USS Regulus (AF-57)

Regulus replenishing USS America, in 1970
History
United States
Ordered:
  • as SS Escanaba Victory
  • VC-2-S-AP3 hull, MCV hull 112
Laid down: 29 April 1944
Launched: 7 June 1944
Acquired: 5 May 1952
Commissioned: 3 February 1954
Decommissioned: 10 September 1971
Struck: 10 September 1971
Fate: grounded on a reef, damaged beyond economical repair
General characteristics
Displacement: 4,960 tons(lt) 10,850 tons(fl)
Length: 455 ft 3 in (138.76 m)
Beam: 62 ft (19 m)
Draught: 28 ft 6 in (8.69 m)
Propulsion: geared gas turbine, single propeller, 8,500 shp
Speed: 16 kts.
Complement: 250
Armament: four twin 3'/50 dual purpose gun mounts

USS Regulus (AF-57) was a Denebola-class stores ship acquired by the United States Navy. Her task was to carry stores, refrigerated items, and equipment to ships in the fleet, and to remote stations and staging areas.

The second vessel to be named Regulus by the Navy, Regulus was built under United States Maritime Commission contract, was laid down as Escanaba Victory (MCV hull 112) by the Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation, Portland, Oregon, 29 April 1944; launched 7 June 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Aubrey D. Day; and delivered to the Maritime Commission 29 June 1944.

Acquisition by the U.S. Navy

Initially operated for the Maritime Commission by the American South African Line, Escanaba Victory was acquired by the Navy from the Commission's successor, the United States Maritime Administration, 5 May 1952; converted by the Todd Shipyard, Brooklyn, New York; and commissioned as Regulus (AF-57) 3 February 1954, Comdr. John D. Lautaret in command.

Operations

Completing initial training and outfitting on the west coast, Regulus, homeported at Alameda, California, loaded at San Francisco, California, and on 8 May 1954 got underway for the Far East. A unit of Service Squadron 3, she operated out of Sasebo and replenished units of the United States Seventh Fleet at sea and in ports from Japan to the Philippines until November when she steamed for the United States. Returning to San Francisco 2 December, she was deployed again 26 February–26 August 1955, extending her range on that tour to ports in Indochina.

Supporting Vietnam operations

For the remainder of that decade and through the next, she continued to rotate regularly to the western Pacific Ocean, transporting in 1957 art treasures from Korea to the United States for exhibition. During the early 1960s, her deployed time in the Western Pacific was increased and from 1964 her primary mission was shifted to replenishment of Seventh Fleet units operating off the coast of Vietnam. Her triennial overhaul periods excepted, Regulus, equipped in 1965 with a helicopter deck for vertical replenishment, continued to carry provisions to the units of the United States Pacific Fleet until the night of 16–17 August 1971.

Grounded on a reef in a typhoon

USS Regulus aground in the harbor area of Hong Kong as a result of the typhoon
Regulus hard aground in 1971 due to a typhoon: after three weeks of effort, Naval salvors deemed it unsalvageable.

While riding out typhoon Rose at Hong Kong, Regulus grounded on Kau I Chau Island on 17 August 1971,[1] ripping open her hull. After three weeks of attempting to refloat Regulus, it was finally decided that the damage she had incurred was too severe to warrant salvage. The ship was cut up and removed in pieces. Regulus was decommissioned 10 September 1971 and subsequently struck from the Navy List.

Military awards and honors

Regulus’ crew was eligible for the following medals:

References

  1. ↑ Ross M. Contini; EM 5 Aboard the Regulus at the time of wreck.

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


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 9/29/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.