Butte (AE 27) - Naval Cruise Book

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THE SHIP BUTTE'S MISSION The USS BUTTE is one of the Navy’s newest ammunition ships. Her mission is to deliver missiles and ammunition to units of the fleet at sea, providing the bombs, projectiles, missiles, torpedoes, mines and other expendable ordnance required by the Navy’s combatant ships to fight the enemy from the sea and with the aircraft of our carriers. This role is based on the concept of seapower devel- oped seventy-five years ago by the American Naval strategist and historian, Alfred Thayer Mahan. Mahan defined seapower as the ability to transport men and supplies across the world’s oceans freely, control of the sea when access is opposed by other nations, and the denial of the use of the sea by enemies. The era of the space age has not diminished the importance of seapower or its value as an intellectual force. Today 97% of all the world’s trade moves on the sea. The sea still remains the only means in our present state of technology of projecting the power of many men and much material to other continents, linking the United States to the rest of the Free World. In the event of war the importance of the sea is readily apparent. Ships, because of their mobility, are not the accessible targets that shore bases are. But be- cause of the Navy’s freedom to travel these vast sea The most recent developments in ammuni- tion and missile transfer systems are incorpor- ated in the BUTTE. This system, which uses a ram tension wire between ships, is called STREAM. STREAM rigs will be utilized to transfer ammunition of all sorts to two ships alongside simultaneously, up to speeds of 20 knots. The hazards involved in such an evolution are readily apparant when it is realized that the ship on cither side of BUTTE is often less than one hundred fifty feet from BUTTE during rearm- ing operations. Vertical replenishment capabili- ties arc provided by two cargo helicopters which will take off with a load of ammunition, de- posit it on a ship to be replenished, and re- turn for yet another load. With a full load displacement of 18,000 tons, BUTTE has the size, speed and capability to safely rearm four ships simultaneously, thus providing an urgently required contribution to the logistic support of the fleet. A self-defense capability is provided by four twin 3” 50 dual purpose gun mounts and associated fire control equipment. roads and its ability to range close to the enemy, attack becomes more accurate, and weight is added to its offensive powers. USS BUTTE, because she is infact a floating ammunition depot, eliminates much of the Navy’s dependence on shore bases. In order to rearm themselves, the Navy’s combatant ships need not risk the danger of relying on unmovable shore de- pots. The BUTTE will be out at sea, equipped with the latest and fastest meth- ods of underway replenishment, so that ships can get their needed ammunition “on the line’’ or at prearranged rendez- vous points to disperse themselves as quick- ly as possible. 3

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SHIP'S INSIGNIA The dominant figure of the insignia is a sil- houette representing a modern ammunition ship. The silhouetted helicopter represents our vertical replenishment capability. The butte in the back- ground is emblematic of our name and relation with Butte, Montana. The chain which encloses the plaque is symbolic of our vital link with the combatant forces and BUTTE’s capability of ammun- ition delivery around the world. The four stars in the bottom half of the circle represents BUTTE’s administrative assignment to Commander, Service Squadron FOUR; the two above, her primary assignment under the operational control of Com- mander, SECOND Fleet. The total of six stars is emblematic of her primary area of deployment, the Mediterranean, under the operational control of Commander, SIXTH Fleet. The color scheme is elementary. Red is indica- tive of the ever present danger in handling explo- sive materials. Yellow is symbolic of the caution used in handling ammunition and of BUTTE’s ability to be on any horizon for delivery to the fleet. Blue represents the sea. SHIP'S STATISTICS Particulars LENGTH: 564’ DRAFT: 28’ BEAM: 81’ DISPLACEMENT: 19,000 TONS HORSEPOWER: 22,000 SHAFT SPEED: 20 KNOTS ARMAMENT: . . FOUR TWIN 3” 50 DUAL PURPOSE GUN MOUNTS REPLENISHMENT AT SEA STATIONS: ...................9 VERTICAL REPLENISHMENT STATIONS: .................1 COMPLEMENT (With Air Group Embarked): . 18 OFFICERS 295 ENLISTED 2

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CAPTAIN WILLIAM L. RIGOT USN COMMANDING OFFICER After being designated as a qualified Submarine Officer, Captain RIGOT was awarded the coveted Golden Dolphins of the Submarine Force in 1951. He was then assigned to the USS K-2 (SSK2), the first post war submarine constructed on the West Coast. He served in K-2, operating out of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, for 30 months. A subse- quent tour of duty as Communications Officer on the Staff of Submarine Squadron SEVEN including a three month assignment as Operations Officer on the Staff of Commander Submarine Group Western Pacific at Yokosuka, Japan. In 1955, Captain RIGOT commenced a three year tour of shore duty, first as an instructor in the Executive and Tactics Department at the Sub- marine School and then as a student in the Com- mand and Staff Course at the U.S. Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island. Upon leaving the War College he reported as Executive Officer of USS HARDER (SS568) at New London, moving to Charleston, South Carolina in the fall of 1959. From February 1960 to December 1961 he com- manded USS TRIGGER (SS564) based at Char- leston, South Carolina. Subsequently he served as Flag Secretary and Aide to Commander Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet. In 1963 Captain RIGOT commenced graduate study at Harvard University receiving the degree of Master of Public Administration with the Class of 1964. Subsequently, he served as Plans Officer in the Staff of Commander Submarine Force, U.S. Atlantic. From September 1967 to August 1968 he commanded Submarine Division 61 based in Norfolk. This tour included a deployment to the Mediterranean with units of his command where he served under Commander Submarine Flotilla 8 in Naples, Italy. Together with military officers and civilian offi- cials of fourteen allied nations he attended the NATO Defense College in Rome, Italy, graduating in February 1969. His most recent duty was in the Strategic Plans and Policy Division, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations and included member- ship in the U.S. delegation to the Inter-American Defense Board and the Permanent Joint Board on Defense, Canada-United States. He also served on the Department of Defense Middle East Task Group. Captain RIGOT was born in Fishers Station, Indiana. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Victor L. RIGOT of Indianapolis, Indiana. He is mar- ried to the former Patricia Bauder, also of Indiana- polis. They have four chidren. Their oldest son William Jr., is a midshipman at the U.S. Naval Academy. Another son, Ward is a student at Pur- due University. Susan and Wesley reside with their parents at home in Arlington. Virginia. 1