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USS Snatch (ARS-27)
Encyclopedia
USS Snatch (ARS-27), well known as Scripps R/V Argo after conversion to scientific research, was a Diver-class
rescue and salvage ship
commissioned by the U.S. Navy during World War II
and in service from 11 December 1944 through 23 December 1946. Her task was to come to the aid of stricken vessels. The ship is better known from her scientific research role as the Scripps Institution of Oceanography
(SIO) research vessel R/V Argo. It is that name, apparently not formally recognized by Navy that maintained title to the vessel, found in the scientific literature and public releases about her wide ranging research voyages.
in Napa, California
; launched on 8 April 1944; sponsored by Mrs. S. B. Johnson; and commissioned on 11 December 1944.
cruise off San Diego, California
, and returned to San Francisco, California
from where she steamed on 20 February 1945 for Manus
, Admiralty Islands
. Under tow were the vessels (Covered Lighter (Self-propelled)) YF-622, YF-919, and YF-926. On 4 March, she ran into heavy seas which caused 919 and 926 to collide. YF-926 was taking water and down by the bow. The seas were still rough three days later so the salvage ship changed course for Kealakekua Bay, Hawaii
. YF-926 sank on the 8th, the day before reaching port. Two days later, Snatch sailed to Pearl Harbor
towing the remaining lighters.
Snatch steamed to Eniwetok, Marshall Islands
, on 17 March. From 5 to 9 April, she participated in salvage operations of SS Esso Washington which was grounded near the entrance of Eniwetok Passage. On the 14th, the ship steamed for Guam
with a dredge
and two barges in tow. En route, the vixen was diverted to Tinian
, Mariana Islands
, arriving on 23 April. On 15 May, she sailed for Leyte Gulf
, Philippine Islands, calling at Ulithi
to take YF-606 and YF-1001 in tow.
Snatch operated in the Philippine Islands from 26 May to 30 December 1945 when she sailed for San Diego, California
. She operated from there until 23 December 1946 when she was placed in reserve, out of commission, and berthed there.
(ONR), was a major funding source throughout the early days of oceanography. Up to 90% of U.S. oceanographic research funding from 1946 through 1965 came from Navy with the Scripps Institution of Oceanography being one of the notable research facilities and recipients of that funding. Such funding provided for both the conversion of former naval vessels to research and for their operation.http://scilib.ucsd.edu/sio/hist/day_navy_support_for_oceanogr.pdf | SIO: Navy Support for Oceanography at SIO
The USS Snatch (ARS-27) was one of two (the other being sister ship , later R/V Chain, operating from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute) notable vessels undergoing such conversion. In 1960 the Snatch was converted into the vessel known in scientific literature and publicity relating to oceanography as the Scripps vessel R/V Argo. The ship operated as a Scripps research vessel from that conversion in 1960 until return to Navy custody for scrapping in 1970.
.
Among the notable expeditions was the series for the International Indian Ocean Expedition (IIOE) of 1960 through 1965 when Argo participated in the Monsoon Expedition of 1960-1961 and, with R/V Horizon
, participated the 1962 Lusiad Expedition. The ship's work added information of submarine topography (bathymetry) and geophysical properties in that relatively unexplored ocean that contributed to understanding the global ridge system and geology as well as collecting data in other disciplines.
During 1966 the ship did winter work in the northwestern Pacific, Bering Sea, and the Okhotsk Sea.
Argo paired again with R/V Horizonfor the 1967 Nova expedition conducted in the southwest Pacific. Significant information on the geologic structures were reported and contributed to modern knowledge of global geology.
During the Circe Expedition (1968–1969) concentrating on the geology and geophysics of the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic, Argo worked in the Southwest Indian Ridge and collected specimens of "lower crustal matic and upper mantle ultramatic rocks never before recovered in oceanic areas" while also field-testing a shipboard computer linked to a prototype satellite navigation system.
The ship features in the experience of a number of the well known names in oceanography and has itself given its name to ocean features. The Argo Fracture Zone
(11°30' S 69°30' E - 16°00' S 63°00' E) is noted along with the North Australian Basin (14°30' S 116°00' E) as among a number of the ship's discoveries. The note in the GEBCO Gazetteer for the fracture zone is:
funding and sponsorship at Scripps and the buildup of national oceanographic resources ship formally became part of the Navy’s new Auxiliary General Oceanographic Research (AGOR) fleet. The ship was changed for administrative purposes by Navy on 1 April 1967 to AGOR-18 classification and administrative ownership by the Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS) while continuing operations as the Scripps vessel R/V Argo.
.
Diver class rescue and salvage ship
The Diver class of rescue and salvage ship were operated by the United States Navy....
rescue and salvage ship
Rescue and salvage ship
Rescue and salvage ships in the United States Navy were common during World War II. Their purpose was to come to the rescue of stricken ships, usually because of their towing ability, and to tow away ships damaged because of enemy action or engine failure....
commissioned by the U.S. Navy during 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...
and in service from 11 December 1944 through 23 December 1946. Her task was to come to the aid of stricken vessels. The ship is better known from her scientific research role as the Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, California, is one of the oldest and largest centers for ocean and earth science research, graduate training, and public service in the world...
(SIO) research vessel R/V Argo. It is that name, apparently not formally recognized by Navy that maintained title to the vessel, found in the scientific literature and public releases about her wide ranging research voyages.
U.S. Naval Service
Snatch was laid down on 28 September 1943 by the Basalt Rock CompanyBasalt Rock Company
Basalt Rock Company was a multifaceted industrial operation that was founded in 1920. The company started as a rock quarrying operation located a few miles south of Napa, California near the Napa River. It later branched out into the ship building business in 1941 when it started building ships...
in Napa, California
Napa, California
-History:The name Napa was probably derived from the name given to a southern Nappan village whose people shared the area with elk, deer, grizzlies and cougars for many centuries, according to Napa historian Kami Santiago. At the time of the first recorded exploration into Napa Valley in 1823, the...
; launched on 8 April 1944; sponsored by Mrs. S. B. Johnson; and commissioned on 11 December 1944.
World War II service
Snatch conducted her shakedownShakedown (testing)
A shakedown is a period of testing or a trial journey undergone by a ship, aircraft or other craft and its crew before being declared operational. Statistically, a proportion of the components will fail after a relatively short period of use, and those that survive this period can be expected to...
cruise off San Diego, California
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...
, and returned to San Francisco, California
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...
from where she steamed on 20 February 1945 for Manus
Manus Island
Manus Island is part of Manus Province in northern Papua New Guinea and is the largest island of the Admiralty Islands. It is the fifth largest island in Papua New Guinea with an area of 2,100 km², measuring around 100 km × 30 km. According to the 2000 census, Manus Island had a...
, Admiralty Islands
Admiralty Islands
The Admiralty Islands are a group of eighteen islands in the Bismarck Archipelago, to the north of New Guinea in the south Pacific Ocean. These are also sometimes called the Manus Islands, after the largest island. These rainforest-covered islands form part of Manus Province, the smallest and...
. Under tow were the vessels (Covered Lighter (Self-propelled)) YF-622, YF-919, and YF-926. On 4 March, she ran into heavy seas which caused 919 and 926 to collide. YF-926 was taking water and down by the bow. The seas were still rough three days later so the salvage ship changed course for Kealakekua Bay, Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. YF-926 sank on the 8th, the day before reaching port. Two days later, Snatch sailed to Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
towing the remaining lighters.
Snatch steamed to Eniwetok, Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands
The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...
, on 17 March. From 5 to 9 April, she participated in salvage operations of SS Esso Washington which was grounded near the entrance of Eniwetok Passage. On the 14th, the ship steamed for Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
with a dredge
Dredge
Dredging is an excavation activity or operation usually carried out at least partly underwater, in shallow seas or fresh water areas with the purpose of gathering up bottom sediments and disposing of them at a different location...
and two barges in tow. En route, the vixen was diverted to Tinian
Tinian
Tinian is one of the three principal islands of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.-Geography:Tinian is about 5 miles southwest of its sister island, Saipan, from which it is separated by the Saipan Channel. It has a land area of 39 sq.mi....
, Mariana Islands
Mariana Islands
The Mariana Islands are an arc-shaped archipelago made up by the summits of 15 volcanic mountains in the north-western Pacific Ocean between the 12th and 21st parallels north and along the 145th meridian east...
, arriving on 23 April. On 15 May, she sailed for Leyte Gulf
Leyte Gulf
Leyte Gulf is a body of water immediately east of the island of Leyte in the Philippines, adjoining the Philippine Sea of the Pacific Ocean, at . The Gulf is bounded on the north by the island of Samar, which is separated from Leyte on the west by the narrow San Juanico Strait, and on the south by...
, Philippine Islands, calling at Ulithi
Ulithi
Ulithi is an atoll in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean, about 191 km east of Yap. It consists of 40 islets totalling , surrounding a lagoon about long and up to wide—at one of the largest in the world. It is administered by the state of Yap in the Federated States of...
to take YF-606 and YF-1001 in tow.
Snatch operated in the Philippine Islands from 26 May to 30 December 1945 when she sailed for San Diego, California
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...
. She operated from there until 23 December 1946 when she was placed in reserve, out of commission, and berthed there.
Military awards and honors
Snatch’s crew was eligible for the following medals:- American Campaign MedalAmerican Campaign MedalThe 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...
- Asiatic-Pacific Campaign MedalAsiatic-Pacific Campaign MedalThe Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal is a service decoration of the Second World War which was awarded to any member of the United States military who served in the Pacific Theater from 1941 to 1945 and was created on November 6, 1942 by issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The medal was...
- World War II Victory MedalWorld War II Victory MedalThe 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...
- Philippines Liberation Medal
Scientific career as R/V Argo
The U. S. Navy, largely through the Office of Naval ResearchOffice of Naval Research
The Office of Naval Research , headquartered in Arlington, Virginia , is the office within the United States Department of the Navy that coordinates, executes, and promotes the science and technology programs of the U.S...
(ONR), was a major funding source throughout the early days of oceanography. Up to 90% of U.S. oceanographic research funding from 1946 through 1965 came from Navy with the Scripps Institution of Oceanography being one of the notable research facilities and recipients of that funding. Such funding provided for both the conversion of former naval vessels to research and for their operation.http://scilib.ucsd.edu/sio/hist/day_navy_support_for_oceanogr.pdf | SIO: Navy Support for Oceanography at SIO
The USS Snatch (ARS-27) was one of two (the other being sister ship , later R/V Chain, operating from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute) notable vessels undergoing such conversion. In 1960 the Snatch was converted into the vessel known in scientific literature and publicity relating to oceanography as the Scripps vessel R/V Argo. The ship operated as a Scripps research vessel from that conversion in 1960 until return to Navy custody for scrapping in 1970.
Research voyages
As R/V Argo the ship conducted much significant research during what was termed the "Golden Age of Oceanography," by Roger RevelleRoger Revelle
Roger Randall Dougan Revelle was a scientist and scholar who was instrumental in the formative years of the University of California, San Diego and was one of the first scientists to study global warming and the movement of Earth's tectonic plates...
.
Among the notable expeditions was the series for the International Indian Ocean Expedition (IIOE) of 1960 through 1965 when Argo participated in the Monsoon Expedition of 1960-1961 and, with R/V Horizon
RV Horizon
The R/V Horizon, ex Auxiliary Fleet Tug , was a Scripps Institution of Oceanography research vessel from 1949 through 1968. During that time she made 267 cruises and logging 610,522 miles spending 4,207 days at...
, participated the 1962 Lusiad Expedition. The ship's work added information of submarine topography (bathymetry) and geophysical properties in that relatively unexplored ocean that contributed to understanding the global ridge system and geology as well as collecting data in other disciplines.
During 1966 the ship did winter work in the northwestern Pacific, Bering Sea, and the Okhotsk Sea.
Argo paired again with R/V Horizonfor the 1967 Nova expedition conducted in the southwest Pacific. Significant information on the geologic structures were reported and contributed to modern knowledge of global geology.
During the Circe Expedition (1968–1969) concentrating on the geology and geophysics of the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic, Argo worked in the Southwest Indian Ridge and collected specimens of "lower crustal matic and upper mantle ultramatic rocks never before recovered in oceanic areas" while also field-testing a shipboard computer linked to a prototype satellite navigation system.
The ship features in the experience of a number of the well known names in oceanography and has itself given its name to ocean features. The Argo Fracture Zone
Fracture zone
A fracture zone is a linear oceanic feature--often hundreds, even thousands of kilometers long--resulting from the action of offset mid-ocean ridge axis segments. They are a consequence of plate tectonics. Lithospheric plates on either side of an active transform fault move in opposite directions;...
(11°30' S 69°30' E - 16°00' S 63°00' E) is noted along with the North Australian Basin (14°30' S 116°00' E) as among a number of the ship's discoveries. The note in the GEBCO Gazetteer for the fracture zone is:
Discoverer: R/V Argo 1960, 1968, 1960 Recognized on SIO's R/V Argo, Lusiad Expedition, 1962-63. Mapped in 1968, Circe Expedition"
Reclassification to AGOR-18
After seven years of service under Office of Naval ResearchOffice of Naval Research
The Office of Naval Research , headquartered in Arlington, Virginia , is the office within the United States Department of the Navy that coordinates, executes, and promotes the science and technology programs of the U.S...
funding and sponsorship at Scripps and the buildup of national oceanographic resources ship formally became part of the Navy’s new Auxiliary General Oceanographic Research (AGOR) fleet. The ship was changed for administrative purposes by Navy on 1 April 1967 to AGOR-18 classification and administrative ownership by the Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS) while continuing operations as the Scripps vessel R/V Argo.
Final decommissioning
The ship was returned to US Naval custody in March 1970 and struck from the Naval Register, 1 May 1970. Final disposition: sold for scrapping, 8 November 1971, to S.S. Zee, TaiwanTaiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
.
External links
- Navy Support for Oceanography at SIO
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography Archives, UC San Diego Libraries: R/V Argo photographs
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography: Expeditions
- SIO GEOLOGICAL COLLECTIONS LIST OF EXPEDITIONS
- Guide to the S.I.O. Subject Files Records, 1890-1981
- http://www.shipbuildinghistory.com/history/shipyards/4emergencysmall/basalt.htm Basalt Rock Compay Shipbuilding History