Proteus (AS 19 FBM) Class: Photographs

USS Proteus (AS 19) After being cut in half in drydock on 8-9 June 1959 during her FBM conversion. The forward half, to the right, was partly flooded to remain on the blocks while the after half, on the left, was floated aft 44 feet. The dock was then pumped out and the new 44-foot section was constructed in place. Here the after half is still afloat and is riding higher in the dock than the forward half. Photo No. Unknown Source: www.tendertale.com/tenders/119/119.html
USS Proteus (AS 19) Near the Charleston (S.C.) Naval Shipyard on 8 August 1960 after completing conversion to a tender to support the new Polaris SSBNs. The large missile handling crane amidships is on top of the 44-foot section containing a ballistic missile magazine and reactor repair facilities that was inserted just forward of the engine rooms. Photo No. Unknown Source: U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command (L-file)
USS Proteus (AS 19) Near the Charleston (S.C.) Naval Shipyard on 8 August 1960 after completing conversion to a tender to support the new Polaris SSBNs. The ship initially retained both forward 5"/38 gun mounts and their Mk-37 director. Photo No. Unknown Source: U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command (L-file)
USS Proteus (AS 19) Loading Polaris missiles aboard USS George Washington (SSBN 598) on 21 January 1961 during both the tender's and the sub's first SSBN post-patrol refit, accomplished at State Pier, New London, Ct. between 20 January and 21 February 1961. The missiles were brought to New London from Goose Creek, S.C., by the newly refitted USS Alcor (AK 259). Photo No. KN-1508 Source: Shipscribe
USS Proteus (AS 19) Loading the first Polaris missile onto USS Patrick Henry on 11 March 1961 at the new replenishment anchorage in Holy Loch, Scotland. Proteus arrived there on 3 March 1961 and Patrick Henry was her first customer. Photo No. USN 1053945 Source: U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command (L-file)
USS Proteus (AS 19) Loading the first Polaris missile onto USS Patrick Henry on 11 March 1961 at the new replenishment anchorage in Holy Loch, Scotland. Photo No. USN 1053952 Source: U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command (L-file)
USS Proteus (AS 19) Underway on 2 November 1963 after an overhaul at NSY Charleston (S.C.) in which Mount 52 was replaced with a deckhouse and the Mk-37 director was removed. She returned on 2 January 1964 to Holy Loch, then arrived on 24 February 1964 at Rota, Spain and arrived on 29 November 1964 at Guam, where she spent most of the rest of her long career. Photo No. USN 1090461 Source: U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command (L-file)
USS Proteus (AS 19) Med-moored at Polaris Point, Guam, in a photo received in Washington, D.C. in March 1977. Mount 51 has been removed, probably during an extensive overhaul at NSY Mare Island in 1971-1972 which also included a significant propulsion upgrade. Photo No. Unknown Source: U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command (L-file)
USS Proteus (AS 19) Being assisted by the large harbor tug Saco (YTB-796) into her berth at Naval Base Guam on 24 May 1980 after receiving an overhaul at NSY Long Beach in 1978-80 instead of the expected retirement and decommissioning. Photo No. DN-SC-88-08187 Source: U.S. National Archives (RG-330)
USS Proteus (AS 19) At Apra Harbor, Guam, with USS Georgia (SSBN 729) alongside, probably during the Trident submarine's call at Guam between 30 April and 10 May 1986 for a refit and a crew exchange. Proteus had not been refitted to support Trident submarines, and after the last Poseidon SSBN, Robert E. Lee, departed Guam in July 1981, Proteus had instead been converted at Guam to general fleet support. Photo No. Unknown Source: U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command (L-file)
USS Proteus (AS 19) Arriving at Sydney, Australia, in early May 1992 to participate in a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Battle of the Coral Sea. Because the "Old Pro" saw service in WWII, Commander 7th Fleet selected her to participate and authorized her to be painted to her WWII camouflage specification. She was inactivated at Guam two months later. Photo No. Unknown Source: U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command (L-file)
Ex USS Proteus (IX 518) Moored in Suisun Bay National Defense Fleet, Benecia, Cal., in October 1999 a few weeks after arriving from Bremerton, Wash. She had been stripped and converted there in 1993-1994 to a berthing and messing barge to support aircraft carrier overhauls at NSY Puget Sound. Photo No. None Source: "Warship Boneyards" by Kit and Carolyn Bonner, via NavSource.