual combat...

 in the Southern Drill Grounds — a wide berth, Discoverer steered south to Kingston

Kingston, Jamaica

Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island...

, Jamaica

Jamaica

Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...

, and steamed from there across the Gulf of Mexico

Gulf of Mexico

The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...

, conducting sampling and surveying work along the way.

Transiting the Panama Canal

Panama Canal

The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...

 on 8 October 1922, Discoverer then proceeded up the coast of Central America

Central America

Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...

 and Mexico

Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

 and reached San Diego

San Diego, California

San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...

, California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

, shortly after midnight on 27 October 1922. Working out of San Diego, San Francisco

San Francisco, California

San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...

, and Oakland

Oakland, California

Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...

, California, Discoverer frequented the waters of Southern California

Southern California

Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...

, engaged in coastal survey work, for the rest of 1922 and the early portion of 1923.

In 1923, Discoverer moved north to the waters of the Territory of Alaska, where she operated through the summer of 1925 except for with occasional visits to Seattle

Seattle, Washington

Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...

, Washington, or San Francisco for upkeep.

Discoverers service in Alaska

Alaska

Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...

 began in a most notable fashion. While underway for the port

Port

A port is a location on a coast or shore containing one or more harbors where ships can dock and transfer people or cargo to or from land....

 of Uyak, Alaska, on 6 June 1923, she picked up an SOS

SOS

SOS is the commonly used description for the international Morse code distress signal...

 from the U.S. Navy minesweeper USS Cardinal (AM-6)

USS Cardinal (AM-6)

USS Cardinal was a in the United States Navy. She was named after the cardinal.Cardinal was launched 29 March 1918 by Staten Island Shipbuilding Co., New York; sponsored by Ms. I. Nelson; and commissioned on 23 August 1918 as Minesweeper No.6, Lieutenant, junior grade N...

, which had become stranded on the rocks off either the southern end or east coast of Chirikof Island

Chirikof Island

Chirikof Island is located in the Gulf of Alaska approximately southwest of Kodiak Island.-Terrain:Chirikof Island consists of of grasses and sedges. Treeless, it lies west of the western tree line in Alaska. The island is shaped like a swim fin with the heel to the north and the webbing to the...

 the previous night. Discoverer and the U.S. Navy oiler USS Cuyama (AO-3)

USS Cuyama (AO-3)

USS Cuyama was a tanker of the United States Navy launched 17 June 1916 by Mare Island Navy Yard; sponsored by Miss M. Offley; and commissioned 2 April 1917, Lieutenant I. B. Smith, USNRF, in command....

 headed for the scene. Discoverer arrived first, at 2150 hours on 6 June 1923, and dropped anchor

Anchor

An anchor is a device, normally made of metal, that is used to connect a vessel to the bed of a body of water to prevent the vessel from drifting due to wind or current. The word derives from Latin ancora, which itself comes from the Greek ἄγκυρα .Anchors can either be temporary or permanent...

. Training her searchlight

Searchlight

A searchlight is an apparatus that combines a bright light source with some form of curved reflector or other optics to project a powerful beam of light of approximately parallel rays in a particular direction, usually constructed so that it can be swiveled about.-Military use:The Royal Navy used...

 on the stranded minesweeper, she attempted to launch a whaleboat

Whaleboat

A whaleboat is a type of open boat that is relatively narrow and pointed at both ends, enabling it to move either forwards or backwards equally well. It was originally developed for whaling, and later became popular for work along beaches, since it does not need to be turned around for beaching or...

, but the moderately rough seas to windward of Discoverer forced her to abandon the attempt. She raised her anchor at 2225 hours and crept ahead, maneuvering to make a lee for the whaleboat, until she struck a rock at 2232 hours. Lieutenant Commander Seran immediately ordered full speed astern, and Discoverer backed to a position half a nautical mile (about 0.9 kilometer) from where she had struck the rock, letting go her anchor again in 13 fathom

Fathom

A fathom is a unit of length in the imperial and the U.S. customary systems, used especially for measuring the depth of water.There are 2 yards in an imperial or U.S. fathom...

s (78 feet or about 24 meters of water). Discoverer made no further attempt to reach Cardinal that night; but, on the morning of 7 June 1923, with the sea moderating, she lowered a whaleboat commanded by her executive officer

Executive officer

An executive officer is generally a person responsible for running an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization.-Administrative law:...

, Lieutenant Commander Clem L. Garner, USC&GS. The whaleboat proceeded to the stranded minesweeper and returned with 17 of Cardinals men. Meanwhile, Cuyama arrived on the scene and radio

Radio

Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...

ed Discoverer that she, Cuyama, could take the remaining 16 men -- the commanding officer

Commanding officer

The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...

, two other officers, and 13 enlisted men -- off Cardinal. However, nine of Cardinals, men had made it to shore the previous night, and were unaccounted for. Discoverer steamed off in search of them and located them, safe and sound, awaiting rescue. Lieutenant Commander Garner and eight men, using a motor whaleboat and a motor sailing launch

Launch (boat)

A launch in contemporary usage refers to a large motorboat. The name originally referred to the largest boat carried by a warship. The etymology of the word is given as Portuguese lancha "barge", from Malay lancha, lancharan, "boat," from lanchar "velocity without effort," "action of gliding...

, brought off the remaining Cardinal sailors from their perch ashore; later that afternoon, Discoverer transferred the shipwrecked sailors to Cuyama. Rear Admiral

Rear Admiral

Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...

 Jehu V. Chase

Jehu V. Chase

Admiral Jehu Valentine Chase was born in Pattersonville, Louisiana on 10 January 1869, and graduated from the United States Naval Academy 6 June 1890....

, Commander, Fleet Base Force, praised Lieutenant Commander Seran and his crew for their "timely and efficient aid" to the stranded Cardinal. "Your prompt action in reply to this call for assistance," Chase declared, "prior to the possible time of arrival of the U.S.S. Cuyama, was rendered in accordance with the best traditions of that brotherhood of men that go down to the sea in ships."

Completing this tour of duty in Alaskan waters in late September 1925, Discoverer proceeded south and arrived at San Francisco on 10 October 1925. On 12 October 1925, she shifted to Oakland where she underwent voyage repairs and prepared for her next deployment, getting underway for the Hawaiian Islands

Hawaiian Islands

The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...

 on 28 December 1925 and reaching Honolulu

Honolulu, Hawaii

Honolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...

, Territory of Hawaii

Territory of Hawaii

The Territory of Hawaii or Hawaii Territory was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 7, 1898, until August 21, 1959, when its territory, with the exception of Johnston Atoll, was admitted to the Union as the fiftieth U.S. state, the State of Hawaii.The U.S...

, on 5 January 1926. She conducted hydrographic and topographic surveys of the Hawaiian Island chain, ranging as far as French Frigate Shoals

French Frigate Shoals

The French Frigate Shoals is the largest atoll in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Its name commemorates French explorer Jean-François de La Pérouse, who nearly lost two frigates when attempting to navigate the shoals...

 and Lisianski Island

Lisianski Island

Lisianski Island is one of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, with a land area of and a maximum elevation of above sea level. Honolulu is away, to the southeast. Linked to Lisianski are the extensive Neva Shoals...

, near Midway Atoll

Midway Atoll

Midway Atoll is a atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, near the northwestern end of the Hawaiian archipelago, about one-third of the way between Honolulu, Hawaii, and Tokyo, Japan. Unique among the Hawaiian islands, Midway observes UTC-11 , eleven hours behind Coordinated Universal Time and one hour...

, through the late summer of 1927.

In the spring of 1928, Discoverer returned to Alaskan waters, where she explored the topography and hydrography of the Alaskan coastline until 1941. Each spring she proceeded north from Seattle and commenced her work for the year, which lasted through the summer and into the autumn. She then returned to Seattle each autumn for routine upkeep and maintenance while her officers and men plotted the data gathered during the years operations and wrote reports of the work conducted. The ship's Alaskan ports of call included Kodiak

Kodiak, Alaska

Kodiak is one of 7 communities and the main city on Kodiak Island, Kodiak Island Borough, in the U.S. state of Alaska. All commercial transportation between the entire island and the outside world goes through this city either via ferryboat or airline...

, Seward

Seward, Alaska

Seward is a city in Kenai Peninsula Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 3,016....

, and Dutch Harbor, among others, and she operated in places such as False Pass

False Pass, Alaska

False Pass is a city in Aleutians East Borough, Alaska, United States. Isanax̂ is the Aleut name for present day Isanotski Strait and means gap, hole, rent, or tear in the Aleut language which was rendered as Isanotski in transliterated Russian...

, Tigalda Bay, Spruce Island

Spruce Island (Alaska)

Spruce Island is an island in the Kodiak Archipelago of the Gulf of Alaska in the state of Alaska, USA. It lies just off the northeast corner of Kodiak Island, across the Narrow Strait...

, and Three Brothers' Reef. On 30 June 1930, she again had occasion to assist mariners in distress, when she lent assistance to the Alaska Steamship Company

Alaska Steamship Company

The Alaska Steamship Company was formed on August 3, 1894. Charles Peabody, one of the six founding members, served as president of the company from its creation until 1912. While it originally set out to ship passengers and fishing products, the Alaska Steamship Company began shipping mining...

 steamship Orduna, which was aground at Granite Mine, Port Wells, Prince William Sound

Prince William Sound

Prince William Sound is a sound off the Gulf of Alaska on the south coast of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is located on the east side of the Kenai Peninsula. Its largest port is Valdez, at the southern terminus of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System...

, Alaska.

As Discoverers years in Alaskan service wore on, the Aleutian Islands became increasingly important to commerce

Commerce

While business refers to the value-creating activities of an organization for profit, commerce means the whole system of an economy that constitutes an environment for business. The system includes legal, economic, political, social, cultural, and technological systems that are in operation in any...

 and aviation

Aviation

Aviation is the design, development, production, operation, and use of aircraft, especially heavier-than-air aircraft. Aviation is derived from avis, the Latin word for bird.-History:...

 and, as the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 began to edge closer to war with Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

, to national defense

Defense (military)

Defense has several uses in the sphere of military application.Personal defense implies measures taken by individual soldiers in protecting themselves whether by use of protective materials such as armor, or field construction of trenches or a bunker, or by using weapons that prevent the enemy...

 as well, so Discoverer and the other ships in the Coast and Geodetic Survey assigned to Alaska maintained vigorous charting and mapping operations.

Transfer to U.S. Navy 1941

Between 1939 and 1941, as World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 was fought in Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

 prior to the entry of the United States into the war, the U.S. Navy expanded and began to cast about for auxiliary vessels to support its growing number of combatant ships. One of the ships the Navy sought was Discoverer, and an Executive Order of 19 June 1941 authorized the transfer of Discoverer to the Navy for service as a salvage

Salvage

Salvage means 'rescue' and as such may refer to:* Marine salvage, the process of rescuing a ship, its cargo and sometimes the crew from peril* Salvage tug, a type of tugboat used to rescue or salvage ships which are in distress or in danger of sinking...

 ship.

Operating of Dutch Harbor, Cold Bay

Cold Bay, Alaska

Cold Bay is a city in Aleutians East Borough, Alaska, United States.Cold Bay is one of the main commercial centers of the Alaska Peninsula, and is home to Cold Bay Airport.-History:...

, Womens Bay

Womens Bay, Alaska

Womens Bay is a census-designated place in Kodiak Island Borough, Alaska, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 690. The name is correctly spelled "Womens", without an apostrophe.-Geography:Womens Bay is located at ....

, and Kodiak, Alaska, Discoverer concluded her last operations with the Coast and Geodetic Survey in the summer of 1941. She departed Ketchikan

Ketchikan, Alaska

Ketchikan is a city in Ketchikan Gateway Borough, Alaska, United States, the southeasternmost sizable city in that state. With an estimated population of 7,368 in 2010 within the city limits, it is the fifth most populous city in the state....

, Alaska, on 22 July 1941, bound for Seattle and turnover to the Navy. Arriving at Seattle on 25 July 1941, Discoverer shifted to Pier

Pier

A pier is a raised structure, including bridge and building supports and walkways, over water, typically supported by widely spread piles or pillars...

 41 at Seattle on the afternoon of 26 August 1941. There, at 1440 hours that day, Lieutenant Commander E. Froberg, USN, accepted custody of the ship.

Later career

Discoverer retained her name in Navy service, becoming USS Discoverer (ARS-3). She operated as a Navy salvage ship in Alaskan waters from 1942 to 1946. She was sold in 1947.

Commemoration

Discoverer Bay at Kodiak Island

Kodiak Island

Kodiak Island is a large island on the south coast of the U.S. state of Alaska, separated from the Alaska mainland by the Shelikof Strait. The largest island in the Kodiak Archipelago, Kodiak Island is the second largest island in the United States and the 80th largest island in the world, with an...

, Alaska, and Discoverer Island, a small island in that bay, are named for Discoverer.