On the 15th she entered Charleston Naval Shipyard for conversion to a tender for the Polaris Fleet Ballistic Missile submarines, including the addition of a 44-foot section amidships. Decommissioned and placed in service 26 September 1947, she provided vital service to the submarine base at New London until January 1959. A trip to the Canal Zone preceded cold weather operations with SubRon 8 at Argentia during November, after which she returned to New London. Transiting the Panama Canal 6 December, she reached New London 16 December.
On the 28th she anchored in Sagami Wan to begin supporting Submarine Squadron 20 as it demilitarized submarines, human torpedoes, torpedo carrying boats, and suicide boats at Yokosuka and other locations in the Sagami Wan-Tokyo Bay areas.Īlso assigned to repair Japanese submarines, she remained until 1 November, when she headed home. She returned to Pearl Harbor 4 December, and on 5 February got underway for Guam where she completed 4 voyage repairs and 24 refits by 7 August.Īssigned to occupation duty after the end of the war, Proteus rendezvoused with units of the 3rd Fleet and became the flagship of a 26 ship support group which steamed off the coast of Honshu until 26 August. She arrived 3 May, and operating there until 1 December completed 51 voyage repairs and 14 refits for submarines. Berry in command.Īfter shakedown off San Diego, she stood out of San Francisco 19 March for Midway to tend submarines of Submarine Squadron 20.
The third Proteus (AS-19) was laid down by the Moore Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Oakland, Calif., 15 September 1941 launched 12 November 1942 sponsored by Mrs.