Vulcan (AR 5) - Naval Cruise Book

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“SHIPS HISTORY” USS VULCAN AR-5 THE FIRST OF THE MODERN REPAIR SHIPS. THE USS VULCAN AR-5. IS THE SECOND SERVICE VESSEL TO CARRY THE NAME VULCAN. THE NAME COMES TO US FROM ROMAN MYTHOLOGY. THE GOO VULCAN. SON OF JUPITER AND JUNO. GOD OF FIRE. PATTRO OF METALLURGY. WAS CONSIDERED THE DIVINE ARTIFICER AND CREATOR OF ALL THAT WAS MECHICALLY WONDERFUL. THE GOD VULCAN WAS THE BLACKSMITH OF THE MIGHTY GODS OF MOUNT OLYMPUS. VULCAN FORGEO THE THUNDERBOLTS OF JUPITER. THE SHEILD OF HERCULES. AND THE ARMOR OF ACHILLES. IN 1909 THE FIRST SERVICE SHIP TO CARRY THE NAME VULCAN WAS BUILT AT SPARROWS POINT. MARYLAND. FOR A COST OF $479,600 FOR THE HULL AND THE MACHINERY. THIS FIRST VULCAN WAS A COAL SHIP AND SAILED TO FRANCE. NORWAY. AND MEXICO DURING HER DUTY. IN JULY OF 1921. SHE WAS PLACED OUT OF COMMISSION IN NORFOLK. VIRGINIA THIRTY YEARS LATER. IN 1939. ANOTHER KEEL FOR A SECOND VULCAN WAS LAID IN CAMDEN. NEW JERSEY. THIS VULCAN WAS INDEED WELL NAMED. THIS VULCAN WAS AN ARTIFICER AND CREATOR OF MECHANICAL THINGS. THIS WAS THE REPAIR SHIP USS VULCAN AR-5. 530 FEET LONG. 73 FEET WIDE. 16.245 TONS IN WEIGHT. AND HAVING A DRAFT OF 25 FEET. THIS WAS THE FIRST OF FOUR SHIPS OF THE SAME CLASS. THE OTHER THREE SHIPS WERE THE USS AJAX (AR-6). THE USS HECTOR (AR-7). AND THE USS JASON (AR-8) AFTER HER LAUNCHING IN DECEMBER OF 1940. VULCAN WAS COMMISSIONED IN JUNE. 1941. SHORTLY THEREAFTER SHE COMMENCED OPERATING IN THE ATLANTIC AND MEDITERRANEAN AREAS. BASING AT ARGENTIA. NEWFOUNDLAND. HAVAUORDUR. ICELAND. ALGIERS AND MER-EL KEPIR. ALGIERA. THE FIRST MAJOR REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED ON THE USS KEARNY (00-432) WHICH HAD BEEN TORPEDOED BY A GERMAN SUBMARINE OFF THE COAST OF ICELAND. VULCAN PARTICIPATED IN THE ALLIED INVASION OF NORMANDY. INCLUDING THE BOMBARDMENT OF CHERBOURG DURING THE PERIOD OF 15 AUGUST THROUGH 25 SEPTEMBER. 1944. SHE WAS AWARDED THE EUROPEAN AfRiCAN MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL FOR THIS SERVICE VULCAN THEN MOVED INTO THE PACIFIC FLEET WHERE SHE CONTINUED PERFORMING HER VITAL REPAIR AND SUPPORT SERVICES FOR ALLIED MERCHANT AND NAVAL SHIPS WHILE SHE WAS 6ASED AT ULITHI ATOLL. CAROLINE ISLANDS. AND LEYTE GULF. PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. SEPTEMBER. 1945. SAW VULCAN IN BUCKNER BAY. OKINAWA. ASSISTING THE MANY SHIPS OAMAGEO AND ORIVEN ASHORE BY A TYPHOON. AS A RESULT OF VULCAN'S REPAIR EFFORTS MANY SHIPS WERE SAVEO AND A DISASTROUS SITUATION WAS AVERTED. VULCAN MOVES ON. IN OCTOBER OF THAT YEAR. TRAVERSING 120 MILES OF MINE INFESTEO WATERS. VULCAN LED A SMALL GROUP OF SERVICE FORCE SHIPS THROUGH THE INLAND SEA OF JAPAN TO HIRO WAN AND ESTABLISHED A NECESSARY AND VITAL REPAIR SERVICE FACILITY IN THIS FORWARD AREA OURING THIS PACIFIC DEPLOYMENT VULAN WAS AWARDED THE ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN MEDAL FOR THE PERIOD 2 SEPTEMBER THROUGH 10 MARCH. 1946. IN APRIL. 1946. VULCAN RETURNEO TO THE ATLANTIC FLEET BUT NOT FOR A WELL EARNED REST. SHE CONTINUED TO PERFORM HER MISSION OF REPAIR IN OCTOBER OF 1962. DURING THE CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS. VULCAN WAS DEPLOYEO TO THE CARIBBEAN AREA TO PROVIDE REPAIR SERVICES TO THE SHIPS ENGAGEO IN THE CUBAN QUARANTINE SEPTEMBER. 1964. SAW VULCAN CAST OFF LINES ONCE AGAIN. THIS TIME WAS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE NATO EXERCISE TEAMWORK . AT WHICH TIME SHE SERVED AS FLAGSHIP FOR COMMANDER SERVICE SQUADRON FOUR VULCAN WAS DEPLYED TO GREENOCK. SCOUTLANO DURING THIS EXERCISE. AND CONTINUED PERFORMING REPAIR SERVICES FOR FLEET UNITS PARTICIPATING IN THE EXERCISE IN EARLY 0CT08ER. AT THE TERMINATION OF THE EXERCISE. VULCAN SAILED TO ROTA. SPAIN. TO PARTICIPATE IN THE LARGEST PEACETIME AMPHIBIOUS EXERCISE SINCE WORLD WAR II. STEEL PIKE I . OPERATING OFF THE COAST OF HUELVA. SPAIN. VULCAN PROVIDED REPAIR SERVICES TO THE FLEET UNITS UNTIL THE COMPLETION OF THE EXERCISE IN LATE OCTOBER. 1964 J