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US Navy Divers & Their Related Commands ARS, ASR, ATF, ATA, etc


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Three war Abnaki class USS TAKELMA (ATF-113) In service 1944 to 1992

 

ATF 113 USS TAKELMA 003.jpg

 

ATF 113 USS TAKELMA 004.jpg

 

ATF 113 USS TAKELMA 005.jpg

 

Three war Abnaki class USS TAKELMA (ATF-113) In service 1944 to 1992

 

ATF 113 USS TAKELMA 006.jpg

 

ATF 113 USS TAKELMA 007.jpg

 

ATF 113 USS TAKELMA 008.jpg

 

Painted Ceramic Plaques

 

ATF 113 USS TAKELMA 001.jpg

 

ATF 113 USS TAKELMA 002.jpg

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Three war Navajo class USS TAWASA (ATF-92) In service 1943 to 1975

Another Version

 

ATF 92 USS TAWASA 004.jpg

 

ATF 92 USS TAWASA 005.jpg

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Three war Abnaki class USS TAWAKONI (ATF-114) In service 1944 to 1978

 

ATF 114 USS TAWAKONI 001.jpg

 

ATF 114 USS TAWAKONI 002.jpg

 

ATF 114 USS TAWAKONI 003.jpg

 

Three war Abnaki class USS TAWAKONI (ATF-114) In service 1944 to 1978

 

ATF 114 USS TAWAKONI 004.jpg

 

ATF 114 USS TAWAKONI 005.jpg

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Yes indeed. In the post-Vietnam reorganization Reserve Harbor Clearance Units were established in ten different locations around the US and divided so that there were equal numbers with HCU ONE and HCU TWO as parent units. 111, 220 and 419 later reported to MDSU-1 at Alpha Docks, Pearl Harbor (Renamed from HCU-1 in January 1982) and I know that 813 was in Chicago, but I don't know where 321 was located. They may be part of the Reserve units reporting to MDSU-2 at Little Creek, VA.

 

This is the Hawaii Reserve HCU patch

 

Reserve Harbor Clearance Unit Hawaii HCU-1 001.jpg

 

Reserve Harbor Clearance Unit Hawaii HCU-1 002.jpg

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Achomawi class fleet ocean tug USS ATAKAPA (ATF-149) In USN service 1944 to 1974

 

ATF 149 USS ATAKAPA 001.jpg

 

ATF 149 USS ATAKAPA 002.jpg

 

ATF 149 USS ATAKAPA 003.jpg

 

USNS ATAKAPA (T-ATF-149) Achomawi class fleet ocean tug

MSCLANT - In MSC service 1974 to 1981

 

ATF 149 USS ATAKAPA USNS T ATF 001.jpg

 

ATF 149 USS ATAKAPA USNS T ATF 002.jpg

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Salvage Sailor
On 9/17/2017 at 5:22 PM, Salvage Sailor said:

Yes indeed. In the post-Vietnam reorganization Reserve Harbor Clearance Units were established in ten different locations around the US and divided so that there were equal numbers with HCU ONE and HCU TWO as parent units. 111, 220 and 419 later reported to MDSU-1 at Alpha Docks, Pearl Harbor (Renamed from HCU-1 in January 1982) and I know that 813 was in Chicago, but I don't know where 321 was located. They may be part of the Reserve units reporting to MDSU-2 at Little Creek, VA.

 

This is the Hawaii Reserve HCU patch

 

 

MDSU-2 US Naval Reserve Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit Two, DET 813, Great Lakes, IL

 

Naval Reserve MDSU TWO 001.jpg

 

Naval Reserve MDSU TWO 002.jpg

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Sotoyomo class Auxiliary Fleet Tug USS WANDANK (ATA-204) In service 1944 to 1973. Carved and painted wood on Philippine Mahogany plaque from my collection

 

She was the station ship for the Marianas Islands, homeport Agana, Guam. Before her Vietnam tours she served as communication relay and support ship for the bathyscaphe Trieste in Project Nekton. In 1968 she towed fuel barges to Da Nang and brought the APL-30 to Vung Tau for use by the brown water Navy. She was also the escort ship for the Asheville class Gunboats convoyed to the Philippines, Cam Ranh Bay and Hong Kong. USS Wandank earned two campaign stars for Vietnam War service.

 

ATA 204 USS WANDANK 001.jpg

 

USS WANDANK ATA-204 gunnery practice 1966 001.jpg

 

Photos from Navsource: 3" Gunnery practice 1966

 

USS WANDANK ATA-204 gunnery practice 1966 002.jpg

 

USS WANDANK (ATA-204) Vietnam era underway photo from my collection

 

USS WANDANK ATA-204.jpg

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Three war Abnaki class Fleet Tug USS NIPMUC (ATF-157) In service 1945 to 1978

 

I'd noted earlier in the topic that the CREE was "inadvertently" destroyed by 500 lb bombs on a target range

 

Note the target sled being towed in the first photo and on all three patches. One of our more onerous tasks was towing targets, being shot at by the fleet with live ammo wielded by rookies.....

 

ATF 157 USS NIPMUC 001.jpg

 

ATF 157 USS NIPMUC 002.jpg

 

ATF 157 USS NIPMUC 003.jpg

 

1950's US made

 

ATF 157 USS NIPMUC 004.jpg

 

ATF 157 USS NIPMUC 005.jpg

 

1960's US made

 

ATF 157 USS NIPMUC 006.jpg

 

ATF 157 USS NIPMUC 007.jpg

 

1970's US made

 

ATF 157 USS NIPMUC 008.jpg

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On 7/9/2017 at 1:58 PM, Salvage Sailor said:

 

USN Divers could be members of a number of shore establishments including SRF's, Submarine commands, Station & Shipyard diving lockers, EOD, HCU-1 & HCU-2 (later MDSU-1/2),

Service Force (SERVPAC, SERVLANT, SERVRONS), Weapons and Scientific development labs, etc. They were also assigned to diving lockers on AD, AR & AS type ships.

 

But from WWII to the 1990's their primary seaborne billets were on ARS's (Rescue Salvage), ASR's (Submarine Rescue), ATF’s (Fleet Tugs) and other seagoing tug type vessels - ATA, ATR & ATS.

 

Time to delve into the ATF Fleet Tugs - all named for American Indian Tribes across the USA

 

Three war Navajo class Fleet Tug USS APACHE (ATF-67) 1942 to 1974

 

 

Another 1960's cut edge version of USS APACHE (ATF-67)

 

ATF 67 USS APACHE 005.jpg

 

ATF 67 USS APACHE 006.jpg

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Abnaki class USS MOSOPELEA (ATF-158) In service 1944 to 1973

 

ATF 158 USS MOSOPELEA 001.jpg

 

USS MOSOPELEA ATF 158 Plaque lg B.jpg

 

Abnaki class USS MOSOPELEA (ATF-158) In service 1944 to 1973

 

ATF 158 USS MOSOPELEA 002.jpg

 

ATF 158 USS MOSOPELEA 003.jpg

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Here is another reserve HCU (Seattle) patch that Salvage Sailor spoke of and possibly another (801 Diving Section) which I could use some help identifying.

 

 

post-1389-0-02752900-1507997052.jpg

post-1389-0-76134400-1507997071.jpg

post-1389-0-69357100-1507997095.jpg

post-1389-0-90121300-1507997126.jpg

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Here is another Navy Experimental Diving Unit patch and two variations of the MK-12 NEDU patch where one is cut edge and the other a merrowed edge piece.

post-1389-0-61368700-1507997283.jpg

post-1389-0-70100400-1507997304.jpg

post-1389-0-66289900-1507997584.jpg

post-1389-0-57304400-1507997605.jpg

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Salvage Sailor

Nice additions Tonomachi,

 

Those are probably Reserve Salvage units, I'll have to track down the numbers/locations. I'll be posting more NAVSEA, NUC, NSWC stuff eventually.

 

SERVRON 5 - Service Squadron Five & HCU 1 - Harbor Clearance Unit One plaques from my Pearl Harbor duty, 1970's

 

Members, please do add more Diving and Salvage items from your collections to the topic

 

SERVRON FIVE 001.jpg

 

HCU ONE 001.jpg

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On 8/4/2017 at 4:39 PM, Salvage Sailor said:

Abnaki class USS MOCTOBI (ATF-105) In service 1944 to 1985

 

There are two different types of the Japanese made 1962 version

 

Third version of the 1962 Japanese made USS MOCTOBI (ATF-105) patch

 

On The Way with no hull number

 

ATF 105 USS MOCTOBI 1962 Towline 003.jpg

 

ATF 105 USS MOCTOBI 1962 Towline 004.jpg

 

All three versions of the 1962 patch

 

Left: On The Way (no hull number, towline)

 

Center: Towline

 

Right: Tow Chain

 

ATF 105 USS MOCTOBI 1962 003.jpg

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USS DELIVER (ARS-23) Diver class Salvage ship in service 1944 to 1979.  She was my sister ship and her motto was "Continuous Service" as she was not decommissioned between WWII and Korea as were most of the SERVRON/SERVGRU ARS vessels. When GRASP (ARS-24) was decommissioned and turned over to the South Koreans in 1978, I was supposed to go to DELIVER and head back to Westpac but at the last minute I was transferred to BOLSTER (ARS-38) The USN decided to decommission both DELIVER and SAFEGUARD (ARS-25), my other SERVRON 5 sister ship, along with the other Diver class ships in 1979 and transfer them to our overseas allies in South Korea, Taiwan & Turkey while retaining the larger BOLSTER class ARS's until the 1990's (CONSERVER, HOIST, OPPORTUNE, RECLAIMER, RECOVERY) The Diver class ARS's were replaced by the new Safeguard class ships coming on line in the 1980's (SAFEGUARD, GRASP, SALVOR & GRAPPLE)

 

ARS 23 USS DELIVER 002.jpg

 

8" Japanese made patch circa 1950's

 

ARS 23 USS DELIVER 003.jpg

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From a hardhat diver assigned to the dive locker, USS FULTON (AS-11)

 

MK V Diver Submarine Rescue 001.jpg

 

MK V Diver - Submarine Rescue, Japanese made 1960's

 

MK V Diver Submarine Rescue 002.jpg

 

MK V Diver We Dive the World Over 001.jpg

 

Deep Sea Diver - We Dive The World Over, 1960's

 

MK V Diver We Dive the World Over 002.jpg

 

Class Leader USS FULTON (AS-11) Submarine Tender in service 1941 to 1991

Every AS in the fleet had a Dive Locker aboard.

 

AS 11 USS FULTON 001.jpg

 

AS 11 USS FULTON 002.jpg

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On 2/21/2016 at 3:31 PM, Salvage Sailor said:

Backing up to post #48, this is another bitchen 7" high Japanese made Connie Maru patch

 

USS CONSERVER (ARS-39)

 

Nice additions to the topic hink.....

 

 

USS CONSERVER (ARS-39) The "Connie Maru" Bolster class Rescue Salvage vessel

 

ARS 39 USS CONSERVER 004.jpg

 

USS CONSERVER (ARS-39) SERVICE SQUADRON FIVE (SERVRON 5) - RESCUE - SALVAGE

 

ARS 39 USS CONSERVER 005.jpg

 

ARS 39 USS CONSERVER 006.jpg

 

Philippine Made patch

 

ARS 39 USS CONSERVER 007.jpg

 

Philippine Mahogany Plaque

 

ARS 39 USS CONSERVER 008.jpg

 

 

 

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Achomawi class Fleet Tug USS SALINAN (ATF-161) Key West, Florida - Atlantic Fleet, SERVRON ONE, FOUR & EIGHT in service 1945 to 1978

 

ATF 161 USS SALINAN 001.jpg

 

ATF 161 USS SALINAN 002.jpg

 

ATF 161 USS SALINAN 004.jpg

 

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Salvage Sailor

USS Utina (ATF-163) was an Abnaki-class of fleet ocean tug. It was named after Olata Ouae Utina (fl. 1565), a leading chief of the now-extinct Utina tribe of Timucua Indians who occupied the territory along the middle reaches of the St. Johns River in Florida near the present-day site of St. Augustine, Florida. In service 1946 to 1971

 

 

ATF 163 USS UTINA 001.jpg

 

Abnaki class USS UTINA (ATF-163) - 1950's US Made

 

ATF 163 USS UTINA 002.jpg

 

ATF 163 USS UTINA 003.jpg

 

Abnaki class USS UTINA (ATF-163) - 1950's US Made

 

ATF 163 USS UTINA 004.jpg

 

ATF 163 USS UTINA 005.jpg

 

Abnaki class USS UTINA (ATF-163) - Japanese made Vietnam era

 

ATF 163 USS UTINA 006.jpg

 

ATF 163 USS UTINA 007.jpg

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Salvage Sailor

The last of the WWII built Submarine Rescue vessels

 

Penguin class USS SKYLARK (ASR-20) She was initially built to be a Navajo class ATF USS YUSTAGA (ATF-165) but she was completed as SKYLARK. With the abrupt end of the war, she was placed in storage until the Korean War and then commissioned as USS SKYLARK in 1951. She served in the Atlantic Fleet and in the Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean until decommissioning in 1973

 

ASR 20 USS SKYLARK 004.jpg

 

Cut edge with her rescue/recompression chamber RC-14

 

ASR 20 USS SKYLARK 005.jpg

 

SKYLARK spent the majority of her career in European ports attached to SUBRON 10 and her tender USS FULTON (AS-11)

 

ASR 20 USS SKYLARK 003.jpg

 

In 1963 she was working with the USS THRESHER (SSN-593) when the submarine failed to resurface and she sent out the first distress signals and in the spring of 1968, she participated in the unsuccessful rescue attempt and search for Scorpion (SSN-589), the second American nuclear-powered submarine to be lost at sea

 

USS SKYLARK (ASR-20) crew photo 1960's.jpg

 

USS SKYLARK (ASR-20) was decommissioned in 1973 and sold to the Brazilian Navy where she served until 1996

 

ASR 20 USS SKYLARK 006.jpg

 

ASR 20 USS SKYLARK 007.jpg

 

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On 10/28/2017 at 3:13 PM, hink441 said:

USS Papago hat.

 

attachicon.gifimage.jpeg

 

USS PAPAGO (ATF-160) Abnaki class in service 1945 to 1992

 

ATF 160 USS PAPAGO 001.jpg

 

Papago (ATF-160) Welcome Aboard lg.jpg

 

Salvage Training HCU-2 Little Creek VA 001.jpg

 

USS PAPAGO (ATF-160) Keychain 04.jpg

 

USS PAPAGO (ATF-160) Keychain 05.jpg

 

Salvage Training HCU-2 Little Creek VA 022.jpg

 

Salvage Training HCU-2 Little Creek VA 018.jpg

 

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