In addition to caring for the six sub marines assigned to the project, she acted as repair ship for other vessels in the task force. Fulton returned to duty at Pearl Harbor from 7 May to 9 June, and then sailed for Guam, where she refitted submarines for the last patrols of the war.Īfter a west coast overhaul, Fulton served as tender at Pearl Harbor from February through May 1946, then sailed for Bikini to participate in Operation 'Crossroads,' atomic weapons tests in the Marshalls that summer. Returning to Pearl Harbor 13 June 1944, Fulton gave her tender services to submarines there for a month, then at Midway between 18 July and 8 September, and then at Saipan until 25 April 1945. Milne Bay, New Guinea, was her station from 29 October 1943 until 17 March 1944, when she sailed for a west coast overhaul. FULTON also played an important role as support tender for submarines engaged in experiments and tests of sonar mine detection devices which enabled American submarines to successfully penetrate the minefields guarding the Inland Sea of Japan There she established a submarine base and rest camp, and in addition to refitting submarines between their war patrols, acted as tender to other types of ships.

She was at Midway until 17 October and at Brisbane from 9 November. One of FULTON'S most noteable wartime achievements was her rendezvous with the cruiser PORTLAND and destroyer RUSSELL to receive 101 officers and 1790 enlisted men who survived the sinking of the fighting aircraft carrier YORKTOWN (CV-5) which was lost at Midway. She tended Pacific Fleet submarines at Pearl Harbor from 15 March 1942 to 8 July, putting to sea during the Battle of Midway. Underway on her shakedown cruise out of San Diego when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor 7 December 1941, Fulton was ordered at once to Panama, arriving 9 December.ĭuring the next month she established advanced seaplane bases in the Gulf of Fonseca, Nicaragua, and in the Galapagos Islands, then returned to San Diego to prepare for Pacific duty. Sutcliff, great granddaughter of Robert Fulton and commissioned 12 September 1941, Commander A.

The fourth Fulton (AS-11) was launched 27 December, 1940 by Mare Island Navy Yard sponsored by Mrs.

Submarine tender