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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive
Patch at right contributed by Mike Smolinski

IX-518
ex
 USS Proteus (AS-19) (1944 - 1992)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Uniform - Juliet - Romeo
 NUJR
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons




Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Navy Unit Commendation - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation (3) - Navy Battle "E" Ribbon (4)
Second Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, - World War II Victory Medal
Third Row - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - National Defense Service Medal (3) - Humanitarian Service Medal (2)
Fulton Class Submarine Tender:
  • Laid down, 15 September 1941, at Moore Dry Dock Co., Oakland, CA.
  • Launched, 12 November 1942
  • Commissioned USS Proteus (AS-19), 31 January 1944, CAPT. Robert W. Berry in command
  • Decommissioned in 1959 at Charleston Naval Shipyard, Charleston, SC., for conversion to a Fleet Ballistic Missile Submarine Tender
  • Recommissioned, 8 July 1960
  • Decommissioned and struck from the Naval Register, 30 September 1992
  • Reinstated in the Naval Register, and converted to a Berthing Auxiliary by George G. Sharp Inc., New York City, N.Y.
  • Placed in service at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, WA. in 1994 as Miscellaneous Unclassified IX-518
  • Placed out of service, 30 September 1999
  • Laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, Benecia, CA.
  • Sold for scrapping to ESCO Marine, Brownsville, TX.
  • Withdrawn from reserve, 7 June 2007, for tow to ESCO Marine, Brownsville, TX.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 13 March 2001
  • Final Disposition, sold to ESCO Marine for scrapping ($1,431,500.00), arrived at Brownsville 1 July 2007, scrappinng completed 6 March 2008
    Original Specifications:
    Displacement 9,734 t.(lt) 15,034 t. (fl)
    Length 529' 6"
    Beam 73' 4"
    Draft 23' 6"
    Speed 15.4 kts.
    Complement
    Officers - 72
    Enlisted - 1470
    Largest Boom Capacity 20 t.
    Armament
    four single 5"/38 gun mounts
    two twin 40mm AA gun mounts
    twelve single 20mm AA gun mounts
    Fuel Capacity - Diesel 26,560 Bbls
    Propulsion
    General Motors 16-248 Diesel electric engines
    single Fairbanks Morse Main Reduction Gear
    Ship's Service Generators
    three Diesel-drive 500Kw 450V A.C.
    one 200Kw Diesel-drive 100Kw 450V A.C.
    twin propellers, 11,200shp
    IX-518 Specifications:
    Displacement 15,000 t.
    Length 574' 6"
    Beam 73'
    Draft 23' 6"
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed By
    /Source By
    USS Proteus (AS-19)
    Proteus 256k Midships looking aft view of USS Proteus (AS-19) at Mare Island Navy Yard, 15 March 1944. Proteus was under going repairs at the yard from March 2 to March 19, 1944.
    File name: AS 19 1752-44, Navy Photo, 3/15/44    		 Darryl Baker
    Proteus 430k Plan view of the bow of USS Proteus (AS-19) at Mare Island Navy Yard, 15 March 1944.
    File name: AS 19 1755-44, Navy Photo, 3/15/44    		 Darryl Baker
    Proteus 233k Bow view of USS Proteus (AS-19) underway off Mare Island Navy Yard, 15 March 1944.
    File name: AS 19 1811-44, Navy Photo, 3/15/44    		 Darryl Baker
    Proteus 99k USS Proteus (AS-19) with submarines of Submarine Squadron 20 alongside in Tokyo Bay, on VJ-Day, 2 September 1945.
    Names of the submarines present, their commanding officers and the commanding officers of SubRon20 and USS Proteus are printed at the bottom of the image.
    US Navy photo # NH 90519 from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center, Courtesy Capt. Joseph F. Enright USN Ret.    		 US Naval Historical Center
    Proteus 37k USS Proteus (AS-19) in original configuration
    US Navy photo    		 Hyperwar US Navy in WWII
    Proteus 70k USS Proteus (AS-19) in original configuration
    US Navy photo    		 Hyperwar US Navy in WWII
    Proteus 305k USS Proteus (AS-19) underway in the harbor at Charleston, SC., date unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 Courtesy Randy Guttery
    Tendertales Web Site
    Proteus 32k USS Proteus (AS-19) lies in drydock at Charleston cut in half to add a new mid-section that will equip her with special shops and gear to serve as a Fleet tender to the Navy's first squadron of nuclear submarines.
    US Navy photo    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret. and Robert Hall
    Proteus 108k Port broadside view of USS Proteus (AS-19) near the Charleston (S.C.) Naval Shipyard, 8 August 1960, after completing conversion to a tender to support the new Polaris SSBNs. The hull was cut in half just forward of the engine rooms and a section with a ballistic missile magazine and handling crane was inserted amidships.
    Charleston Naval Shipyard photo # NSY-EST-L-1718-8/8/60 now in the collections of the US Naval History and Heritage Command.    		 Robert Hurst
    Proteus 105k Overhead view of USS Proteus (AS-19) after completion of her conversion to a FBM submarine tender while enroute to her new assignment at Holy Loch, Scotland, in February 1961. Photo from "Warship Boneyards" by Kit and Carolyn Bonner, Treasure Island Museum. Robert Hurst
    Proteus 73k USS Proteus (AS-19) tends to two of her brood at Holy Loch Scotland. USS Betelgeuse (AK-260) (moored to her port side) shuttled between Charleston and Holy Loch bringing everything needed to operate the tender, maintain the subs and provide for the well being of crew and dependents.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine October 1962    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Proteus 97k USS Proteus (AS-19) tending an FBM submarine at Holy Loch, Scotland, date unknown.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine January 1963    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Proteus 119k USS Proteus (AS-19) in FBM Tender configuration
    US Navy photo         		Larry Bohn
    Proteus 112k Transfer of a Polaris Missile between USS Proteus (AS-19) and USS Patrick Henry (SSBN-599) at Holy Loch, Dunoon, Scotland, 1961
    US Navy photo         		.
    Proteus 83k USS Proteus (AS-19) tending submarines at Polaris Point, Apra Harbor, Guam , date unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 .
    Proteus 319k USS Proteus (AS-19) tending submarines at Polaris Point, Apra Harbor, Guam, circa early 1970s Ben Brooks
    Proteus 1523k USS Proteus (AS-19) wardroom in November 1972 after her overhaul at Mare Island.Mare Island Naval Shipyard photos 113281-11-72 and 113282-11-72 Darryl Baker
    Proteus 1566k
    Proteus 3314k View of the USS Proteus (AS-19) galley area, November 1972, after overhaul at Mare Island Naval Shipyard.
    File Name: AS 19 113262-11-72, Navy Photo, November 1972.    		 Darryl Baker
    Proteus 3555k A warrant officer inspects the food service line aboard USS Proteus (AS-19), November 1972, after overhaul at Mare Island Naval Shipyard.
    File Name: AS 19 113263-11-72, Navy Photo, November 1972.    		 Darryl Baker
    Proteus 3589k USS Proteus (AS-19), crews mess, November 1972, after overhaul at Mare Island Naval Shipyard.
    File Name: AS 19 113265-11-72, Navy Photo, November 1972.    		 Darryl Baker
    Proteus 3148k USS Proteus (AS-19), CPO mess, November 1972, after overhaul at Mare Island Naval Shipyard.
    File Name: AS 19 113267-11-72, Navy Photo, November 1972.    		 Darryl Baker
    Proteus 884k USS Proteus (AS-19) moored at Naval Station Guam, date unknown. Photo by Norman K. Palosky PH1, USN Ret.
    Proteus 338k USS Proteus (AS-19) being assisted by Saco (YTB-796) into her berth at Naval Base Guam, 24 May 1980.
    DVIC photo # DN-SC-88-08187 from the collections of the Defense Visual Information Center.    		 Bill Gonyo
    Proteus 114k USS Proteus (AS-19) moored pierside at Victoria Quay, Naval Base Fremantle, Australia in 1984. Jack Treutle
    Proteus 106k USS Proteus (AS-19) in dry dock at Guam, 1985. Photo by Larry Lee
    Proteus 94k USS Proteus (AS-19) moored pierside, date and location unknown. Yucel M. Umar GMC Turkish Navy (Ret)
    Proteus 86k USS Proteus (AS-19) displaying a WWII camouflage scheme during two month deployment to Australia to commutate 50th anniversary of the Battle of the Coral Sea
    US Navy photo    		 .
    IX-518
    Proteus 24k Ex-USS Proteus (AS-19) reclassified as berthing and messing barge IX-518 moored at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, circa 1994.
    US Navy photo    		 .
    Proteus 85k IX-518 moored at Suisun Bay National Defense Fleet, Benecia, CA., in October 1999. Photo from "Warship Boneyards" by Kit and Carolyn Bonner, authors collection. Robert Hurst
    Proteus 24k Ex-IX-518 moored at a scrapping pier at ESCO Marine, Brownsville, TX., 1 August 2007 ©Michael Martin, Brownsville, TX.
    Proteus 46k Ex-IX-518 being dismantled at ESCO Marine, Brownsville, TX., circa September 2007 Ron Reeves

    For more photos and information about USS Proteus, see;
  • Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships
  • Submarine Tenders of the United States Navy
  • Conversion to a Fleet Ballistic Missile Submarine Tender
  • Commanding Officers
    • Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S.Navy Memorial Foundation
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Service Force Ship Type Index Back To The Submarine Tender (AS) Photo Index Back To The Miscellaneous (IX) Photo Index
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 18 March 2011