Klondike (AR 22) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 7 text:

SHIP ' S HISTORY THE USS KLONDIKE (AR-22) The USS KLONDIKE {AR-22) is named for the gold mining district in Northwestern Canada through which the KLONDIKE River flows. This district, lying chiefly to the South of the Yukon River, was the scene of a big gold rush in 1897. The ship has an overall length of 492 feet, a beam of 69 feet 7 1 2 inches and displaces 16, 150 tons. She can maintain a constant speed of 18.4 knots with a cruising range of approximately 27,000 miles. The ship was built at the Los Angeles Shipbuilding and Drydock Corporation, San Pedro, California as a Destroyer Tender. Her keel was laid on 6 December 1943; laimching occurred 12 August 1944. The KLONDIKE began her career with the U.S. Navy on 30 July 1945. Pursuant to orders from the Chief of Naval Operations, she was placed in commission by Captain Russel J. BELLERBY, USN, rep- resenting Commodore S.F. HEIM, USN, Commander U. S. Naval Operating Base, San Pedro, Calif- ornia. Immediately following, Commander Maurice E. HATCH, USN, read his orders and assumed command. Shakedown training of the crew by Commander San Diego Underway Training Unit was held from 2-20 September 1945. Following shakedown, a post shakedown overhaul was accomplished at the Los Angeles Shipbuilding and Drydocks Corporation from 21 September to 8 October 1945. The task of loading the necessary huge amoimts of tender spares and stores was accomplished at Naval Supply Depot, San Pedro, California, during the period 8-13 October 1945. Cargo and ship ' s ammunition amounting to approximately 900 tons were loaded while the ship was at anchor in Los Angeles Harbor. On 19 October 1945 the KLONDIKE departed San Pedro, California for Pearl Harbor, T.H., arriv- ing 25 October 1945 to report to Commander Destroyers Pacific for duty. On 7 November, while acting temporarily as a transport, the officers and crew were informed that the KLONDIKE was not to be an active member of the fleet. The ship was ordered to return to San Pedro to disembark her five hundred passengers and then to proceed to San Diego for inactivation. The KLONDIKE was decommissioned in June 1946 and remained inthe Pacific Reserve Fleet for tliirteen years. On the 21st of May 1959, Commander Service Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, ordered the USS HOOPER ISLAND (ARG-17) inactivated and placed into the Reserve Fleet as soon as possible. In the meantime, the KLONDIKE was to be activated with the same degree of expediency. Funds were limited, the HOOPER ISLAND being allowed nothing for inactivation and KLONDIKE was to receive funds originally- set aside for the next HOOPER ISLAND overhaul. The deadline of July 15th was set for the inactivation. The KLONDIKE was removed from the nest of mothballed ships in San Diego, and by early June a

Page 6 text:

FROM BEGINNING TO END 0- CONTENTS Dedication 1 Table of Contents 2 Ship ' s History 3 Ciiange of Command 5 Officers Pictures 6 Cliiefs Pictures 13 Pre-deployment leading 19 Hawaii 25 Typhoon Bess 29 Sasebo and Area 31 Subic Bay and Area 36 Manila 52 Hong Kong and Kowloon 56 Yokosulca 60 San Diego Arrival 66 Cruise Itinerary 68 Ship ' s Company and Shops 69

Page 8 text:

portion of the HOOPER ISLAND ' S crew was assigned to commence the activation work--a j ob which was monumental. Aside from the normal work involved m activation, KLONDIKE was to complete ship al- terations that had accumulated sinos 1945, plus puri- fying and converting all supply stocks to the new fed- eral stock numbering system. The ship was taken under tow on 1 1 July to Long Beach Naval Shipyard where the remainder of the ac- tivation would be carried out. The morning of 15 July brought the outlook of a busy day for the officers and men of the HOOPER ISLAND. At 0830 in San Diego, the crew attended the ceremonies in which the HOOPER ISLAND was turned over to the Pacific Reserve Fleet. This completed, they boarded wait- ing buses and by 1500 that afternoon were assembled on board the KLONDIKE for her commissioning cer- emony, at Long Beach Naval Shipyard. Throughout the exchange of ships command was maintained by CDR. F.F. MULLINS, JR., USNR. After an additional two and one-half months in the shipyard, the KLONDIKE on 29 September 1959 was ready for customer repair work and to become flagship for Commander Service Squadron ONE home- ported in San Diego- On 20 February 1960, previously a destroyer tender (AD), the KLONDIKE was re- designated a repair ship (AR) retaining her orginal hull number. Captain B.L. BIKLE, USN, commanded the KLONDIKE from 10 March 1960 to 10 March 1961; at which time he was relieved by Captain James B. ELUOTT, JR., USN. On 1 May 1961, KLONDIKE was designated by COMSERVPAC to put into effect a new organizational concept for repair type ships. The previously separate Engineering Department and Repair Department were to be combined into a single department, Engineering and Repair, under one officer in an effort to eliminate duplication of activities. The KLONDIKE furnished repair services in San Diego, Long Beach and San Francisco until 15 July 1961. On that Saturda y morning, she sailed for the Western Pacific for duty with the Seventh Fleet as an important unit of Service Squadron THREE . The ship rendered repair services to various units of the Seventh Fleet in Sasebo and Iwakuni, Japan, and Subic Bay, P.I. Also, in the recreation ports of Hong Kong, Kobe and Yo- kosuka, she was never closed for business - On 11 March 1962, she returned to San Diego for amonth of leave and upkeep- After that, she repaired customer ships until June. On June 1, 1962, the KLONDIKE entered Todd Shipyard in San Pedro for phase one of her overhaul where the hull was sandblasted and painted- On 20 June she returned to San Diego for phase two of overhaul at National Steel and Shipbuilding Company. During overhaul on 22 September 1962, Captain James M. CAMPBELL, USN was ordered as new Commanding Officer. Overhaul was completed dur- ing the first part of October 1962, and a short trip was made to Long Beach for an inclining experiment in the Naval Shipyard on 1 1 October 1962. KLONDIKE then entered Refresher Training under Commander Fleet Training Group, San Diego. The KLONDIKE was honored in 1962 by the Edward Francis Ney Memorial, awarded for the outstanding general mess for repair ships, Pacific Fleet. The award was presented in recognition of oustanding achieve- ments in food preparation, sanitation, food service and mess management. In December, the KLONDIKE resumed her familiar job of furnishing repair services and serving as flagship for Commander Service Squad- ron ONE in San Diego, California. On 1 June 1963, KLONDIKE was designated by COMSERVPAC to revert to standard organizational con- cept for repair type ships. On the morning of 17 July 1963, KLONDIKE sailed for the West- ern Pacific for a toiu ' of duty to render her services to the SEVENTH FLEET, as an important function of Service Squadron THREE. In 1963, KLONDIKE was honored by receiving the Edward Fran- cis Ney Memorial which is awarded for the outstanding general mess for Service Forces Pacific. The award was presented to Captain James M. Campbell, byRadm. Wm . D. IRVIN, USN, COMSERVPAC, at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii-