Bluebird was laid down on 23 June 1945 at Charleston, South Carolina, by the Charleston Shipbuilding & Drydock Co. as the fleet ocean tug Yurok (ATF-164). It was redesignated as the submarine rescue ship ASR-19 on 7 November 1945, and renamed Bluebird on 3 December 1945. Bluebird was launched on 15 February 1946, sponsored by Mrs. Paul Lambert Borden, and commissioned at the Charleston Naval Shipyard on 28 May 1946, with Lt. Comdr. P. R. Hodgson in command.
Bluebird reported to the Commander, Training Group, Atlantic Fleet, in mid-July and completed shakedown training in Chesapeake Bay. After post-shakedown repairs at Charleston, the submarine rescue vessel reported for duty with the Submarine Force, Atlantic Fleet on 28 August. On the following day, however, she departed Charleston under orders to join Submarine Squadron (SubRon) 5, Pacific Fleet. She transited the Panama Canal on 5 September and, on the 7th, resumed her voyage to Pearl Harbor in company with USSTawakoni(ATF-114), USSCahuilla(ATF-152) and two tows. The ship arrived in Pearl Harbor on 12 October and relieved USSWidgeon(AM-22) as rescue vessel for SubRon 5. Bluebird remained at Pearl Harbor for the next six months inspecting rescue and salvage equipment on board SubRon 5 submarines and assisting them in training missions.
On 29 April 1947, she departed Pearl Harbor for the Far East. The ship arrived in Yokosuka, Japan, on 10 May but departed there again the following day. On 14 May, she arrived in Tsingtao, China, and relieved USSGreenlet(ASR-10). For the next four months, Bluebird conducted rescue and salvage training with submarines at Tsingtao. On 12 October 1947, she departed that port to return to Hawaii. The submarine rescue vessel reentered Pearl Harbor on 3 November 1941 and began overhaul at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard soon thereafter. The ship completed repairs in April 1948 and resumed duty with Pearl Harbor-based submarines. On 16 May 1949, she stood out of Pearl Harbor in company with USSQueenfish(SS-393) en route to the western Pacific. The two ships conducted exercises along the way before arriving in Yokosuka, Japan, on 20 June 1949. The submarine rescue vessel operated in the Orient exercising with submarines and destroyers until the following November. She visited such ports as Hong Kong, Guam in the Marianas and Subic Bay in the Philippines. On 25 July 1949, she assisted SS John C. Fremont, which ship had gone aground off Mayango Island. The next month between the 9th and the 10th, Bluebird towed the disabled USNSCache(T-AO-67) into Yokosuka.
On 29 November, she departed Hong Kong in company with USSSea Fox(SS-402) to return to Hawaii. The two ships conducted exercises along the way and made a stop at Midway Island before reentering Pearl Harbor on 13 December. After overhaul, she resumed active duty in March 1950 with Submarine Division (SubDiv) 12. She operated with submarines and trained divers until 20 May, at which time she left Oahu for the east coast of the United States. Steaming via the Panama Canal and San Juan, Puerto Rico, the submarine rescue vessel arrived in New London, Connecticut, on 16 June 1950.
Turkish Navy
Assigned to duty with SubRon 8, she conducted training for the Turkish crew that would take her over later that summer. Bluebird was decommissioned on 15 August 1950 and simultaneously transferred to the Turkish Navy. She was commissioned in that navy as Kurtaran with the designation A-584. Her name was struck from the U.S. Navy list on 26 September 1950.
USS Blueback (SS-581) is a Barbel-class submarine that served in the United States Navy from 1959 to 1990, and subsequently was made into an exhibit at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. She was the second Navy submarine to bear the name.
USS Bonefish (SS-582) was a Barbel-class submarine of the United States Navy, and was the second U.S. Navy submarine to be named for the bonefish.
USS Salmon (SSR/SS/AGSS-573), a Sailfish-class submarine, was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named for the salmon.
USS Volador (SS-490), a Tench-class submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the volador. The contract to build her was awarded to Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine, and her keel was laid down on 15 June 1945, but work on her construction was discontinued in January 1946. Her unfinished hulk remained on the ways until August 1947 when construction resumed, now including GUPPY II enhancements to the basic Tench design. Volador was launched on 21 May 1948 sponsored by Mrs. Harriet Rose Morton widow of Commander Dudley W. Morton, and commissioned on 1 October 1948, with Lieutenant Commander Howard A. Thompson in command.
USS Wahoo (SS-565), a Tang-class submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the wahoo, a dark blue food fish of Florida and the West Indies. The contract to build her was awarded to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine, and her keel was laid down on 24 October 1949. She was launched on 16 October 1951 sponsored by Mrs. Harry W. Hill, and commissioned on Memorial Day, 30 May 1952 with Commander Eugene P. Wilkinson in command.
USS Brinkley Bass (DD-887) was a Gearing-class destroyer in service with the United States Navy from 1945 to 1973. She was then transferred to Brazil where she served as Mariz e Barros (D-26) until 1997. The destroyer was finally sunk as a target in 2000.
USS Abnaki (ATF-96) was the lead ship of the Abnaki class of fleet ocean tugs in the service of the United States Navy, named after the Abenaki tribe of Native Americans. She was laid down on 28 November 1942 at Charleston, South Carolina by Charleston Shipbuilding & Drydock, launched on 22 April 1943, sponsored by Mrs. James Mayon Jones, and commissioned at the Charleston Navy Yard on 25 November 1943 with Lt. Dewey Walley in command. Abnaki earned three battle stars for service during the Korean War and 10 battle stars during the Vietnam War.
USS Archerfish (SS/AGSS-311) was a Balao-class submarine. She was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for the archerfish. Archerfish is best known for sinking the Japanese aircraft carrier Shinano in November 1944, the largest warship ever sunk by a submarine. For this achievement, she received a Presidential Unit Citation after World War II.
USS Medregal (SS-480/AGSS-480), a Tench-class submarine, was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for the medregal, a streamlined, fast-swimming, bluish-colored fish of the jack family which abounds in waters of the West Indies and in the Atlantic as far north as the Carolinas.
USS Tiru (SS-416), a Balao-class submarine, was a vessel of the United States Navy named for the tiru, a member of the lizardfish family.
USS Walton (DE-361) was a John C. Butler-class destroyer escort in the United States Navy. It was named after Merrit Cecil Walton, a Marine Corps platoon sergeant with the U.S. 1st Marine Division, who died on Gavutu during the Battle of Guadalcanal and was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for "extraordinary heroism".
USS Badger (FF-1071) was a Knox-class frigate in service with in the United States Navy from 1970 to 1991. She was sunk as a target in 1998.
USS Arikara (AT-98) was an Abnaki-class of fleet ocean tug. It was named after the Arikara, a loose confederacy of sub-tribes of American Indians related to the Pawnee. The Arikara inhabited villages in the Missouri River valley.
The third USS Penguin (ASR–12) was a submarine rescue ship in the United States Navy during World War II. She was the lead ship of a class of three vessels all originally laid down as fleet ocean tugs before being converted to rescue ships before completion.
USS Widgeon (AM-22/ASR-1) was an Lapwing-class minesweeper acquired by the United States Navy for the dangerous task of removing mines from minefields laid in the water to prevent ships from passing. Later converted to a submarine rescue ship. Widgeon was named by the Navy after the widgeon, a freshwater duck.
The first USS Ortolan(AM-45/ASR-5) was a Lapwing-class minesweeper in the United States Navy. She was later converted to a submarine rescue ship. She was named after the ortolan, a European bunting.
USS Yuma (AT-94/ATF-94/T-ATF-94) was a Navajo-class fleet tugboat constructed for the United States Navy during World War II. She was the second U.S. Navy ship named for the Yuma tribe of Arizona.
USS Silverstein (DE-534) was a John C. Butler-class destroyer escort in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1947 and from 1951 to 1958. She was sold for scrapping in 1973.
USS Apache (AT-67/ATF-67) was a Navajo-class fleet tug, later fleet ocean tug, in commission in the United States Navy from 1942 to 1946 and from 1951 to 1974. She saw service in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.
USS Moctobi (ATF-105) was an Abnaki-class of fleet ocean tug. She served in World War II, Vietnam, and Korea, the last two of which she received battle stars. She was scrapped in 2012.
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