USS Petrel (ASR-14)

The fifth USS ''Petrel'' (ASR-14) was a ''Chanticleer''-class submarine rescue ship in the United States Navy.

''Petrel'' was laid down on 26 February 1945, was built by Savannah Machine Foundry Co., Savannah, Georgia; launched on 26 September 1945, sponsored by Mrs. Effie Jeffreys (in honour of her son, MMC Romie L. Jeffreys, who died along with all hands on the submarine on 11 February 1942), and commissioned at Savannah on 24 September 1946.

Service history

1946–1949

After fitting out at Charleston, South Carolina and shakedown at Guantanamo and Panama Bays, ''Petrel'' returned to Charleston on 18 December 1946. She sailed for New London on 6 January 1947 to join SubRon 2, and operated out of that base for the next three years training and qualifying deep-sea divers and salvage crews, and escorting submarines such as and in tests.

1950–1959

Departing New London on 23 January 1950, she steamed off Old Point Comfort, Virginia, where the battleship had run aground. Divers from ''Petrel'' surveyed and excavated around the bottom of the battleship, and on 1 February ''Petrel'' aided in the "big pull" that drew ''Missouri'' into deep water. After this operation, ''Petrel'' returned to New London on 6 February, but was reassigned to Key West on 5 May.

''Petrel'' continued training operations, with SubRon 4, at Key West throughout the 1950s, with occasional variations. She towed ex- off Dry Tortuga Flats in October 1950 to be sunk in firing exercises by the destroyer . Exercises in 1952 included re-floating the ''U–2513''. In 1956, ''Petrel'' had a key role in freeing ''Nantahala'', aground in Key West Channel.

On 14 February 1958, ''Petrel'' received a distress call at Key West from the submarine , stranded in heavy seas off San Salvador, Bahama Islands. Steaming to the area and off-loading some of ''Guavina's'' oil cargo, ''Petrel'' towed the lightened submarine to Key West.

1960–1969

''Petrel'' continued to operate along the Atlantic coast of the southern United States until sailing in early 1961 for the Mediterranean for exercises with SubDiv 41, 6th Fleet in June and operated off Portugal in salvage operations after a DC-8 passenger airplane crash. ''Petrel'' returned to Charleston on 28 August for coastal operations until she again joined the 6th Fleet from January to May 1964. She departed Charleston on 12 July for Hamilton, Bermuda, where she aided the U.S. Air Force in recovering wreckage and personnel from a two-plane, mid-air collision. Highlights of subsequent coastal service included accompanying in sea trials in September, work with in April 1965, and duty at Guantanamo on 28–30 September and during Hurricane Inez.

''Petrel'' departed New London on 6 January 1966 for Holy Loch, Scotland, with in tow. On 17 January, an Air Force B-52, carrying four unarmed Mk.28 nuclear bombs, collided with a KC-135 off Palomares, Spain. ''Petrel'' was sent to the area to aid in salvage operations and had the delicate task of maintaining position over the bomb. The weapon was brought to the surface on 7 April, by the ROV ''CURV'', placed on ''Petrel'', and transferred to the .Melson, June 1967, p.33 ''Petrel'' then returned to Charleston.

Deployed to the Mediterranean again in 1968, ''Petrel'' searched for the lost Israeli submarine on 26 January, and missing on the 30th. On 12 February, she helped salvage destroyer at Rhodes, Greece. After return to Charleston in May, she joined in the search for missing submarine on the 27th, and returned to Charleston from the Azores on 12 July. She continued operations with SubDiv 41 into 1970.

: '1970-1991''
''Petrel'' was decommissioned on 30 September 1991, and struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 9 October 1991. Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, ''Petrel'' was transferred to MARAD custody on 1 May 1999, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, at James River, Virginia. A contract for scrapping was awarded to Bay Bridge Enterprises of Chesapeake, Virginia, and the ship was towed from the James River on 5 December 2003.

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Petrel (ASR-14)
Chanticleer-class submarine rescue ships
Ships built in Savannah, Georgia
1945 ships