Vulcan (AR 5) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 6 text:

MAY. 1965. CAME ANO SAW VULCAN AGAIN PROVIDING HER SERVICES TO THE FLEET UNITS ENGAGED IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC OPERATION. IN MAY. 1970. VULCAN UNOERWENT A FOUR MONTH OVERHAUL AT THE NORFOLK NAVAL SHIPYARD DURING 1971 AND 1972. A TIME OF HEAVILY INCREASED NAVAL COMMITMENTS TO SOUTHEAST ASIA AND FREQUENT DEPLOYMENTS OF ATLANTIC FLEET UNITS TO THAT CONFLICT. VULCAN UNDERTOOK 153 ALONGSIDE AND CONCURRENT SHIP REPAIR AVAILABILITIES AND COMPLETED THEM WITH ENTHUSIASM. PROFESSIONALISM AND OISPATCH. IN 1972 VULCAN WAS AWAROEO THE BATTLE EFFICIENCY E . AND THE REO ENGINEERING E . THESE ACCOMPLISHMENTS WERE DUPLICATED IN 1973 WHEN VULCAN AODED HASH MARKS TO THE BATTLE EFFICIENCY E . ANO TO THE ENGINEERING E AWARDS ANO RECEIVED AN ADDITIONAL AWARD. THE SUPPLY EIN 1974 VULCAN AGAIN RECEIVEO THE SUPPLY E” AND THE COMMUNICATIONS “C . IN 1975 VULCAN RECEIVED SINGULAR HONORS FOR BEING THE BEST OF SEVEN TENDERS ASSICNEO TO THE ATLANTIC FLEET. THE COMMUNICATIONS C (SECOND AWARD) AND THE SURFACE FORCE ATLANTIC FLEET NOMINATION FOR BEST FOOD SERVICE. IN SEPTEMBER 1975 VULCAN VISITED HALIFAX. NOVA SCOTIA. AND IN NOVEMBER OF THAT YEAR SAILED TO CARTECENA. C0LUM8IA. SOUTH AMERICA. TO REPAIR SHIPS OF THE COLUMBIAN NAVY. IN JANUARY 1976 VULCAN ENTERED THE NORFOLK NAVAL SHIPYARD FOR THE MOST LENCTHY ANO EXTENSIVE OVERHAUL OF HER CAREER. IN ADDITION TO THE WORK OF THE SHIPYARD AND CIVILIAN CONTRACTORS. THE CREW OF VULCAN CONTRIBUTED MORE THAN 460.000 MANHOURS TO THE OVERHAUL EFFORT. IN JANUARY AND FEBUARY 1977. VULCAN SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED A FULL REFRESHER TRAINING PACKAGE. CULMINATING IN A COMPLEX BATTLE PROBLEM ADMINISTERED BY FLEET TRAINING GROUP. GUANTANAMO BAY. CUBA. MAY. 1977. SAW VULCAN ONCE AGAIN HOIST ANCHORS TO GET UNDERWAY. FOR A NORTHERLY TRIP TO HALIFAX. NOVA SCOTIA JULY OF THE SAME YEAR BROUGHT ANOTHER CHALLENGE TO VULCAN. COMPETITION FOR THE NEY MEMORIAL AWARD WAS HELD WITH VULCAN EARNING SECOND 8EST ENLISTED DINING FACILITY ON THE EAST COAST. FLEET NEEOS CALLED VULCAN TO WEIGH ANCHOR YET AGAIN AND SAIL FOR CHARLESTON. SOUTH CAROLINA. DURING THE TRANSIT AN EMERGENCY REGUEST FOR BOILER FEEDWATER WAS RECEIVED FROM THE PORTUGUESE FRIGATE ALMIRANTE GAGO COUTINNO. OURING THE NIGHT VULCAN STEAMED TO THE OESTRESSED SHIP AND ONCE ON SCENE. EXECUTED DIFFICULT MODIFICATIONS TO A CLOSE-IN FUELING RIG TO TRANSFER THE FEEDWATER. THE MISSION WAS ACCOMPLISHED. VULCAN RETURNED FROM HER MANY TASKS IN CHARLESTON IN LATE SEPTEMBER SHORTLY THEREAFTER OEPARTED FOR INDEPENDENT STEAMING EXERCISE ENROUTE TO SAN JUAN. PUERTO RICO. RETURNING TO NORFOLK. VIRGINIA. IN EARLY DECEM8ER. VULCAN PARTICIPATED IN THE COLO WEATHER SMALL BOAT REGATTA. THIS CAME THE END OF 1977. A BUSY TIME FOR VULCAN. OURING 1978. VULCAN CONDUCTED THIRTY SIX PERIODS ON SEVERAL UNITS OF THE FLEET. TWO STAFFS WERE ABOARD OURING THE YEAR. COMMANOER SERVICE GROUP TWO WAS ABOARD JANUARY-AUGUST AND COMMANDER SERVICE SQUADRON FOUR WAS EMBARKEO AUGUST DECEMBER OF 1978. 1979 STARTEO Off FOR VULCAN WITH A TRIP TO PORT EVERGLADES. FLORIDA FOR TRAINING. UPON HER RETURN TO NORFOLK. VULCAN SERVED AS HOST SHIP FOR THE USS SHENNANDOAH. OTHER PORT VISITS FOR THE YEAR INCLUDEO HALIFAX. NOVA SCOTIA. IN AUGUST AND BERMUDA IN OCTOBER. DURING MAY AND JUNE. VULCAN PAID A WORKING VISIT TO THE THREE-MILE AMMUNITION PIER AT NAVAL WEAPONS STATION. EARLE. NEW JERSEY FOR REPAIRS ON THE USS NITRO. A J 1

Page 5 text:

“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

Page 7 text:

VTTr vf A MAJOR EVENT OF THE TEAR WAS THE ARRIVAL OF ENLISTEO AND OFFICER WOMEN FOR PERMANENT DUTY ASSIGNMENT ABOARD VULCAN. VULCAN WAS ONE OF THE FIRST NON-HOSPITAL SHIPS OR TRANSPORT TYPE SHIPS TO CARRY FEMALE CREW MEMBERS. VISITS BY THE DEPUTY UNDER SECRETARY OF THE NAVY. CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS. DEPUTY CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS FOR HUMAN RESOURCES (OP-15). COMMANDER NAVAL SURFORCES U S ATLANTIC FLEET. AND DEPUTY COMMANDER IN CHIEF U S. ATLANTIC FLEET UNDERLINED THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS CHANGE TO SHIPBOARD LIFE. DURING 1979 VULCAN WAS EVER WORKING AND EVER NEEDEO. THE NEW YEAR HOLIDAY STAND DOWN PERIOD WAS ONE OF VULCAN'S BUSIEST PERIOD. HER GREAT WORK CENTERS WERE OPERATING NEARLY AROUND THE CLOCK PREPARING UNITS FOR THIER MISSIONS. VULCAN HERSELF WAS ALSO PREPARING FOR ANOTHER GREAT CHALLENGE. VULCAN WAS NEEOED TO TEND UNITS OF THE SIXTH FLEET IN THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA. THE TASKS AT HAND WERE AWESOME INDEED. PERSONNEL HAD TO BE TRAINED. VAST AMOUNTS OF MATERIAL HAD TO BE OBTAINED AND LOADED. MYRIADS OF EQUIPMENT AND MACHINES HAO TO BE CHECKEO. DURING THE WEEKS OF PREPARATION. TONS OF MATERIAL WERE MOVEO. COMPLEX MANNING PROBLEMS WERE TACKLED. TRAINING WAS STEPPEO UP TO AN INTENSE LEVEL. VULCAN HAD A GREAT CHALLENGE TO MEET. V SERVICE TO THE » , FlEET