United States Navy

Submarine Tenders

USS Orion AS 18

USS Orion AS 18
USS Orion AS 18
15 May 1993 - her last deployment to Norfolk -
carrying the "Don't Tread On Me" flag proudly.
USS Orion Patch
USS Orion Patch
USS Orion with 15 subs in port.
Displacement
(tons)		9,250Built / Launched7/31/1941 /6/24/1942
Length529' 6"Built ByMoore Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co.,
Oakland, Calif.
Beam73' 4"ClassFulton
Draft25' 6"Commisioned1943
Speed (rated)15.4ktsDecommissioned1993
Compliment1,487DispositionScrapped
USS ORION COMMANDING OFFICERSRank And Name Dates
Capt. C. S. Isgrig, USN 30 Sep 43 - 10 Jul 44
Capt. G. L. Shane, USN 10 Jul 44 - 27 May 45
Capt. E. R. Hannon, USN 27 May 45 - 11 Jun 47
Capt. F. W. Laing, USN 11 Jun 47 - 01 Jun 48
Capt. J. F. Davidson, USN 01 Jun 48 - 01 Jul 49
Capt. L. D. Mcgregor, USN 01 Jul 49 - 01 Jul 50
Capt. I. C. Eddy, USN 01 Jul 50 - 23 Jun 51
Cdr. D. G. Baer, USN 03 Jan 52 - 17 Jan 52
Capt. C. L. Murphy, USN 17 Jan 52 - 09 Apr 53
Capt. W. R. Laugon, USN 09 Apr 53 - 08 May 54
Capt. W. T. Kinsella, USN 08 May 54 - 08 Jul 55
Capt. R. Kefauver, USN 08 Jul 55 - 11 Aug 56
Capt. C. W. Nimitz Jr., USN 11 Aug 56 - 25 Jul 57
Capt. R. H. Bowers, USN 25 Jul 57 - 01 Aug 58
Capt. C. D. Brown, USN 01 Aug 58 - 11 Aug 59
Capt. J. D. Mason, USN 01 Aug 59 - 20 Jul 60
Capt. L. S. Eubanks, USN 20 Jul 60 - 07 Jul 61
Capt. A. A. Bergner, USN 07 Jul 61 - 06 Aug 62
Capt. J. J. Vandergrifr, Jr., USN 06 Aug 62 - 30 Aug 63
Capt. J. I. Schocken, USN 30 Aug 63 - 21 Aug 64
Capt. T. R. Mccants, USN 21 Aug 64 - 12 Jan 66
Capt. W. L. Siple, USN 12 Jan 66 - 15 Jan 67
Capt. J. C. Bellah, USN 15 Jan 67 - 22 Jul 69
Capt. W. C. Nicklas, USN 22 Jul 69 - 06 Oct 70
Capt. J. J. Nuss, USN 06 Oct 70 - 20 May 72
Capt. G. A. Barunas, Jr., USN 20 May 72 - 23 Aug 74
Capt. J. F. Drain, USN 23 Aug 74 - 19 Jun 76
Capt. G. M. Henson, USN 19 Jun 76 - 30 Aug 78
Capt. S. S. Skorupski, USN 30 Aug 78 - 27 Jun 80
Capt. R. N. Charles, USN 27 Jun 80 - 30 Jul 82
Capt. D. B. Branch, USN 30 Jul 82 - 24 Jul 84
Capt. R. V. Morgan, USN 24 Jul 84 - 06 Jun 86
Capt. D. R. Ferrier, USN 06 Jun 86 - 05 Nov 88
Capt. E. L. Morgan, USN 05 Nov 88 - 14 Feb 91
Capt. T. W. Hack, USN 15 Feb 91 - 30 Sep 93

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The second Orion (AS-18) was laid down 31 July 1941 at the Moore Dry Dock Co., Oakland, Calif.; launched 24 June 1942; sponsored by Mrs. Robert A. White; and commissioned 30 September 1943, Capt. C. S. Isgrig in command.

Following shakedown off southern California, Orion got underway for Pearl Harbor 23 November 1943. Arriving there on the 29th, she received her first submarine, USS Gar (SS-206) alongside for repairs two days later.

USS Orion tending some subs at St. Thomas during Operation "Springboard"
Thanks to Duane R. Conger for the correction!
On 10 December she steamed for Australia, arriving at Fremantle 5 January 1944 to begin her mission of maintaining the material readiness of, and an adequate stock of supplies for, submarines operating in the southwest Pacific.

She remained in Western Australia until 6 August when she proceeded to Mios Woendi to establish Advanced Submarine Base Able. Arriving 26 August, she serviced 24 submarines, and 466 surface vessels, before being relieved, 9 December, by Griffin (AS-13). The next day Orion headed back to Hawaii for overhaul.

On 8 April 1945 she sailed west again. At Saipan between 23 April and 1 September, she served as CTG 17.7 and as SOPA(Admin) for Tanapag Harbor in addition to her tender and repair activities which were performed for over 300 ships. As the formal surrender documents were being signed in Tokyo Bay, Orion was en route to the United States. Assigned to the Atlantic Fleet, she operated off the east coast for four months, then sailed south to Balboa, C. Z. Taking up duties with SubRon 6, 24 January 1946, she remained in the Canal Zone, with one interruption for overhaul, until 11 May 1949. Then, with SubRon 6, she steamed to Norfolk, her new home-port. After that change of home port, Orion continued to service SubRon 6 at Norfolk and, during fleet exercises, in the Caribbean.

A FRAM II overhaul and conversion to nuclear Sup-port, 6 September 1960-25 February 1961, was followed by refresher training off Cuba. In June, her first nuclear submarine job came alongside in the form of Shark (SSN-591) at Norfolk. Three years later she added foreign nuclear submarines to her long list of services performed after completing work on HMS Dreadnought. Support of SubRon 6, however, has continued to be Orion's primary mission. Into 1970 she serviced the conventional and nuclear powered ships of that squadron from the Destroyer/Submarine Piers at Norfolk.

History from the Dictionary of American Fighting Ships.

USS Orion AS 18
USS Orion AS 18 in 1986
On 15 October 1970, Orion's homeport changed to Charleston, South Carolina under the command of Submarine Squadron FOUR. From July 1979 through March 1980, ORION underwent overhaul in Charleston Naval Shipyard in preparation for an overseas change of homeport. On 1 June, 1980, ORION's homeport was changed to La Maddalena, Sardinia, Italy, where she served with distinction until relieved by the USS Simon Lake (AS-33) in 1993. In March 1993 the Orion became the oldest (active) ship in the Navy. The last submarine she tended was the USS Miami (SSN-755).

She returned to the states, and in 1993 decommissioned and placed in reserves. She is currently awaiting sale / recycling at the reserve fleet preserve at Ft. Eustis, VA.

1970 - 1992 history courtesy Chuck Williams, PH3.
Supplemental history details courtesy Dave Peckinpaugh
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