US Navy Auxiliary Ships: Fulton (AS-11) Class

USS Bushnell (AS-15) on 20 May 1943
Click on this photograph for links to larger images of this class.

Class:        FULTON (AS-11)
Design:        Navy AS-11
Displacement (tons):        9,734 light, 18,000 lim.
Dimensions (feet):        529.5' oa x 73.3' e x 25.5' lim.
Original Armament:        4-5"/38 (1941: AS-11)
Later armaments:        4-5"/38 8<25-20mm (1942-44: AS 11-12);
4-5"/38 4-1.1"Q 10<22-20mm (1942: AS-12);
4-5"/38 4-40mmT 23-20mm (1943-44: AS 11-12, 15-16, 18-19); 4-5"/38 4-40mmT 8<16-20mmT (1945-55: all); 4-5"/38 4-40mmT (1952-55: AS-19);
4-5"/38 (1957: AS-12, 15-19);
2-5"/38 (1958-63: all); 1-5"/38 (1961-63: AS-19);
none (1972-74: AS-11, 16, 18-19); 4-20mmS (1975-76: AS 11-12, 16, 18-19)
Complement:        1051 (1944)
Speed (kts.):        15.4
Propulsion (HP):        11,520
Machinery:        G.M. diesel electric, 2 screws

Construction:

AS	Name	Ord.	Builder	Keel	Launch	Commiss.
11	FULTON	1 Sep 38	NYd Mare Island	19 Jul 39	27 Dec 40	12 Sep 41
12	SPERRY	12 Jun 40	NYd Mare Island	1 Feb 41	17 Dec 41	1 May 42
15	BUSHNELL	3 Oct 40	NYd Mare Island	23 Dec 41	14 Sep 42	10 Apr 43
16	HOWARD W. GILMORE	3 Oct 40	NYd Mare Island	21 Dec 42	16 Sep 43	24 May 44
17	NEREUS	10 Nov 41	NYd Mare Island	11 Oct 43	12 Feb 45	27 Oct 45
18	ORION	30 Dec 40	Moore DD, Oakland	31 Jul 41	14 Oct 42	30 Sep 43
19	PROTEUS	30 Dec 40	Moore DD, Oakland	15 Sep 41	12 Nov 42	31 Jan 44

Disposition:

AS	Name	Decomm.	Strike	Disposal	Fate	MA Sale
11	FULTON	17 May 91	20 Dec 91	17 Nov 95	Sold	--
12	SPERRY	30 Sep 82	30 Sep 82	1 Feb 99	MA/T	--
15	BUSHNELL	30 Jun 70	15 Nov 80	3 Jun 83	Target	--
16	HOWARD W. GILMORE	30 Sep 80	1 Dec 80	1 May 99	MA/T	10 Feb 06
17	NEREUS	27 Oct 71	13 Jun 89	7 May 93	MA/T	--
18	ORION	30 Sep 93	30 Sep 93	1 May 99	MA/T	2 Jun 06
19	PROTEUS	1 Jul 99	13 Mar 01	--	--	--

Class Notes:
FY 1939 (AS-11), 1941 (others). Construction of AS-11 was directed by SECNAV on 20 Jul 38 in the Fiscal Year 1939 building program, which also included the second units of the DIXIE (AD-14) and CURTISS (AV-4) classes. Construction of AS-12 was directed by CNO on 6 May 39 as part of the original building program for Fiscal Year 1941. AS 15-19 were part of a large group of auxiliaries whose construction or acquisition was directed on 5 Aug 40 in the 70% Expansion Program along with many combatant ships. This program was the second increment of the Two Ocean Navy mobilization effort and was also funded in Fiscal Year 1941. AS-15 was unique among the large Navy-built World War II tenders in having a massive kingpost pair with booms instead of the large rotating cranes fitted in the others. The length of AS-12 is listed as 530.6'.

On 25 Nov 43 two additional submarine tenders were ordered to the AS-11 design for delivery in 1946: AS-27 from NYd Mare Island and AS-28 from NYd Puget Sound. In the multiple reallocations of tender contracts during the later part of the war, AS 27 became AD-33 (a C3 of the AD-26 class) and AS-28 became AD-32 (an improved variant of the AD-14 class, q.v.).

In postwar activity, AS-19 was rebuilt as a tender for SSBNs and lengthened at NSY Charleston between 19 Jan 59 and 24 Jul 60. In the mid-1990s AS-19 was converted to a barracks barge (IX-518) and lost her stacks, cranes, and other topside fittings.

Ship Notes:

AS	Name	Notes
11	FULTON	In USN reserve 1946-51 (decommissioned ca. 4 Apr 47, recommissioned 10 Apr 51). To NDRF 20 Oct 94. Sold by Navy, out of NDRF and to buyer 6 Dec 95, scrapping complete 21 Dec 96.
12	SPERRY	To NDRF 16 Mar 98. On historic review Jun 08.
15	BUSHNELL	In USN reserve 1947-52 (decommissioned 30 Apr 48, recommissined 21 Feb 52). Trf. to Submarine Squadron Eight, Norfolk, VA, for target use 3 Nov 81. Sunk as torpedo target by two Mk 48 torpedoes from ATLANTA (SSN 712) 145 nm ESE of Elizabeth City N.C.
16	HOWARD W. GILMORE	Ex NEPTUNE 8 Jun 43. To NDRF 14 Feb 95. MA disposal contract awarded 10 Feb 06. Departed NDRF 30 Mar 06 for scrapyard at Chesapeake, Va. Scrapping reported complete 20 Nov 06, actual completion Apr 07.
17	NEREUS	Earlier order: NYd Puget Sound (3 Oct 40). To NDRF 26 Apr 93. For disposal Jun 08.
18	ORION	To NDRF 19 Sep 95. MA disposal contract awarded 2 Jun 06. Departed NDRF 27 Jul 06 for scrapyard at Baltimore, scrapped by 27 Jul 07.
19	PROTEUS	In USN reserve 1947-59 (in service in reserve at New London 27 Sep 47). Stk. 30 Sep 92, reinstated and reclas. IX-518 1 Feb 94. To NDRF 24 Sep 99. Withdrawn from NDRF by Navy 7 Jun 07 for scrapping at Brownsville, Texas.