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USS Salinan (ATF-161)
Encyclopedia
USS Salinan (ATF-161) was an built for the United States Navy
during World War II. Named after the Salinan
peoples (native inhabitants of what is now the Central Coast of California
, in the Salinas Valley
), she was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.
Salinan was laid down on 13 April 1945 by the Charleston Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company of Charleston, South Carolina
; launched on 20 July 1945; sponsored by Mrs. Lillie E. Hilton; and commissioned on 9 November 1945 with Lieutenant Commander Robert M. Whelpley in command.
early in the new year, 1946. She then conducted several towing assignments along the mid-Atlantic and southeastern coasts of the United States. In March, she sailed to Key West
, where she relieved the as the fleet ocean tug assigned to the Surface Antisubmarine Development Detachment (later called the Key West Test and Evaluation Detachment). Among her first assignments was towing a fleet barge carrying a two-man submersible down the Mississippi River
and across the Gulf to Key West later that year. 15 October 1946 found her back at Charleston Navy Yard, and while maneuvering out her slip that afternoon, Salinan collided with , carrying away the destroyer's starboard propeller guard. Several bulkheads were damaged on both vessels.
On 26 April 1948, while engaged in services at Key West, the submarine collided with Salinan while conducting a submerged exercise at a 60-foot depth. Cochinosuffered damage to her periscope shears, both periscopes, and radar antenna, requiring major repairs. Damage to the tug was minimal however, requiring only a short period in dry dock.
during night maneuvers. The damage to both destroyers was substantial, and resulted in the deaths of six sailors. Roans engines were knocked out by the collision, and was henceforth taken in tow by Luiseno. Brownson, a large section of her bow missing, limped to Bermuda under her own power, escorted by Salinan, and arrived safely in Bermuda a few days later.
Salinan remained based at Key West for the next 17 years - despite transfers to ServRon 4 and ServRon 8 - and continued to provide towing, recovery, salvage, rescue, and fire-fighting services in addition to those required by the Development Detachment. She remained primarily in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico
, but was occasionally sent further north, operating near Norfolk, Virginia
and the New England
coast. Tows ranged in size from targets and district craft to floating cranes and dry docks, minecraft, destroyers, and tankers. Her crowded schedule was periodically interrupted for overhauls, training, and fleet exercises. In 1956, Salinan was awarded the Navy Award of Excellence for best in the Atlantic.
in late 1962, during which she provided critical support services in the immediate area along with several of her sister ships. Operating in standby emergency status from 24 October to 10 December that year, Salinan participated in quarantine operations and aided in staging vessels and equipment for a possible invasion of Cuba
. The ship was a frequent presence at Guantanamo Bay during this period. Tensions in the Caribbean remained high throughout the mid-1960s, and Salinan spent much of her time in the waters surrounding Cuba and the Dominican Republic
performing a variety of functions.
In November 1966, the fleet tug steamed to San Juan, Puerto Rico
to take the refloated minesweeper in tow, which had sunk at the pier following a fire in her machinery space. Salinan arrived in Charleston with Stalwart later that month.
On 7 January 1967, the fleet tug shifted her homeport to Mayport, Florida. Increased training services- target towing and torpedo recovery- did not diminish her towing, rescue, and development support work. The following year, Salinan added support operations for NASA
to her achievements, serving as the launch site sea salvage vessel for the Apollo 8
mission. As such, she stood by for recovery purposes should the mission be aborted within a few minutes after launch. She performed the same service for Apollo 10
, and in July 1969 stood by for the historic launch of Apollo 11
- the first successful lunar landing. On 26 July 1971, Salinan served NASA once more for the launch of Apollo 15
, for which she also recorded sonic boom data for analysis by NASA personnel.
, Scotland, towing sections of the floating dry dock . She also recovered a number of downed aircraft during this period, including salvaging a Navy helicopter from considerable depth. On 14 April 1975, Salinan departed Mayport in the midst of a severe gale to render assistance to the gunboat , which had become disabled and lost power during the storm. High seas and gale-force winds battered the stranded gunboat for eight hours until Salinan arrived to tow her back to Mayport early the next morning.
The veteran tug continued to provide valuable towing, rescue, and salvage services along the east coast of the United States throughout the remainder of her career, and was decommissioned at Mayport on 1 September 1978. That same day, she was struck from the Naval Vessel Register
and transferred, cash sale, to Venezuela
under the Security Assistance Program.
, she served that navy for another 25 years as a patrol gunboat, salvage vessel, and hydrographic research vessel before finally being retired in 2003. As of early 2007, the ship sat out of commission moored at Puerto Cabello, her condition deteriorating.
, American Campaign Medal
, National Defense Service Medal
(2), and the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
for her service in Cuba.
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...
during World War II. Named after the Salinan
Salinan
The Salinan Native Americans lived in what is now the Central Coast of California, in the Salinas Valley. Said to have gone extinct by the Census of 1930, the Salinan Native Americans survived and are now in the process of applying for tribal recognition from the Bureau of Indian Affairs.There...
peoples (native inhabitants of what is now the Central Coast of 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...
, in the Salinas Valley
Salinas Valley
The Salinas Valley lies south of San Francisco, California.The word "salina" is spanish for salt marsh, salt lake or salt pan.-Geography:The Salinas Valley runs approximately south-east from Salinas towards King City. The valley lends its name to the geologic province in which it's located, the...
), she was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.
Salinan was laid down on 13 April 1945 by the Charleston Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company of Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
; launched on 20 July 1945; sponsored by Mrs. Lillie E. Hilton; and commissioned on 9 November 1945 with Lieutenant Commander Robert M. Whelpley in command.
1946-1950
Assigned to Service Force, Atlantic Fleet, and attached initially to Service Squadron 1 (ServRon 1), Salinan completed shakedown in Chesapeake BayChesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
early in the new year, 1946. She then conducted several towing assignments along the mid-Atlantic and southeastern coasts of the United States. In March, she sailed to Key West
Key West
Key West is an island in the Straits of Florida on the North American continent at the southernmost tip of the Florida Keys. Key West is home to the southernmost point in the Continental United States; the island is about from Cuba....
, where she relieved the as the fleet ocean tug assigned to the Surface Antisubmarine Development Detachment (later called the Key West Test and Evaluation Detachment). Among her first assignments was towing a fleet barge carrying a two-man submersible down the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
and across the Gulf to Key West later that year. 15 October 1946 found her back at Charleston Navy Yard, and while maneuvering out her slip that afternoon, Salinan collided with , carrying away the destroyer's starboard propeller guard. Several bulkheads were damaged on both vessels.
On 26 April 1948, while engaged in services at Key West, the submarine collided with Salinan while conducting a submerged exercise at a 60-foot depth. Cochinosuffered damage to her periscope shears, both periscopes, and radar antenna, requiring major repairs. Damage to the tug was minimal however, requiring only a short period in dry dock.
1950-1962
In November 1950, Salinan and , rendered assistance to destroyers , and , which had collided off BermudaBermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
during night maneuvers. The damage to both destroyers was substantial, and resulted in the deaths of six sailors. Roans engines were knocked out by the collision, and was henceforth taken in tow by Luiseno. Brownson, a large section of her bow missing, limped to Bermuda under her own power, escorted by Salinan, and arrived safely in Bermuda a few days later.
Salinan remained based at Key West for the next 17 years - despite transfers to ServRon 4 and ServRon 8 - and continued to provide towing, recovery, salvage, rescue, and fire-fighting services in addition to those required by the Development Detachment. She remained primarily in the Caribbean and 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...
, but was occasionally sent further north, operating near Norfolk, Virginia
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....
and the New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
coast. Tows ranged in size from targets and district craft to floating cranes and dry docks, minecraft, destroyers, and tankers. Her crowded schedule was periodically interrupted for overhauls, training, and fleet exercises. In 1956, Salinan was awarded the Navy Award of Excellence for best in the Atlantic.
1962-1971
The fleet tug's normal duties were interrupted by the Cuban Missile CrisisCuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis was a confrontation among the Soviet Union, Cuba and the United States in October 1962, during the Cold War...
in late 1962, during which she provided critical support services in the immediate area along with several of her sister ships. Operating in standby emergency status from 24 October to 10 December that year, Salinan participated in quarantine operations and aided in staging vessels and equipment for a possible invasion of Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
. The ship was a frequent presence at Guantanamo Bay during this period. Tensions in the Caribbean remained high throughout the mid-1960s, and Salinan spent much of her time in the waters surrounding Cuba and the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
performing a variety of functions.
In November 1966, the fleet tug steamed to San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
to take the refloated minesweeper in tow, which had sunk at the pier following a fire in her machinery space. Salinan arrived in Charleston with Stalwart later that month.
On 7 January 1967, the fleet tug shifted her homeport to Mayport, Florida. Increased training services- target towing and torpedo recovery- did not diminish her towing, rescue, and development support work. The following year, Salinan added support operations for NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
to her achievements, serving as the launch site sea salvage vessel for the Apollo 8
Apollo 8
Apollo 8, the second manned mission in the American Apollo space program, was the first human spaceflight to leave Earth orbit; the first to be captured by and escape from the gravitational field of another celestial body; and the first crewed voyage to return to Earth from another celestial...
mission. As such, she stood by for recovery purposes should the mission be aborted within a few minutes after launch. She performed the same service for Apollo 10
Apollo 10
Apollo 10 was the fourth manned mission in the American Apollo space program. It was an F type mission—its purpose was to be a "dry run" for the Apollo 11 mission, testing all of the procedures and components of a Moon landing without actually landing on the Moon itself. The mission included the...
, and in July 1969 stood by for the historic launch of Apollo 11
Apollo 11
In early 1969, Bill Anders accepted a job with the National Space Council effective in August 1969 and announced his retirement as an astronaut. At that point Ken Mattingly was moved from the support crew into parallel training with Anders as backup Command Module Pilot in case Apollo 11 was...
- the first successful lunar landing. On 26 July 1971, Salinan served NASA once more for the launch of Apollo 15
Apollo 15
Apollo 15 was the ninth manned mission in the American Apollo space program, the fourth to land on the Moon and the eighth successful manned mission. It was the first of what were termed "J missions", long duration stays on the Moon with a greater focus on science than had been possible on previous...
, for which she also recorded sonic boom data for analysis by NASA personnel.
1971-1978
During the 1970s, Salinan made several transatlantic deployments to Holy LochHoly Loch
The Holy Loch is a sea loch in Argyll and Bute, Scotland.Robertson's Yard at Sandbank, a village on the loch, was a major wooden boat building company in the late 19th and early 20th centuries....
, Scotland, towing sections of the floating dry dock . She also recovered a number of downed aircraft during this period, including salvaging a Navy helicopter from considerable depth. On 14 April 1975, Salinan departed Mayport in the midst of a severe gale to render assistance to the gunboat , which had become disabled and lost power during the storm. High seas and gale-force winds battered the stranded gunboat for eight hours until Salinan arrived to tow her back to Mayport early the next morning.
The veteran tug continued to provide valuable towing, rescue, and salvage services along the east coast of the United States throughout the remainder of her career, and was decommissioned at Mayport on 1 September 1978. That same day, she was struck from the Naval Vessel Register
Naval Vessel Register
The Naval Vessel Register is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from the time a vessel is authorized through its life cycle and...
and transferred, cash sale, to Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
under the Security Assistance Program.
Venezuelan Navy
Upon arrival there, she began her new career with the Venezuelan Navy as Contralmirante Miguel Rodriguez (R-23 and later RA-33). Based in Puerto CabelloPuerto Cabello
Puerto Cabello is a city on the north coast of Venezuela. It is located in Carabobo State about 75 km west of Caracas. As of 2001, the city has a population of around 154,000 people. The city is the home to the largest port in the country and is thus a vital cog in the country's vast oil...
, she served that navy for another 25 years as a patrol gunboat, salvage vessel, and hydrographic research vessel before finally being retired in 2003. As of early 2007, the ship sat out of commission moored at Puerto Cabello, her condition deteriorating.
Awards
During her service with the US Navy, Salinan was awarded the Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation four times, more than any vessel in her class. She was also awarded the World War II Victory MedalWorld War II Victory Medal
The World War II Victory Medal is a decoration of the United States military which was created by an act of Congress in July 1945. The decoration commemorates military service during World War II and is awarded to any member of the United States military, including members of the armed forces of...
, American Campaign Medal
American Campaign Medal
The American Campaign Medal was a military decoration of the United States armed forces which was first created on November 6, 1942 by issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt...
, National Defense Service Medal
National Defense Service Medal
The National Defense Service Medal is a military service medal of the United States military originally commissioned by President Dwight D. Eisenhower...
(2), and the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
The Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal is a military award of the United States military, which was first created in 1961 by Executive Order of President John Kennedy...
for her service in Cuba.