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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive
Contributed by Don McGrogan, BMCS, USN Ret. - Popular Patch

USS Rainbow (AS-7)


International Radio Call Sign, 1912:
Nan - Rush - Able
 NRA
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from left to right
Navy Expeditionary Medal - Philippines Campaign Medal - World War I Victory Medal (with Atlantic Fleet clasp)
  • Built in 1890 as SS Norse King, at James Laing, Sunderland, England
  • Acquired by the US Navy 29 June 1898
  • Commissioned USS Rainbow, 18 July 1898, at Sunderland, England
  • Decommissioned, date unknown, at New York Navy Yard to be converted to a distilling ship
  • Recommissioned USS Rainbow, 2 December 1901, CDR. Sidney A. Staunton, USN in command
  • Decommissioned, 24 December 1914, at Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, CA., used as Receiving Ship
  • Recommissioned, 29 January 1916, LT. Kinchen L. Hill, USN in command
  • Converted to a Submarine Tender at Mare Island Navy Yard, 12 December 1917 to 2 April 1918
  • Designated (AS-7), 17 July 1920
  • Decommissioned, 11 July 1925, at Philadelphia Navy Yard, Philadelphia, PA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 26 June 1928
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 13 September 1928, to Boston Iron Works, Baltimore, MD.
    Specifications:
    Displacement 4,360 t.
    Length 351' 10"
    Beam 41'
    Draft 17' 2"
    Speed 12 kts.
    Complement
    Officers 30
    Chief Petty Officers 25
    Enlisted 272
    Armament
    two 5"/40 cal single purpose gun mounts
    Fuel Capacity
    Bunker Capacity - Coal 1,166 ton
    Propulsion
    one vertical triple-expansion steam engine
    two double-ended boilers
    Ship's Service Generators
     one turbo-drive 100Kw 120V D.C.
     two turbo-drive 35Kw 120V D.C.
     one turbo-drive 400Kw 450V A.C.
    single propeller, 1,800shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Rainbow
    09360717    		 646k
    Namesake
    Rainbow an optical phenomenon that can occur under certain meteorological conditions. It is caused by reflection, refraction and dispersion of light in water droplets resulting in an effect similar to a spectrum of light appearing in the sky. It takes the form of a multicoloured circular arc. Rainbows caused by sunlight always appear in the section of sky directly opposite the Sun. (Wikipedia)
    Pinebanana.wordpress    		 Tommy Trampp
    Rainbow 125k USS Rainbow under way near New York photographed at New York in 1901, probably after being placed in full commission for the first time on 1 December 1901.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command. Photo # NH 44051, courtesy Shipscribe.com.    		 Robert Hurst
    Rainbow 138k USS Rainbow) probably photographed near New York in 1901. This former freighter has a graceful yacht-type bow with an eagle figurehead, scrollwork on the steel beak head, and a small bowsprit.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command. Photo # NH 44052, courtesy Shipscribe.com.    		 Robert Hurst
    Rainbow 38k AZO Real Photo Postcard of USS Rainbow pierside in China, date and location unknown.  
    Rainbow 344k USS Rainbow coaling ship at Cavite, Luzon, Philippine Islands, date unknown. Courtesy James and John Gholson for there father James E. Gholson S2/c USN USS Rainbow
    Rainbow 136k USS Rainbow at Shanghai, China, while serving with the Asiatic Fleet circa 1912-1914. The photo was labeled "Rainbow Maru" by its original owner.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 84452, courtesy Shipscribe.com.    		 Mike Green
    Rainbow 145k USS Rainbow at US Naval Training Station, Yerba Buena Island (Treasure Island) in San Francisco Bay circa 1916 serving as a receiving ship. The Oakland Pier is in the background.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 92203, courtesy Shipscribe.com.    		 Mike Green
    Rainbow 55k Receiving ship USS Rainbow moored pierside at US Naval Training Station, Yerba Buena Island (Treasure Island) in San Francisco Bay circa 1917. David Wright
    Rainbow 111k
    Rainbow 121k USS Rainbow serving as a submarine tender at Guantanamo Bay on 6 February 1919.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 44053, courtesy Shipscribe.com.    		 Mike Green
    Rainbow 150k USS Rainbow under way at Cold Spring Inlet, Cape May, N.J., 1 July 1919. Of her graceful bow, only the bare steel beakhead survived her conversion to a tender.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 44054, courtesy Shipscribe.com.    		 Mike Green
    S-boats 589k USS Rainbow (AS-7) serving as flagship for Submarine Flotilla 3 (later Submarine Division) of the Asiatic Fleet. Rainbow is shown tending boats of Submarine Division 12 in either Hawaiian or Philippine waters circa 1921-1924. Alongside are USS S-14 (SS-119), USS S-15 (SS-120), and USS S-16 (SS-121). US Navy photo thanks to Jim Kurrasch, Battleship Iowa, Pacific Battleship Center
    Text identification courtesy of Dave Johnston, USNR
    Rainbow 46k USS Rainbow (AS-7) under way, date and location unknown.
    Photo from "Jane's All The World's Fighting Ships 1924".    		 Robert Hurst
    Rainbow 80k USS Rainbow (AS-7) pierside while coaling in 1924, location unknown..
    US Navy photo.    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret
    Rainbow 47k USS Rainbow (AS-7) at anchor while tending submarines, date and location unknown Ric Hedman
    Rainbow 231k USS Rainbow (AS-7) and an unidentified auxiliary moored pierside with submarines USS H2 (SS-29)and USS H3 (SS-30) moored forward of Rainbow, date and location unknown Rick Larson MMCM(SS) Ret.
    USS Rainbow (AS-7)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Peck, Robert Grosvenor, USN (USNA 1870)18 July 1898 - ?
     Decommissioned? - 2 December 1901
    02CDR. Staunton, Sidney Augustus, USN (USNA 1870) :RADM2 December 1901 - 22 January 1903
    03CAPT. Sperry, Charles Spillman, USN (USNA 1866) :RADM22 January 1903 - 12 March 1903
    04CDR. Dyer, George Leland, USN (USNA 1870)12 March 1903 - 6 February 1904
    05CDR. Collins, John Bartholomew, USN (USNA 1870)6 February 1904 - 21 January 1905
    06CDR. Cowles, Walter Cleveland, USN (USNA 1873)21 January 1905 - 3 February 1906
    07CDR. Gillmore, James Clarkson, USN (USNA 1876)3 February 1906 - 16 February 1907
    08CDR. Hodges, Ben Ward, USN (USNA 1877)16 February 1907 - 7 July 1907
    09CDR. Gillmore, James Clarkson, USN (USNA 1876)7 July 1907 - 21 July 1907
    10CDR. Quinby, John Gardner, USN (USNA 1878)21 July 1907 - 17 August 1907
    11LT. Whitted, William Scott, USN (USNA 1894)17.08.1907 - 19 October 1907
    12LT. Tozer, Charles Maxon, USN (USNA 1896)19 October 1907 - 9 November 1907
    13LCDR. Jayne, Joseph Lee, USN (USNA 1882) :RADM09.11.1907 - 26 December 1907
    14CDR. Wright, Edward Everett, USN (USNA 1877)26 December 1907 - 15 June 1908
    15CDR. Capehart, Edward Everett, USN (USNA 1881)15 June 1908 - 20 February 1909
    16ENS. Goss, Nelson Henry, USN (USNA 1905)20 February 1909 - 21 March 1910
    17ENS. Stott, Arthur Curtiss, USN (USNA 1905)21 March 1910 - 2 April 1910
    18CDR. Slocum, George Ralph, USN (USNA 1885)2 April 1910 - 7 May 1910
    19ENS. Steele, Benjamin Harrison, USN (USNA 1905)7 May 1910 - 4 June 1910
    20ENS. Stott, Arthur Curtiss, USN (USNA 1905)4 June 1910 - 11 December 1910
    21CDR. Fahs, Charles Marion, USN (USNA 1884)11 December 1910 - 13 January 1911
    22LCDR. Mitchell, Alexander Neely, USN (USNA 1898)13 January 1911 - 26 October 1912
    23LCDR. Wurtsbaugh, Daniel Wilbert, USN (USNA 1896)26 October 1912 - 10 June 1914
    24LCDR. Horne, Frederick Joseph, USN (USNA 1899) :ADM10 June 1914 - 24 December 1914
     Decommissioned24 December 1914 - 29 January 1916
    25LT. Hill, Kinchen Leonard, USN (USNA 1907)29 January 1916 - 10 March 1918
    26LCDR. Rice, Paul Hildreth, USN (USNA 1909)10 March 1918 - 29 January 1919
    27CDR. Ogan, Joseph Vance, USN (USNA 1905)29 January 1919 - 10 October 1919
    28CDR. Capehart, Edward Everett, USN (Ret.) (USNA 1879)10 October 1919 - 13 June 1920
    29CAPT. Hart, Thomas Charles, USN (USNA 1897) :ADM (ADDU AS-5)13 June 1920 - 13 December 1921
    30CAPT. Briggs, Zeno Everett, USN (USNA 1898)13 December 1921 - 16 October 1922
    31CAPT. De Frees, Joseph Rollie USN (USNA 1900) :RADM16 October 1922 - 29 September 1923
    32LT. Christie, Ralph Waldo, USN (USNA 1915) :VADM29 September 1923 - 1 October 1924
    33CDR. Olding, James Perdue, USN (USNA 1906)1 October 1924 - 20 December 1924
    34CDR. Fletcher, Frank Jack, USN (USNA 1906) :ADM20 December 1925 -15 March 1925
    35LCDR. Canine, Stanley Roscoe, USN (USNA 1909)15 March 1925 - 25 May 1925
    36LT. Umsted, Scott, USN (USNA 1915) :RADM25 May 1925 - 11 July 1925
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves. Photos courtesy Bill Gonyo
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    Submarine Tenders of the United States Navy
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Service Force Auxiliaries and
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    Last Updated 24 March 2023