Vulcan (AR 5) - Naval Cruise Book

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VULCAN HISTORY USS VULCAN (AR-5) is the first of the modern repair ships. Her keel was laid on 16 December 1939 at the Camden, New Jersey Yard of the New York Shipbuilding Company. At the launching ceremonies on 14 December 1940, Mrs. James For-restal, wife of the first Secretary of Defense, broke the traditional bottle of champagne as VULCAN sponsor. Official commissioning of VULCAN was held 16 June 1941 at which VULCAN joined the Atlantic Fleet. Soon after VULCAN was pressed into service during World War II. At first VULCAN operated in the Atlantic and Mediterranean, basing at Argentia, Newfoundland; Hvalfjordur, Iceland; and off North Africa at Algiers, Oran, and Mer El Kebir. Her first major repair job was the emergency repairs made to USS KEARNY (DD-432) after the destroyer was torpedoed by a German U-boat off the coast of Iceland in October 1941. During the period of 15 August through 25 September 1944, VULCAN received the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal for her participation in the Allied invasion of Normandy. In December 1944, VULCAN was transferred to the Pacific Fleet where she continued to perform vital repair and support services for Allied naval and merchant ships. In April 1946, VULCAN returned to the Atlantic Fleet for duty where she was remained fulfilling her repair mission. Based in Newport. Rhode Island in the post war years, VULCAN changed her homeport to Norfolk, Virginia in early 1954. In October and November 1962, VULCAN deployed to the Caribbean to provide repair services to the U.S. warships participating in the Cuban Quarantine. In May 1970, VULCAN entered the Norfolk Naval Shipyard where she underwent a four month overhaul period. In 1972, VULCAN passed a Material Inspection by the board of Inspection and survey and received a grade of outstanding in the Administrative Inspection and was awarded the Battle Efficiency “E” and Engineering Red “E”. These accomplishments were duplicated in 1973 when VULCAN added hash marks to the Battle Efficiency “E” and Engineering “E awards, and received an additional award, the Supply “E”. In 1974, VULCAN received a second Supply “E” and the Communications ‘C”. In 1975, having successfully passed INSURV and Administrative inspections, VULCAN was awarded a second Communications “C” and the Battle Efficiency “E” as being the best of seven Atlantic Fleet tenders for Fiscal Year 1975. 2