Arcturus (AF 52) - Naval Cruise Book

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uss Ancrunus IAF-52, I-nsronv: 1961-PRESENT USS ARCTURUS QAF-525 was commis- sioned for naval service on 18 November 1961, following several months of overhaul and conversion at New York Naval Shipyard. Captain Maxey B. Davis, USN was the first Commanding Officer. During shakedown training at Guantan- amo Bay, Cuba, January 1962 the officers and men of ARCTURUS emphatically dis- played their ability to work as a team, by winning the Award for Outstanding Achieve- ment in Refresherf Shakedown Training for service force ships in fiscal year 1962. Rear Admiral Knoll, Commander Service Force, Atlantic Fleet, noted that he was particularly pleased with achievements of ARCTURUS at Gitmo. While operating in the Caribbean ARCTURUS was the first reefer to replenish the nation's first nuclear carrier, the ENTERPRISE. Then followed a post shakedown repair period in Baltimore, Md. with Maryland Shipbuilding and Drydock Co. In June the ship left for her first Mediterranean deployment and the real test of her ability to deliver the goods. During a single four day period ARCTURUS re- plenished 51 ships of the Sixth Fleet. She approached the transfer record for refrig- erator ships by sending 592,000 pounds of stores to a carrier in two hours and eighteen minutes. She was the first ship to conduct vertical replenishment by heli- copter while operating transfer rigs with two ships alongside. Duringthis deployment ARCTURUS visited Barcelona, Valencia, and Naples. ARCTURUS arrived in the Med with food supplies and departed laden with her own laurels from Commander Servic e Force, Sixth Fleet and Commander Sixth Fleet on her performance record. Following a period of relaxation in Norfolk ARC TURUS returned to the Mediter- ranean for a new assault on the transfer record. On 3 November with the coopera- tion of the FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT QCVA-421 alongside to port, ARCTURUS established a new record of 164 tons of food per hour, topping the Sixth Fleet mark by 28 tons. This was accomplished despite the loss of five rigs in an emergency breakaway during heavy weather two days previously. Captain Arthur J. Brassfield, USN assumed command of ARCTURUS in a change of command ceremony at Naples on 6 November 1962. In early December ARC- TURUS returned to Norfolk for a well earned holiday. During April and May 1963 ARCTURUS replenished 44 ships on a Med deployment. During replenishment of the USS SPRING- FIELD QCLG-75 Vice Admiral William E. Genther, Jr., USN, Commander Sixth Fleet visited ARCTURUS informally to observe the transfer of provisions. ARCTURUS deployed from August 9 to October 5, 1963 during which time 43 ships were replenished in the Med., including the USS SARATOGA 1CVA-605 and USS INDE- PENDENCE QCVA-621. Rear Admiral W. A. Evans, SC , USN, Commander Service Force, Atlantic Fleet, Supply Officer observed re- plenishment during the time he was a pas-

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M L2 VW Crew' Lounge

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senger from Rota to Valencia, Spain. AtriP to C asablanca provided a special liberty PON during this deployment. At a change of command ceremony on October 17, 1963 Captain David A. Shonerd, USN relieved Captain Brassfield as Com- manding Officer. During Second Fleet Operations in No- vember 1963, ARCTURUS I'ep1e11iShGd two carriers, two cruisers including Second Fleet Flagship USS NEWPORT NEWS QCA- 148J in one day during extremely rough weather and then in December commenced a period of overhaul first alongside the repair ship USS VULCAN, then for dry- docking at Bethlehem Steel Corp. in Balti- more and finally to Newport News Ship- building and Drydock Corp. in Newport News, Virginia. Leaving Newport News in April 1964, ARC TURUS prepared for another Mediter- ranean deployment in June and July 1964. Forty-nine ships were replenished during ideal weather. Over forty percent of the ships were replenished at night including the carriers ENTERPRISE and FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT. Ports visited were Golfe Juan, France: Naples, Italy and Catania, Sicily. After a short period in Norfolk which gave ARCTURUS the time to conduct a dependents cruise in order that our families might observe a transfer at sea, she was loaded and departed in September on Opera- ti0f1 Teamwork in the North Atlantic and Bay of Biscay. Thirty-two ships were re- plenished, some during extremely bad weather. The USS ANNAPOLIS fAGMR-11 was first replenished during this operation. ARCTURUS entered the port of Le Havre France on 4 October to spend one week'ST liberty visiting Normandy and Paris. Upon return to Norfolk a change of command ceremony was held and Captain John W. Fair, USN relievedCaptain Shonerd on 26 October 1964. In December ARCTURUS again re- turned to the Mediterranean for her sixth replenishment there andxat the same time a holiday season in Europe. Over 7,850,000 pounds of cargo were transferred to 39 ships during this deployment. Replenish- ment of the USS FORRESTAL on January 7, 1965 was delayed one day due to search and rescue operations conducted for two missing carrier aircraft in which ARCTURUS par- ticipated. Both men were safe and the re- plenishment took place on the eighth of January. ARCTURUS returned to the states in early February. After a three week respite ARC TURUS again put to sea on 27 February, and transferred her replenishment cargo to the new USS SYLVANIA QAFS-25. After ob- serving the SYLVANIA's replenishment of Task Group Alpha, ARCTURUSvisited Ber- muda for liberty port and returned to Norfolk on March 12. After a two month stay in Norfclk ARCTURUS traveled to Miami, Florida for Armed Forces Day, May 15. Over 2500 Floridians vis ited the ship over the weekend. June marked the start of lucky number 7 deplcyment to the Mediterranean. ARC- TURUS replenished 31 ships alongside while working hand in hand with the USS SYLVANIA fAFS-25 in vertically supplying various units of the sixth Fleet. Liberty ports included