Canopus (AS 34) - Naval Cruise Book

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1 HISTORY OF OLD LADY AS-9 - The first American submarine tender named Canopus is now on the bottom of Mariveles Bay, The Philippines. Following a lengthy and brilliant performance in sustaining American men and ships in the embattled Philip- pines, Canopus was scuttled by her crew due to operational necessity. The Old Lady, equipped with forges, machine shops, oil tanks and other vitals necessary for her mission, had been tending her submarine brood for some 20 years when World War ll erupted around her in The Philip- pines. With the Army falling back on Manila, the Old Lady sailed to Mariveles Bay at the tip of Bataan on Christmas Day, 1941, under the command of Commander E. L. Sackett qlater Rear Admiralj. Throughout the war period Canopus sustained numerous direct hits resulting in dead and injured and some structural damage. But, on 29 December 1941 and 2 January 1942, Canopus received direct bomb hits which caused 13 dead and injured, and substantial damage to the vessel. Nonetheless, her men, always working at a fevered pace, continued to care for other ships and men while keeping Canopus afloat and operational. Although the last submarine had departed the Old Lady before New Years Day, 1942, her activity continued as she cared for men and equipment and small vessels of the Army and Navy. Canopus provided health and comfort facilities for the beleaguered ground forces. Her storerooms were opened to every request, and ar- ticles not available were readily improvised. The Old Lady's crewmembers engaged in the ground fighting as part of a hastily-formed naval battalion. Her launches were converted into minature gunboats which attacked the Japanese who moved along the shore, causing substantial casualties. These launches, under the command of the Executive Officer, Hap Goodall, became famous as the Mickey Mouse Battle Fleet. On 10 April 1942, Canopus was backed into deep water under her own power. The courageous veteran there ended a life time of honorable service to the Navy when she was laid to rest by her own men. The Old Lady was gone, but her crew remained. They joined the naval forces in the final stand at Corregidor. There was no such thing as sinking the Spirit of the Old Lady . That Spirit was embodied in her crew.

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WHA T IT'S ALL ABOUT Site One exists to provide a strategic deterrent force. Ten SSBN's: USS JAMES MADISON, USS TECUMSEH USS DANIEL BOONE, USS JOHN C. CALHOUN, USS ULYSSESVS. GRANT, USS VON STUBEN, USS CASIMIR PULASKI, USS STONEWALL JACKSON, USS SAM FZAYBURN, USS NATHANIEL GREENE, patrol the oceans of the world to maintain peace and enable the United States and all freedom loving people to enjoy life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. . ,, , ' fffffffft 1 Mgr , 7

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HISTORY OF USS CANOPUS IAS-341 CANOPUS is a vital unit of our national nuclear deterrent force. Her keel was laid on 2 March 1964 and she was launched on 12 February 1965. As sponsor, Mrs. Earl L. Sackett, wife of the World War ll Commanding Of- ficer of the first submarine tender named Canopus, lAS-93, smashed the traditional bottle of champagne. After construction under the scrutiny of the pre-commissioning crew, Ingals Shipbuilding Corporation, Pascagoula, Mississippi, completed and delivered CANOPUS to the United States Navy in record-breaking time on 25 October 1965. CANOPUS then joined Submarine Squadron Eighteen at Charleston, South Carolina, and was commissioned on 4 November 1965, with The Honorable Graeme C. Bannerman, Assistant Secretary of the Navy, as principal speaker. Her first Commanding Officer was Captain John M. Barrett, U.S. Navy. After a short outfitting period, CANOPUS sailed for the Caribbean Sea on 7 January 1966 for shakedown train- ing at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Returning to Charleston on 24 February, she entered Charleston Naval Shipyard for the usual post-shakedown work. ln mid-April 1966 CANOPUS completed her acceptance trials and visited Norfolk to assist in the upkeep of Submarine Squadron Six submarines. She then returned to Charleston for final loading and outfitting prior to deploying to the Cooper River FBM Beplenishment Site on 24 June. There she was a unit of Submarine Squadron Eighteen and was employed refitting the units of that squadron until September 1966. n On 24 September 1966 CANOPUS deployed from Charleston, arriving in Rota, Spain, on 10 Octoberfollowing a port visit to Lisbon, Portugal. CANOPUS relieved USS HOLLAND QAS-321 and reported to Commander Sub- marine Squadron Sixteen for duty. While on that site, CANOPUS reputedly accomplished more Polaris refits than any other submarine tender in a comparable length of time. CANOPUS was relieved at Rota, Spain, on 20 April 1969 by USS HOLLAND QAS-321, and sailed for Bremer- ton, Washington, via Charleston, South Carolina, and the Panama Canal. In Bremerton, CANOPUS was exten- sively overhauled, and thereby gained the title of the first submarine tender in the United States Navy capable of refitting and maintaining a more modern submarine. ' With the overhaul completed, CANOPUS sailed for the Holy Loch, Scotland, via the Panama Canal and Charleston. During May 1970 she relieved the USS SIMON LAKE QAS-331 in the Holy Loch, and reported to Commander Submarine Squadron Fourteen for duty. I As CANOPUS continues her primary mission in the Holy Loch, several of her more interesting capabilities are put into full use. The Repair Department has more than 40 shops, with-the total capability of repairing nearly every component installed in a FBM nuclear submarine. CANOPUS has so far been able to satisfy her tremen- dous logistical problems encountered in the Holy Loch. In addition to CANOPUS, Site One is home for ten SSBN's, the floating drydock USS LOS ALAMOS QAFDB- 73, two tugs, NATICK QYTB-7603, and SAUGUS QYTB-780, a storage barge QYFNBJ, and a floating yard crane. Site One Can Do spirit has made it the pit stop for numerous SSN's, the NB1 and just about every other type ship. CANOPUS completed her current tour in Holy Loch in December 1975 and returned to Charleston, South Carolina for overhaul.