USS Annapolis (AGMR-1) - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

USS Annapolis (AGMR-1) was the former USS Gilbert Islands (CVE-107)

USS Gilbert Islands (CVE-107)

USS Gilbert Islands was a Commencement Bay class escort carrier of the United States Navy.She was launched on 20 July 1944 the Todd-Pacific Shipyards, Inc., Tacoma, Washington; sponsored by Mrs. Edwin D. McMorries; and commissioned on 5 February 1945, Captain L. K...

(ex-Sunset Bay) and a Commencement Bay class

Commencement Bay class escort carrier

The Commencement Bay-class escort aircraft carriers were based on the Maritime Commission T3 type tanker hull, which gave them a displacement of approximately 23,000 tons and a length of 557 feet...

escort carrier of the United States Navy

United States Navy

The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

.

Reclassified as AGMR-1 on 1 June 1963, renamed USS Annapolis on 22 June 1963, and then commissioned on 7 March 1964 with Captain John J. Rowan becoming its first commanding officer. Captain Rowan also served as the pre-commissioning officer when the ship was removed from the Naval Fleet Reserve in Bayonne, New Jersey and then converted at the New York Navy Shipyard.

Conversion

Her new hull classification as AGMR (Auxiliary General Major Relay) reflected her ability to serve as a floating communications station on the move. This capability allowed the Annapolis to position herself at any ocean global position to provide major communication services without the construction and expense of a ground based communications facilities.

The conversion from CVE to AGMR involved the modification of the flight deck to include a hurricane bow, removal of Second World War armament and the addition of four radar controlled twin 3-inch 50 caliber anti-aircraft gun mounts, two per side.

The flight deck was converted to an antenna array with two directional and two omnidirectional antennas. The aircraft hangar bay was converted into communication spaces although one aircraft elevator was retained to allow servicing of equipment and boat storage. In the communication spaces were installed 24 radio transmitters with low through ultra-high frequencies. To provide the necessary cooling of equipment in the communications spaces, three 120 tons air conditioning units were installed with 130 tons dedicated for the communications spaces. The remaining air conditioning tonnage was routed to the other interior spaces of the ship.

All the WWII boilers and steam turbines were retained. However, the original boiler and engine room design were modified in 1966. The original design prevented both screws from being used if one of the boilers needed maintenance while underway. This was due to the WWII design calling for the ship to have two separate and distinct engineering plants; one for each screw. Because of this, when one boiler was taken down while underway, the ship had to go to a one screw operation. Not a comfortable position to be in a war zone. Due to an event in 1966 on the DMZ, the ship’s chief engineer, the boiler technicians (BT), and machinist mates (MM) redesigned the steam lines to allow for a steam cross-connect whereby the ship could operate both shafts from a single fire-room when boiler maintenance was needed while underway. After approval by the Bureau of Ships

Bureau of Ships

The United States Navy's Bureau of Ships was established by Congress on June 20, 1940, by a law which consolidated the functions of the Bureau of Construction and Repair and the Bureau of Engineering. The new Bureau was to be headed by a Chief and Deputy-Chief, one selected from the engineering...

, the necessary modifications were installed in United States Fleet Activities Sasebo

United States Fleet Activities Sasebo

U.S. Fleet Activities Sasebo is a United States Navy naval base, in Sasebo, Japan, on the island of Kyūshū. It provides facilities for the logistic support of forward-deployed units and visiting operating forces of the United States Pacific Fleet and designated tenant activities.- History :Sasebo...

during the ship's maintenance period in later part of 1966.

The WWII equipped bridge was retained although new gyrocompass

Gyrocompass

A gyrocompass is a type of non-magnetic compass which bases on a fast-spinning disc and rotation of our planet to automatically find geographical direction...

' and modern surface radar were installed. Also retained were her huge fuel storage capacity which gave her the ability to sail around the world without refueling. The WWII galley retained both cooking capabilities but only one food serving line was used during Annapolis' service life.

All the WWII crew's berthing spaces remained, including the rope laced canvas on a pipe frame sleeping racks with each topped with a 3 in (76.2 mm) foam rubber mattress supported by chains attached to the overhead (ceiling). Most racks were three-high in sleeping compartments but there were a few only two-high depending on space availability. Most berthing compartments contained 20-50 racks while at least one berthing compartment contained well over 100 racks. The WWII style personal lockers were retained as well thus keeping personal items other than your uniforms a real challenge. All of this was a vast difference than accommodations aboard today's naval warships.

The Annapolis' original plans called for the first sea vessel to have satellite communications that would provide direct communications to military commanders in the Pacific and Washington DC, but she sailed from Norfolk, VA without that capability. The new satellite technology was delivered to the Annapolis in late 1966 while she was at anchor at U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay

U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay

U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay was a major ship-repair, supply, and rest and recreation facility of the United States Navy located in Zambales, Philippines. It was the largest U.S...

, Philippines. Installation begin while in port, but the final installation and operational tests occurred at sea. This included the installation of the satellite dish antenna off the coast of Vietnam and was performed by the ship-fitters in the Engineering Department.

Commissioning

The Annapolis was commissioned at the Brooklyn Navy Yard

Brooklyn Navy Yard

The United States Navy Yard, New York–better known as the Brooklyn Navy Yard or the New York Naval Shipyard –was an American shipyard located in Brooklyn, northeast of the Battery on the East River in Wallabout Basin, a semicircular bend of the river across from Corlear's Hook in Manhattan...

on 7 March 1964 with commissioning ceremonies officiated by Capt John Rowan. Local dignitaries and officials of the Navy also attended. The New York Times reported that she "would not 'stay put' but would follow the fleet in world-wide operations." Immediately after commissioning the Annapolis moved to Naval Station Norfolk

Naval Station Norfolk

Naval Station Norfolk, in Norfolk, Virginia, is a base of the United States Navy, supporting naval forces in the United States Fleet Forces Command, those operating in the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, and Indian Ocean...

to undergo a shakedown and operational training period. In June 1965, the Annapolis departed Naval Station Norfolk

Naval Station Norfolk

, Norfolk, VA for duty in Vietnam via way of Europe and the Suez Canal

Suez Canal

The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...

. The Annapolis was assigned Long Beach, California

Long Beach, California

Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...

as home port on 28 June 1965.

Deployment

The Annapolis spent its entire 5-year active service at and around the DMZ of Vietnam. She did visit United States Fleet Activities Yokosuka

United States Fleet Activities Yokosuka

U.S. Fleet Activities Yokosuka, or Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka is a United States Navy base, in Yokosuka, Japan. Its mission is to maintain and operate base facilities for the logistic, recreational, administrative support and service of the U.S. Naval Forces Japan, U.S. 7th Fleet and...

in Japan for drydock and maintenance, United States Fleet Activities Sasebo

United States Fleet Activities Sasebo

in Japan, Hong Kong

Hong Kong

Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...

, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Singapore

Singapore

Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...

, Perth, Australia, Keelung, Taiwan, and White Beach, Okinawa (Uruma, Okinawa

Uruma, Okinawa

is a city in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan.It was formed on April 1, 2005, from the merger of the old cities of Gushikawa and Ishikawa, and the towns of Katsuren and Yonashiro, both from Nakagami District....

) but the majority of port calls being U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay

U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay

U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay was a major ship-repair, supply, and rest and recreation facility of the United States Navy located in Zambales, Philippines. It was the largest U.S...

, Philippines. Since the ship was assigned non-rotational deployment, that is, permanently assigned to support operations in Vietnam, the individual crew members were assigned and transferred on a 12-14 month deployment although it is known that some received assignments much longer. It is also known that some of the crew members requested back-to-back tours on the Annapolis.

Vietnam

Arriving off the coast of Vietnam

Vietnam

Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...

, the Annapolis immediately begin providing communication services between naval units and shore communication facilities. As other ships and shore installations learned of her capability, they begin to rely on her more than it was anticipated.

In late 1966, the first ship-to-shore satellite radio message ever transmitted and received was between the USS Annapolis (AMGR 1) in South China Sea to Pacific Fleet Headquarters at Pearl Harbor. With the exception of periodic visits in the Western Pacific, mainly Subic Bay, she continued this important service into November 1969, The Annapolis assured a smooth and steady flow of information and relaying operational orders. Until her sister ship, the USS Arlington (AGMR-2), joined her in Vietnam in the latter part of 1967, the Annapolis averaged 55 days at sea between port calls due to the high communication demands required during the Vietnam War

Vietnam War

The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...

.

The Annapolis while on station off the coast of Vietnam did drop anchor every 10–15 days for a few hours outside of Cam Ranh Bay

Cam Ranh Bay

Cam Ranh Bay is a deep-water bay in Vietnam in the province of Khánh Hòa. It is located at an inlet of the South China Sea situated on the southeastern coast of Vietnam, between Phan Rang and Nha Trang, approximately 290 kilometers / 180 miles northeast of Hồ Chí Minh City / Saigon.Cam Ranh is...

to receive mail and transferred priority crew. During those brief stops, Navy swift boats would come along side to receive much appreciated ice cream in 3-gallon containers that were prepared by the ships cooks the night before.

In addition to providing communications support, the Annapolis provided rescue at sea operations. Once after a Hong Kong flagged merchant ship sank and rescuing one seaman, then searching for a downed pilot above the DMZ. The Annapolis also provided assistance during the USS Forrestal (CV-59) fire by providing fire fighting foam via the Forrestal's helicopters.

On January 23, 1968 after crossing the equator South of Singapore while sailing for a port call to Pearth, Australia, the Annapolis received emergency orders to return to Vietnam at the best speed possible. The USS Pueblo (AGER-2)

USS Pueblo (AGER-2)

USS Pueblo is an American ELINT and SIGINT Banner-class technical research ship which was boarded and captured by North Korean forces on January 23, 1968, in what is known as the Pueblo incident or alternatively as the Pueblo crisis or the Pueblo affair. Occurring less than a week after President...

had been boarded by the North Korean navy, and the Annapolis was to return to Vietnam to relieve her sister ship, the USS Arlington (AGMR-2), so the Arlington could make a flank speed sail to Korea to assist in that incident. It was probability the fastest speed the Annapolis ever made with rumors of her making almost 20 knots. Those on board at the time remember the stern of the ship vibrating feverishly while the engineering crew made maximum effort to keep the flank speed for the return trip, reducing the return by almost 24 hours.

Decommissioning

The USS Annapolis was decommissioned 20 December 1969 at the Naval Base in Norfolk, VA, transferred to the Atlantic Reserve Fleet and immediately towed to the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard where she was placed in mothball. The ship was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register

Naval Vessel Register

The Naval Vessel Register is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from the time a vessel is authorized through its life cycle and...

15 October 1976 and sold for scrap on 1 November 1979. She never saw her home port of Long Beach, CA.

Prototype Communications

In many ways, the new satellite capability on the Annapolis paved the way for future communications in the Navy and later for worldwide communications. During this infancy, satellites were low orbiting meaning that satellites were available only for short durations; often measured in 5-15 minute intervals. Geostationary satellites were not available for military use until some years later. Although the satellite tracking capability was a success, it did have it problems in these early periods. The use of unproven gyroscopes to keep the satellite dish stable due to a rolling and pitching ship in stormy and salty conditions while tracking the low orbiting satellites was a challenge for the electronics crew, often spending many hours tweaking and adjusting the equipment. During UNREP (Underway replenishment

Underway replenishment

Underway replenishment or replenishment at sea is a method of transferring fuel, munitions, and stores from one ship to another while under way.-History:...

) operations with another ship, the satellite equipment was secured due to safety concerns because of its high power emissions.

Often overlooked, the Annapolis provided Sitreps (situation reports) of the North Vietnamese military operations directly to the commanders in Washington DC via satellite with some political interest situations reported to the White House. The Tet Offensive and Battle of Khe Sanh

Battle of Khe Sanh

The Battle of Khe Sanh was conducted in northwestern Quang Tri Province, Republic of Vietnam , between 21 January and 9 July 1968 during the Vietnam War...

are just two of those battles that Sitreps were relayed by the Annapolis. With this new capability the Sitreps and progreps (progress reports) were reported often in minutes whereas regular communications of the times were often measured in hours at best.

The Annapolis can be considered a prototype ship or even an experiment for future naval communications, and proving her capability during the Vietnam War

Vietnam War

. Although the Annapolis was not the first ship to have an antenna array on the flight deck, with that distinction going to the USS Wright (CVL-49)

USS Wright (CVL-49)

The USS Wright was a Saipan-class light aircraft carrier of the United States Navy, later converted to the command ship CC-2. It is the second ship named "Wright"...

, it does have the distinction for having the first satellite communications afloat capability, a very large communications center to support global communications, and the ability to stay on station for long periods. As such, it can be assumed that the lessons learned from the Annapolis and her sister ship set the stage for the U.S. Navy's first command ships, the USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19)

USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19)

USS Blue Ridge is the lead ship of the two Blue Ridge-class command ships of the U.S. Navy, and is the command ship of the United States Seventh Fleet. Her primary role is to provide Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Intelligence support to the commander and staff of the United...

and USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20). When those two ships were commissioned, much of the same technologies the Annapolis carried were installed, which is a tribute to the Navy planners and engineers of the Annapolis.

Incidents at Sea

Like any other ship, the Annapolis had its own incidents at sea during her short career. Below is a short list of some of those incidents and is not all inclusive:

1. In October 1965, Ensign Leonard Anderson was reported missing when he failed to report for a mid-watch on the bridge while the ship was underway off the coast of Vietnam

Vietnam

. He was declared lost at sea after three days of searching by the Annapolis and a number of other Navy ships in the area.

2. During VIRTREP (vertical replenishment via helicopter) operations off the coast of Vietnam in 1966, a rotor blade of a helicopter struck the Annapolis' first omnidirectional antenna's on the flight deck and crashed resulting in the loss of the pilot.

3. In 1966 while making almost flank speed in the South China Sea, the Annapolis rammed several large teak logs causing damage to both of her screws (propellers) and shaft bearings being out of line. This required a diversion from operations off the coast of Vietnam and limped at 4-5 knots to United States Fleet Activities Yokosuka

United States Fleet Activities Yokosuka

, Japan for dry dock repairs. Both screw were so severely damaged that replacement screws were removed from a mothballed ship in the States then shipped to Yokosuka and installed.

4. In the summer of 1966, The Annapolis entered port with one of its three air conditioning units inoperative. A second unit failed while in port. A copper nickel line set was flown in with a manufacturer technical representative from the States and he provided technical direction on the repairs. As soon as the first unit was repaired, the third unit failed. The Annapolis ended up having an extended stay in Subic due to the multiple problems with the air conditioning units. During this time the crew carried their mattresses each night and slept topside while in port due to intolerable conditions within the interior spaces of the ship.

5. In 1966 during a boiler maintenance period and underway on one screw while sailing near the DMZ, four unidentified contacts appeared on radar and were closing on the ship at high speed. The ship went to general quarters

General quarters

General Quarters or Battle Stations is an announcement made aboard a naval warship to signal the crew to prepare for battle or imminent damage....

(battle stations). It turned out to be four "Nasty" patrol boats returning from a raid above the DMZ. From that point on, the ship never went to a boiler maintenance period on a single screw operation again while off the coast of Vietnam.

6. In 1967, the air conditioning system (second occurrence) for the forward third of the ship had a major catastrophic failure. The Repair Division did all they could to reroute air flow from other parts of the ship but cooling the forward third of the ship was out of the question. Although it was very uncomfortable working within the spaces during the day, it was impossible to sleep in the berthing compartments due to the ensuing heat and humidity. Many of the crew during this period carried their mattresses each night to the fo'c'sle (forecastle) and topside to the flight deck, and slept there for about 15 nights until replacement components were VIRTREP’ed and installed.

7. Also in 1967, while steaming slow speed off the coast of Vietnam on a moonless night in choppy seas after mid-night, a large Vietnamese fishing boat collided with the Annapolis. The impact was near the bow on the starboard side of the ship and the fishing boat then bounced and ricocheted along its entire length of the starboard side of the ship sounding like a bucket of large stones in a concrete mixer. In an effort to evade the oncoming boat, the officer of the deck

Officer of the Deck

Officer of the deck is a position in the United States Navy and United States Coast Guard that confers certain authority and responsibility. The officer of the deck on a ship is the direct representative of the captain, having responsibility for the ship.-Overview:In port, the OOD is stationed on...

gave the order to come "hard to port" when the turn should have been "hard to starboard" to allow the ship's stern to swing to port and away from the fishing boat. Instead the stern swung to starboard further complicating the collision causing all the commotion and noise that was heard throughout the ship. The fishing boat had been underway without navigational lights and only showed up on the ship's radar at the last moment. Since it was in restricted waters near the DMZ and acted suspiciously even after the collision, the Annapolis reported its position and continued on her patrol leaving the disabled suspicious fishing boat adrift.

8. The Annapolis also in 1967 had a diesel fuel line rupture in the engineering spaces resulting in diesel fuel being sprayed on an exhaust manifold. This caused large amount of dense smoke but no fire. However, several of the engineering crew were quickly overcome with smoke and were rescued by a damage control party.

9. In late 1967, the Annapolis was almost rammed by the destroyer USS Richard S. Edwards (DD-950)

USS Richard S. Edwards (DD-950)

USS Richard S. Edwards , named for Admiral Richard Stanislaus Edwards USN , was a Forrest Sherman class destroyer built by the Puget Sound Bridge and Dredging Company at Seattle in Washington and launched on 24 September 1957 by Mrs. W. B. Franke; and commissioned 5 February 1959, Comdr. Richard R....

. The destroyer was making an approach on the Annapolis’ starboard side to conduct an UNREP maneuver. Its approach was too fast and too close to the aft-starboard gun mount and came within a few feet of colliding with the Annapolis.

The New Annapolis

In keeping with Navy tradition, the new USS Annapolis (SSN-760)

USS Annapolis (SSN-760)

USS Annapolis , is the tenth "improved" Los Angeles-class submarine, and is sister-ship to the USS Springfield . Homeported in Groton, CT, she is assigned to Submarine Development Squadron 12...

is now the fourth ship to carry that name.

Awards

Annapolis earned seven campaign stars for Vietnam War service in five years of active service, and the
Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation.

Campaigns and Dates	Campaigns and Dates
Vietnam Defense 15 September to 12 October 1965 29 October to 27 November 1965 16 to 24 December 1965	Tet Counteroffensive 30 January to 13 February 1968 8 March to 1 April 1968
Vietnamese Counteroffensive 25 December 1965 to 11 January 1966 26 January to 24 February 1966 15 March to 10 April 1966 2 May to 11 June 1966	Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase IV 2 to 10 April 1968 10 May to 14 June 1968
Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase II 7 August to 2 September 1966 21 to 22 September 1966 29 September to 21 October 1966 29 November to 21 December 1966 16 February to 3 April 1967 26 April to 31 May 1967	Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase V 19 July to 30 August 1968
Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase III 1 to 3 June 1967 25 June to 9 August 1967 6 September to 9 October 1967 10 November to 5 December 1967 27 December 1967 to 29 January 1968	Tet 69/Counteroffensive 6 to 29 March 1969

External links

http://www.uss-annapolis.org
http://www.navsource.org/archives/03/107.htm
http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/ships/CVE/CVE-107_GilbertIslands.html
http://www.adamsplanes.com/index.htm
http://www.boston.quik.com/kurtdold/tonkin6.html
http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/AGMR1.htm
http://www.news.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=2638

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