Valcour (AVP 55) - Naval Cruise Book

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Goodbye, Norfolk! Cast off all lines. OUR HISTORY The USS VALCOUR was named after Valcour Island in Lake Champlain. The Island is located about ten miles south of Plattsburg, New York. It was here that the little known Battle of Valcour Bay was fought on October 11, 1776. The battle is barely mentioned in the usual American history books, though at the time this Naval engagement was highly important. During the summer and early fall of 1776, the Ameri- can in command of this area, General Benedict Arnold, and the British Commander, Carleton, both had gathered fleets on Lake Champlain. They came to grips on the waters of the lake on October 11, 1776. Arnold had placed his ships in the channel between Valcour Island and the western, New York, shore of the lake. His ships were manned by a motley crew of men while those of the British ships were experienced sea- men. The American flotilla carried eighty-three guns and the British, eighty-seven. The American fleet presented a sharp contrast to the British, and though an able commander on land, Arnold was not a seaman. The British fleet attacked and after a seven-hour battle had crippled the majority of the ships under Arnold's com- mand. That night, under cover of darkness and the shore, he withdrew his remaining ships to a safe refuge near Split Rock. But the respite was only temporary. The British fleet came in pursuit and on October 13 they were able to destroy the remaining American ships. Carleton then pushed on and occupied Crown Point. The Parthenon.

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Lib' 'I'I DIVISION Left to right: Hunter, Sibley, l.T.lG Richardson, Bailey. F DIVISION Left rear: Lafleur. Right rear: Glaser. Front, left to right: Lane, St. Arnaulcl, Shaffer, Mork, Ens. Kelley, Peavler, Saidak, and McVay. Left rear: Schaeffer. Right rear: Oliver. Front, left to right: Kwiatkowski, Kiley, Donnelly, Cook, Burke, Gunter, Reyburn, and Danielson.

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But winter was coming on apace and the next month Carleton abandoned Crown Point on November 3rd. He feared the sudden approach of snow and ice and did not attack and capture the fort at Ticonderoga, which was still in American hands. Instead, Carleton withdrew his forces back into Canada to await the coming of spring. The USS VALCOUR is 311 feet long, has a beam of 41 feet, a draft of 13Vg feet, displaces 1766 tons C2800 full loadl and carries 12 - 40fMM AA and 8 - 20!MM AA guns. Her engines develop 6400 horsepower, she has a speed of 18 knots and a complement of 225 Officers and men. The VALCOUR was built at Lake Washington Ship- yards, Houghton, Washington, on authority granted on 17 December 1941. The keel was layed on 21 December 1942 and the ship was launched on 5 June 1943. The VALCOUR was placed in full commission on 5 July 1946 and was subsequently assigned to duty with Com- mander Air Force, Atlantic Fleet. One of her first as- signments in the latter command was to tend seaplanes of Fleet Air Wing Three at Coco Solo and she remained in the Canal Zone until the latter part of 1948. The VALCOUR has operated in San Juan, Jamaica, Guan- tanamo Bay, Bermuda, and has acted as Flagship for Commander, Middle East Force, operating in the Persian Gulf and Middle East Area. She has made three trips to the Gulf prior to this tour. Because of a collision off Cape Henry in May of 1951, the VALCOUR underwent six months of extensive re- pairs at Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth. During this period in the yard she was painted white and com- pletely air-conditioned to make her more comfortable in the heat of the Middle East Area. Arabic profile. The Suez, looking south. Irrigation of Kolbo