Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, officially Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility, is a United States Navy shipyard covering 179 acres (0.7 km2) on Puget Sound at Bremerton, Washington in uninterrupted use since its establishment in 1891; it has also been known as Navy Yard Puget Sound, Bremerton Navy Yard, and the Bremerton Naval Complex.
The United States Navy maintains a number of its ships as part of a reserve fleet, often called the "Mothball Fleet". While the details of the maintenance activity have changed several times, the basics are constant: keep the ships afloat and sufficiently working as to be reactivated quickly in an emergency.
USS Puget Sound (CVE–113) was a Commencement Bay-class escort carrier of the United States Navy.
The Long Beach Naval Shipyard, which closed in 1997, was located on Terminal Island between the city of Long Beach and the San Pedro district of Los Angeles, approximately 23 miles south of the Los Angeles International Airport. The primary role of NSY Long Beach at the time of its closure was overhaul and maintenance of conventionally-powered US Navy surface ships, but it also had served as the homeport for several auxiliary ships during its operating history.
The National Defense Reserve Fleet (NDRF) consists of ships of the United States, mostly merchant vessels, that have been mothballed but can be activated within 20 to 120 days to provide shipping during national military emergencies, or non-military emergencies such as commercial shipping crises.
USS Salisbury Sound (AV-13), a Currituck-class seaplane tender, was laid down on 10 April 1943 by Los Angeles Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company, San Pedro, California. The ship was originally named Puget Sound, however it was renamed on 5 June 1944, before it was launched on 18 June 1944. Salisbury Sound was sponsored by Mrs. John D. Price, and commissioned on 26 November 1945. She was named after the Salisbury Sound; a sound near Sitka, Alaska and until her decommissioning was affectionately referred to by her crewmembers as the "Sally Sound".
Naval Station Bremerton is a former station of the United States Navy that was merged with Naval Submarine Base Bangor into Naval Base Kitsap in 2004. Kitsap serves as host command for the Navy's fleet throughout the Pacific Northwest. It is home to the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility. In addition to performing drydock and overhaul services for active naval vessels, it is also home to an inactive ship facility for several decommissioned warships, including aircraft carriers. Naval Hospital Bremerton is also located aboard the installation as a tenant command.
USS Karin (AF-33) was an Adria stores ship in service with the United States Navy from 1945 to 1958. She was into commercial service in 1969 and was scrapped in 1987.
USS Rio Grande (AOG-3) was aPatapsco-class gasoline tanker in service with the United States Navy from 1943–1946 and 1950–1956. She was scrapped in 1972.
The Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation was an American corporation which built escort carriers, destroyers, cargo ships and auxiliaries for the United States Navy and merchant marine during World War II in two yards in Puget Sound, Washington. It was the largest producer of destroyers (45) on the West Coast and the largest producer of escort carriers of various classes (56) of any United States yard active during World War II.
USS Schuyler (AK-209) was an Alamosa-class cargo ship that was constructed for the US Navy during the closing period of World War II. She served with distinction in the Pacific Ocean theatre of operations and returned home in 1946 to be placed into the reserve "mothball" fleet where she silently remained until she was scrapped in 1971.
Rough and Ready Island Naval Supply Depot or Ruff and Ready Island is a former United States Navy installation on the San Joaquin River in Stockton, California in San Joaquin County, near the Stockton Channel and was 3 miles (4.8 km) west of Stockton. The Supply Depot was built during World War II as part of the San Joaquin Depot that operated the nearby Tracy Depot Facility and the Sharpe Depot Facility. It was named in honor of President Zachary Taylor.
The Hudson River Reserve Fleet, formally the Hudson River National Defense Reserve Fleet and popularly the Mothball Fleet, was established by act of Congress in 1946 as a component of the National Defense Reserve Fleet. It was first located off Tarrytown, New York, on the Hudson River, one of eight anchorages in the United States to provide a sizable reserve of merchant ships to support any military need arising.
Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Wilmington was part of the United States Navy reserve fleets in Wilmington, North Carolina at 34.229479°N 77.982916°W. The reserve fleet was at and overflowed out of the former North Carolina Shipbuilding Company in the dredge out Brunswick River. The ships lined both sides of the Brunswick River. The freshwater of the river made a good spot to store ships. The reserve fleet was opened in 1946 to store the now many surplus ships after World War II. The mothball fleet was mostly cargo ships used in the merchant marine navy. When opened it had mostly cargo ships and a few troop ships. At its peak it had 300 Victory ships and Liberty ships, many that were built at the nearby former North Carolina Shipbuilding Company Shipyard. Some ships in the fleet were reactivated for the Korean War and Vietnam War. Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Wilmington closed in 1962, with the last ship removed in February 27, 1970. The ships in the fleet were either scrapped, used as targets or move to the James River Reserve Fleet and Beaumont Reserve Fleet.
Atlantic Reserve Fleet, New London opened in 1946 at the Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton, Connecticut on the Thames River. The New London Reserve Fleet was 3 miles north of the city New London, Connecticut. Naval Submarine Base New London opened in 1872 as a Navy yard, gained its first submarines on 13 Oct 1915, and earned the designation of Submarine Base in about 1916. The freshwater port became a good site to store both submarines and ships after World War II as part of the United States Navy reserve fleets. Three submarine tender ships were given the task of mothballing the submarines. The three ships: USS Apollo, USS Anthedon, USS Proteus (AS-19) cleaned the ship and sealed the subs with preservatives. It took a few years to process the over 50 submarines in the New London Reserve fleet. Some submarines there were reactivated for the Korean War. By 1965 the fleet of World War II submarine were obsolete and the fleet had been scrapped.
Naval Air Station Lee Field was a United States Navy air base that opened on September 11, 1940, in Green Cove Springs, Florida to support the World War II efforts. The Air Station was on the St. Johns River in Clay County, Florida. The Air Station and Navy base was on 1,560 acres. The US Navy and United States Marine Corps used the site to train pilots on four 5,000-foot (1,500 m) asphalt runways. The Grumman F6F Hellcat fighter plane was the most common plane use at the Navy Air Station. The Vought F4U Corsair was a common plane for the Marine Corps training. The base was named after Ensign Bejamin Lee, who was killed during World War I in a plane crash at Killinghome, England. Naval Air Station Lee Field was renamed Naval Air Station Green Cove Springs in August 1943. After the war, Naval Air Station Green Cove Springs was reorganized into a Naval Auxiliary Air Station (NAAS) of Naval Air Station Jacksonville. The Naval Auxiliary Air Station closed in June 1962.
Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Norfolk was a part of the United States Navy reserve fleets, also called a mothball fleet, and was used to store the many surplus ships after World War II. The Atlantic Reserve Fleet was just south of the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, called the South Gate Annex in Portsmouth, Virginia, 2 mi (3.2 km) south of Norfolk, Virginia. The reserve fleet was stored in the freshwater of the Elizabeth River, Southern Branch near the Jordan Bridge. The freshwater was good for long-term storage for ships. Some ships in the fleet were reactivated for the Korean War and Vietnam War.
Pacific Reserve Fleet, Alameda was a part of the United States Navy reserve fleets, also called a mothball fleet, that was used to store the many surplus ships after World War II. The Pacific Reserve Fleet, Alameda was part of the former Naval Air Station Alameda in Alameda, California, in the San Francisco Bay. Some ships in the fleet were reactivated for the Korean War and Vietnam War.
Pacific Reserve Fleet, San Diego was a part of the United States Navy reserve fleets, also called a mothball fleet, was used to store the many surplus ships after World War II. The Pacific Reserve Fleet, San Diego was near the Naval Base San Diego in San Diego, California. Some ships in the fleet were reactivated for the Korean War and Vietnam War. The reserve fleet stored post World War I ships, some that were reactivated for World War II.
The James River Reserve Fleet (JRRF) is located on the James River in the U.S. state of Virginia at near Fort Eustis. James River Reserve Fleet, a "ghost fleet", is part of the National Defense Reserve Fleet. The Reserve Fleet ships in storage, called "mothballed", that can be ready for use if needed. Many are awaiting scrapping due to the age or condition of the ship. Some ships are used for target practice or as artificial reefs. A few ships became museum ships and other sold to private companies. Ships can be readied for use in 20 to 120 days during national emergencies or natural disaster. The U.S. Department of Transportation's Maritime Administration (MARAD) provides oversight of the James River Reserve Fleet. For the United States Navy ships the United States Navy reserve fleets stored these ships and submarines.
