USS Puget Sound (AD-38)

USS Puget Sound (AD-38) was a Samuel Gompers-class destroyer tender, the second ship of the United States Navy to bear the name Puget Sound.

For other ships with the same name, see USS Puget Sound.

History
Name: USS Puget Sound
Awarded: 29 December 1964
Builder: Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, Washington;
Laid down: 15 February 1965
Launched: 16 September 1966
Commissioned: 27 April 1968
Decommissioned: 27 January 1996
Motto: Standard For Excellence
Fate: scrapped 2008
Badge:
General characteristics
Class and type: Samuel Gompers-class destroyer tender
Displacement:
  • 20,500 long tons (20,829 t)
  • 6,674 long tons (6,781 t) dwt
Length: 643 ft 1 in (196.01 m)
Beam: 85 ft (26 m)
Draft: 35 ft (11 m)
Propulsion: Two boilers, steam turbines; one screw; 20,000 shp (14,914 kW)
Speed: 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)
Complement: 106 officers, 1,314 enlisted
Armament: 1 × single 5"/38 caliber gun (removed 1979)
Aircraft carried: 1 × SH-3 Sea King helicopter

The building contract was awarded 29 December 1964 to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington. The keel was laid 15 February 1965, and she was launched 16 September 1966. Commissioned 27 April 1968, she served almost 29 years until decommissioned on 27 January 1996. She was berthed at Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility (NISMF) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania until April 2008 at which time she was sold to ESCO Marine, Brownsville, Texas for recycling and transferred under tow to that facility. The scrapping project was completed in February, 2009.

Service history

Puget Sound was designated to perform repairs and maintenance of the U.S. Navy's shore and seagoing equipment. Serving in the Atlantic Fleet for her life span, she was homeported in Newport, Rhode Island; Gaeta, Italy; and Norfolk, Virginia. She served a portion of her life as the flagship for the admiral in charge of the Sixth Fleet while homeported in Gaeta. She served during several conflicts, including the latter portion of the Vietnam War; the crisis in Lebanon; and Operation Desert Storm, Operation Desert Shield, and Operation Restore Hope. Instrumental to keeping the Atlantic Fleet afloat and mobile, she has repaired and resupplied most ships stationed or serving in the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea, and Persian Gulf. Additionally she could carry and support one SH-3 Sea King helicopter (or similar size aircraft) from her flight deck and hangar and did so during her years as 6th Fleet Flagship in Gaeta, Italy.

Capabilities

With a complete repair department on board, she could repair any surface ship that did not need a dry dock for hull repairs. A dive shop allowed for underwater repairs to be made, however such repairs were limited. Outfitted with two stationary center-mast main cranes, she could move heavy equipment to and from other ships or docks to be repaired and then reinstalled. Two smaller traveling cranes could move up and down each side of the aft portion of the ship's upper deck, which allowed equipment to be moved virtually anywhere needed.

AD-38 also had a full supply department that could provide any tended ships alongside with stores, such as food and drink, ammunition, fuel, water, and medical/dental services. Her administration department could serve as a floating Personnel Support Detachment (PSD) and a disbursing center for payroll. Her ship's store also served many personnel, both tended by and stationed aboard her, with personal items such as grooming supplies, snack foods, tobacco products, books, uniform articles, and more.

All offensive armament was removed from the ship in 1979 as part of the modifications to allow women to serve in the ship's crew. U.S. law at the time did not allow women to serve on combatant ships.

Hull markings
The USS Puget Sound at Philadelphia Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility, January 2008

Displayed prominently on both sides of her bow, the Puget Sound bore a large white "D" followed by the numbers "38". As with most ships in the US Navy, the first letter of the ship's hull number was dropped when painted on the side of the bow.

In the Puget Sound's hull number "AD-38", the 'A' stands for 'Auxiliary'. She was not a fighting ship, rather a support ship. The 'D' stands for 'destroyer tender', as opposed to submarine tenders (AS). Finally, the "38" is her designation number separating her from other ships that are of the same type.

Painted across the stern on the third deck fantail, or the rear portion of the ship on the deck lowest to the water, was her name Puget Sound.

Sources

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.

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