USCGC Acushnet (WMEC-167)

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USCGC Acushnet (WMEC-167)
Career (US) 100x35px
Name: Unknown, but possibly the whaling ship ACUSHNET, town of ACUSHNET, Massachusetts
Namesake: Revenue Cutter Service ACUSHENT
Operator: USN, USCG
Builder: Basalt Pock Company
Laid down: 26 October 1942
Launched: 1 April 1943
Sponsored by: Mrs. Walker Cochran
Christened: 1 April 1943
Commissioned: as USS Shackle (ARS-9),
5 February 1944
Decommissioned: 29 June 1946
In service: as USCGC Acushnet (WAT-167),
23 August 1946
Reclassified: (WAGO-167)- 1968. (WMEC-167)- 1978
Homeport: Ketchikan, AK
Motto: Help, Save, Strengthen!
Nickname: "A" team of Alaska Fisheries
Fate: Transferred to the Coast Guard
General characteristics
Displacement: 1,720 long tons (1,750 t)
Length: 213 ft 6 in (65.07 m)
Beam: 39 ft (12 m)
Draught: 14 ft 4 in (4.37 m)
Propulsion: Diesel-electric, four Fairbanks-Morse 6-cylinder opposed piston engines driving four generators and motors, driving two shafts with 3,460 shp (2.58 MW)
Speed: 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Boats and landing
craft carried:		 2
Crew: 75
Armament: two 40 mm AA gun mounts; four .50 cal. machine guns

USCGC Acushnet (WMEC-167) is a cutter of the United States Coast Guard, homeported in Ketchikan, Alaska. She was originally USS Shackle (ARS-9), a Diver-class rescue and salvage ship commissioned by the United States Navy for service in World War II. She was responsible for coming to the aid of stricken vessels and received three battle stars during World War II, before a long career with the Coast Guard. ACUSHNET patrols the waters of the North Pacific and is the sole remaining World War II era ship on active duty in the US fleet.

United States Navy service - 1944 to 1946

USS Shackle (ARS-9) was laid down on 26 October 1942 by the Basalt Rock Co., Napa, California; launched on 1 April 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Walker Cochran; and commissioned on 5 February 1944, Lt. Charles G. Jenkins, Jr., in command. At the time of its building, the country was at war and in need of more naval vessels. As a result of the necessity, three ships, identified only as "naval auxiliaries" underwent construction. The project took less than a year to complete and would become Fleet Rescue and Salvage vessels serving in the Pacific Theater. These vessels would later all become Coast Guard Cutters.

The two following her commissioning the USS SHACKLE served as a US navy vessel in defense of our country. SHACKLE's first station was at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, where it served as a salvage ship in the West Pacific throughout the remainder of WWII. SHACKLE's first year was spent completing extensive salvage assignments clearing wreckage in the channels at Midway Island and Pearl Harbor. The vessel spent the rest of the year in Guam, Eniwetok, Tinian and Saipan[1].

On February 15, 1945, SHACKLE sailed for the invasion of Iwo Jima where it successfully completed over 44 diving and salvage assignments. One of these was the battle repair of the USS TERRY (DD 513) which was hit by a Japanese shore battery. During March 1945, SHACKLE served as a supporting unit for the Okinawa invasion. Between D-Day (April 1, 1945) and September 20, 1845, the ship completed 55 salvage and rescue operations on larger naval craft damaged by suicidal aerial attacks. There were 108 general alarms during the period[2].

SHACKLE was also assigned to mine sweeping operations in the East China Sea where over 200 enemy mines of all types were sank or destroyed. SHACKLE also cleared the vital docking area of the wreckage of sunken Japanese cable laying ship at Yokosuka Naval Base, Tokyo Bay, Japan. During all of these operations the SHACKLE suffered no damage or casualties. As part of her service in the Pacific Theater SHACKLE received three WWII battle stars, the WWII victory medal, the Asiatic-Pacific campaign medal, the American Campaign medal, and the Navy Occupation Service medal.

On August 23, 1946 USS SHACKLE was commissioned into the United States Coast Guard as USCGC ACUSHNET (WAT-167). ACUSHNET was converted into a search and rescue vessel and was homeported in Portland, Maine.

  • Oninawa zoom.jpg

    Close-up of USS Shackle at Okinawa during WWII

  • USS SHACKLE ARS9 During WWII.jpeg

    USS Shackle circa 1944.

  • Shackle ARS9 hardhat Diver.jpeg

    Jack B. Kirch, Ship Fitter, First Class. Salvage Diver, USN. PLANKOWNER, (Original Crew Member) USS SHACKLE (ARS-9) 1944.

  • USS Shackle at Okinawa.jpg

    USS Shackle conducting salvage operations at Okinawa.

Transfer to the United States Coast Guard - 1946

Decommissioned by the United States Navy at the end of World War II, along with her sister ships USS Seize (ARS-26) and USS Escape (ARS-6), she was quickly transferred to the United States Coast Guard. She remained at San Diego, California, until ordered to San Francisco, California, where, on 29 June, she was decommissioned and transferred to the Coast Guard. First homeported in Portland, Maine as a Coast Guard tug, and renamed USCGC ACUSHNET(WAT-167), she earned a valiant reputation as a dependable friend to fishermen and boaters in distress.

North East and International Ice Patrol Service - 1946 to 1968

While in Portland, Maine ACUSHNET became an instant friend to the maritime community with her search-and-rescue endeavors. While in Maine, ACUSHNET not only served as a vessel for SAR, but also as part of the International Ice Patrol. ACUSHNET and her role in the International Ice patrol was featured in the April 22nd 1957 edition of Life Magazine in a article entitled Icy menace in the North Atlantic: The International Ice Patrol warns all shipping away from the worst invasion of big bergs in year[3]. Between 1946 and 1959, ACUSHNET responded to a major fire in Bar Harbor, Maine, salvaged a vessel that ran aground in the Kennebec River, and assisted two tankers that broke is half during a violent storm.

This event On 19 February 1952, ACUSHNET participated in what is listed as the ten most significant Coast Guard rescues. Two tankers, the SS Pendleton and the SS Fort Mercer, split in two in a fierce storm off Cape Cod, and the ACUSHNET took 18 men off the stern of the Fort Mercer in heavy seas. The ships collided twice and the merchant seamen jumped to the safety of the ACUSHNET’s fantail. The ACUSHNET's role is told as part of the larger story in the book, The Coast Guard's Most Daring Sea Rescue By Michael Tougias.

In the year 1950, ACUSHNET became active in the International Ice Patrol and spent a total of seven patrol months sharing that responsibility with the cutters ANDROSCOGGIN and EVERGREEN. ACUSHNET's salvage gear was removed in late 1959 and replaced with search-and-rescue gear. From 1960 to 1968 ACUSHNET completed four towing missions for over 950 miles, assisted a vessel that broke in two, escorted four disabled vessels and assisted in two medevacs. A few of ACUSHNET's more noteworthy cases during that time frame include the following" 1n 1960, it salvaged the 300-ton Coast Guard Cutter GENERAL GREENE which had been driven one hundred yards ashore in high winds. One of her more dramatic cases in Portland included the rescue of the entire crew of ten people from a disabled seagoing dredge, the CARTAGENA, which was adrift in 30-foot seas and 75-knot winds 200 nm off of Cape Cod on Christmas Day, 1961. In May 1963, ACUSHNET salvaged a crashed Coast Guard helicopter 600yrds of Duxbury Beach, Massachusetts.

The fall of 1967 took ACUSHNET south, where the cutter rescued a Cuban refugee from a distressed 17 foot pleasure craft 50 nm south of Key West, FL.

  • ACU circa 1950s.jpeg

    USCGC ACUSHNET (WAT 167) circa the 1950s

  • ACU 50s ice berg.jpg

    USCGC ACUSHNET (WAT 167) while conducting an International Ice Patrol

Redesignated Oceanographic Ship - 1968 to 1971

Redesignated an oceanographic ship, WAGO-167, on July 8, 1968 and assigned to oceanographic, meteorological, and polar operations, she commenced duties as a research support ship. During fiscal year 1970, she underwent conversion during which alterations were made to her hull and scientific equipment, and research and storage spaces were added at a shipyard in San Diego, California. As part of the National Data Buoy Project of NOAA ACUSHNET spent three years attached to the Office of Naval Research and the Scripps Oceanographic Institute in San Diego, California. Her primary mission on eleven extended deployments throught June 1971, the cutter aided in positioning bouys. While serving as a WAGO, ACUSHNET assisted in only one rescue case a medevac in 1970.

Caribbean Service - 1971 to 1990

In July 1971, ACUSHNET transferred to the Gulf Coast; and, based at Gulfport, Mississippi, she continued her oceanographic work with the National Data Bouy Center, this time aiding the Mississippi Test Facility. On August 24, 1971 ACUSHNET, affectionately known to the crew a "NOAA's ARK", arrived in Gulfport with 64 crew and a 100-ton buoy that was towed from San Diego as it's first new support assignment.

Once established in Gulfport, ACUSHNET continued to play a diverse and important role in the search-and-rescue mission. In the fall of 1973 the cutter played a major role in the KEY LARGO fire south of New Orleans opposite the town of Phoenix. ACUSHNET was again called to respond after a collision on the Mississippi river. ACUSHNET and the cutter DEPENDABLE were presented the Coast Guard Unit Commendation for extinguishing fire on the tanker KEY TRADER after it collided with another vessel, the Norwegian ore ship BAUNE and burst into flames at the river.

Between the years 1975 and 1978, ACUSHNET showed its extreme diversity. The cutter conducted search-and-rescue research of the Gulf of Mexico shelf area, conducted the first marriage onboard a Coast Guard vessel since the mid 1800's, and made its first drug seizure of 18 tons of marijuana and 21 crew members.

In late 1978, the cutter embarked on a patrol to participate in the Global Weather Experiment, 140-nation effort to gather worldwide weather information. In 82 days, Cutter ACUSHNET covered over 18,000 miles from Peru to New Zealand. For this operation ACUSHNET received the Meritorious Unit Commendation. Additionally in 1978, ACUSHNET was designated a Medium Endurance Cutter (WMEC 167) and was formally assigned law enfrocement and search-and-rescue missions.

In August-September 0f 1979, Mobile, AL, was hit be hurricane Frederick while ACUSHNET was there in drydock. Amazingly no damage was befell the cutter. Its first patrol out of drydock was immediately cancelled and ACUSHNET was sent to pick up survivors of a collision between an oil tanker and a merchant vessel.

From May 17 to June 6, 1980, ACUSHNET participated in the largest immigration crisis in the history of the Coast Guard, the Mariel Boat Lift from Cuba. Throughout the entire crisis, ACUSHNET was the second largest cutter on scene. The cutter escorted the vessel Red Diamond with 800 refugees into Key West. In addition, it assisted 35 boats, aided 120 refugees directly, and fueled two 41-foot Coast Guard boats during the time frame. For its efforts, the cutter received the Humanitarian Service Award. During it's time in Gulfport, ACUSHNET interdicted nearly 200 Cuban and Haitian refugees, retrieving some of them from shark infested waters.

The rest of the '80s decade provided to be extremely successful for the cutter in the mission of drug interdiction. In 1980, ACUSHNET seized 52 tons of marijuana. Between September and November of the same year, ACUSHNET confiscated marijuana on 7 vessels totalling a seizure of over 76 tons. Between 1987 and 1989 ACUSHNET had yet two more seizures of marijuana and hashish oil valued at over 1.5 million.

West Coast Service - 1990 to 1998

Cutter ACUSHNET moved to Eureka, California in July 0f 1990. During a Septembet patrol, a sharp lookouy spotted floating objects in the water. These "objects" were the three crew members of the fishing boat MISS PATTY, which suddenly capsized before it could radio for help. During Operation Sandtrap in July 1991, ACUSHNET intercepted the sailing vessel MALEKULA carrying twelve tons of hashish from Indochina. The cutter pulled 32 bales from the burning and sinking MALEKULA, despite strong efforts by smugglers to scuttle the sailboat.

In October 1991, ACUSHNET made its first trip to the chilly waters of Alaska. The cutter was diverted for two weeks to coordinate anti-pollition efforts when the 518-foot HYUNDAO NO. 12 ran hard aground near the Shumagin Islands. It also responded to a May Day call made by the fishing vessel TONQUIN in the Gulf of Alaska, rescuing one man out of a five man crew from stormy and frigid waters during a five-day search. The cutter coordinated a search area utilizing several fishing boats and a tanker in the area. As a result, three additional crew members were rescued.

Alaska/Bering Sea Patrol Service - 1999 to Present

As the majority of ACUSHNET patrol became Alaska Patrols, she moved in in 1998 to Ketchikan, Alaska where she is employed in law enforcement, fisheries, and search and rescue in Alaska. This considerably shortened her transit time to the Bering Sea.

On 23 February 2007 Acushnet was designated as the "Oldest Commissioned Cutter" in the fleet folloing the Decommissioning of USCGC STORIES. She carries gold hull numbers to show this distinction, and the formal title of "Queen Of The Fleet." She was scheduled for decommissioning in late 2008. In March, 2008; letters to the editor have appeared in the Boston Herald and Maine Sunday Telegram calling for Boston and Portland to consider the Acushnet as a possible museum ship. The 2008 decommissioning was cancelled and ACUSHNET continues to conduct patrol in Alaska.

Awards and honors

Cutter ACUSHNET has proven its longevity and dependability in over sixty-six exceptional years of service to the maritime community. ACUSHNET has been rewarded for outstanding service on many occasions. Her decorations include;

See also

References

  1. ↑ USCGC Fiftieth Anniversary pamphlet USCGC ACUSHNET Over 50 Years of Service dated 1994.
  2. ↑ USCGC Fiftieth Anniversary pamphlet USCGC ACUSHNET Over 50 Years of Service dated 1994.
  3. ↑ LIFE (1957, April 22) Icy Menace in the North Atlantic: The International Patrol warms all shipping away from the worst invasion of big bergs in years. Life Vol 42, No 16, pages 56-58. [1]

External links

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