Mare Island Naval Shipyard
Encyclopedia
The Mare Island Naval Shipyard (MINSY) was the first United States Navy
base
established on the Pacific Ocean. It is located 25 miles northeast of San Francisco
in Vallejo
, California
. The Napa River
goes through the Mare Island Strait
and separates the peninsula shipyard (Mare Island, California) from the main portion of the city of Vallejo. MINSY made a name for itself as the premier US West Coast
submarine port as well as serving as the controlling force in San Francisco Bay Area
shipbuilding efforts during World War II. The base closed in 1996 and has gone through several redevelopment phases. Parts of it including 52 buildings were declared a National Historic Landmark District in 1975.
operations on September 16, 1854 under the command of then-Commander
David Farragut
, who would later gain fame during the US Civil War Battle of Mobile Bay
, when he gave the order, "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!" MINSY served as a major Pacific Ocean
repair station during the late 19th century, handling American as well as Japanese and Russian vessels in the course of duty.
In 1861, the longest lived of the clipper ships, Syren
, was brought to Mare Island Navy Yard for $15,000 of repairs. Syren had struck Mile Rock
two times while beating out of the Golden Gate
.
By 1901, this shipyard, Union Iron Works
, was contracted out by John Philip Holland
's (Holland Torpedo Boat Company) to build two Adder-class (later A-class)
submarine
s. They were known as USS Grampus / A-3
and USS Pike / A-5
and were the first United States Navy
submarines built on the West Coast.
Mare Island Naval Shipyard also took a commanding role in civil defense and emergency response on the West Coast, dispatching warships to the Pacific Northwest
to subdue Native American
uprisings. MINSY sent ships such as south to Central America
and the Panama Canal
to protect US political and commercial interests. Some of the support, logistics and munition requirements for the Spanish-American War
were filled by Mare Island. MINSY sent men, materiel and ships to San Francisco
in response to the fires following the 1906 earthquake
. Arctic rescue missions were mounted as necessary. Ordnance manufacturing and storage were two further key missions at MINSY for nearly all of its active service, including ordnance used prior to the American Civil War
.
, who was caught and imprisoned in 1918.
MINSY saw major shipbuilding efforts during World War I
. MINSY holds a shipbuilding speed record for a destroyer that still stands, launching the in just 17½ days in May–June 1918. Mare Island was selected by the Navy for construction of the only US West Coast-built battleship
, the , launched in 1919. Noting the power of underwater warfare
shown by German U-boats in WWI, the Navy doubled their Pacific-based submarine
construction program at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard by founding a submarine program at MINSY in the early 1920s.
On January 1, 1918, the Marine Detachment of Mare Island won the Rose Bowl
, defeating the US Army team fielded by Camp Lewis
by a score of 19-7. One year later they appeared in the Rose Bowl again, this time losing by a 17-0 score to a Great Lakes Naval Station
team that included future football legends George Halas
, Paddy Driscoll
and Jimmy Conzelman.
, MINSY reached peak capacity for shipbuilding, repair, overhaul, and maintenance of many different kinds of seagoing vessels including both surface combatants and submarines. Up to 50,000 workers were employed. Mare Island even received Royal Navy
cruisers and destroyers and four Soviet Navy
subs for service. Following the War, MINSY was considered to be one of the primary stations for construction and maintenance of the Navy's Pacific fleet
of submarines, having built seventeen submarines and four submarine tenders by the end of hostilities.
. More than 300 landing craft were built at Mare Island.
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With the prelude to, and the outbreak of World War II, the Mare Island Naval Shipyard specialized in submarine
s, and other than a few submarine tenders, no more surface ships were built there. MINSY continued building non-nuclear subs through the Cold War
including two of the three s and the , an early guided missile launcher. In 1955, Mare Island was awarded the contract to build , the first nuclear submarine laid down at a Pacific
base. The shipyard became one of the few that built and overhauled nuclear submarines, including several UGM-27 Polaris
submarines. 1970 saw the launching of USS Drum, the last nuclear submarine built in California. In 1972, the Navy officially ceased building new nuclear submarines at Mare Island, though overhaul of existing vessels continued. The was decommissioned at Mare Island in 1980, then rigged for towing back to Groton, Connecticut
to serve as a museum of naval history.
In 1969, during the Vietnam War
, the US Navy transferred their Brown Water Navy Riverine Training Operations from Coronado, California
to Mare Island
. Motorists traveling along Highway 37
from the Vallejo/Fairfield
areas to the Bay Area
, which passes through Mare Island, could often view US Navy Swift Boats
(PCF-Patrol Craft Fast) and PBRs (Patrol Boat River
), among other riverine type boats, maneuvering through the slough
s of what is now the Napa-Sonoma State Wildlife Area, which borders the north and west portions of Mare Island. US Navy Reserve Units may still operate the slough portions of the State Wildlife Area for training purposes, as the navigable waters are considered public property
. The US Navy Brown Water Riverine Forces inactivated after the Vietnam War, maintaining only the US Naval Reserve PBRs and auxiliary craft at Mare Island, until the 1996 base closure; at which time the Reserve units moved to new facilities in Sacramento, California
.
Mare Island Naval Shipyard expanded to over 5,200 acres (21 km²) in its service life and was responsible for construction of over 500 naval vessels and overhauling thousands of other vessels. Though it remained a strong contender for continued operations, MINSY was identified for closure during the Base Realignment and Closure
(BRAC) process of 1993. Naval operations ceased and the facility was decommissioned on April 1, 1996.
The California Conservation Corps
, Touro University, and numerous commercial and industrial businesses are currently leasing property aboard the former naval shipyard. In May 2000, the Navy completed the transfer of a former housing area called Roosevelt Terrace using an "economic development conveyance"; a method to accelerate the transfer of BRAC facilities back to civilian communities for their economic benefit. The Navy is also transferring property at the shipyard to other government agencies such as Fish and Wildlife Service
refuge, a Forest Service
office building, an Army Reserve Center
, a Coast Guard
communications facility, and a Department of Education
school.
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
base
Military base
A military base is a facility directly owned and operated by or for the military or one of its branches that shelters military equipment and personnel, and facilitates training and operations. In general, a military base provides accommodations for one or more units, but it may also be used as a...
established on the Pacific Ocean. It is located 25 miles northeast of San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
in Vallejo
Vallejo, California
Vallejo is the largest city in Solano County, California, United States. The population was 115,942 at the 2010 census. It is located in the San Francisco Bay Area on the northeastern shore of San Pablo Bay...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. The Napa River
Napa River
The Napa River, approximately 55 miles long, is a river in the U.S. state of California. It drains a famous wine-growing region, called the Napa Valley, in the mountains northeast of San Francisco. Milliken Creek is a tributary of the Napa River....
goes through the Mare Island Strait
Mare Island Strait
The Mare Island Strait is a channel at in the San Pablo Bay separating Mare Island and the mainland in Vallejo, California in Solano County. The strait was formerly used by the Mare Island Naval Shipyard until its closure in 1995. The strait is the mouth of the Napa River and is used for both...
and separates the peninsula shipyard (Mare Island, California) from the main portion of the city of Vallejo. MINSY made a name for itself as the premier US West Coast
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
submarine port as well as serving as the controlling force in San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
shipbuilding efforts during World War II. The base closed in 1996 and has gone through several redevelopment phases. Parts of it including 52 buildings were declared a National Historic Landmark District in 1975.
Beginnings
The Navy purchased the original 956 acres (3.9 km²) of MINSY in 1853 and commenced shipbuildingShipbuilding
Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to before recorded history.Shipbuilding and ship repairs, both...
operations on September 16, 1854 under the command of then-Commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
David Farragut
David Farragut
David Glasgow Farragut was a flag officer of the United States Navy during the American Civil War. He was the first rear admiral, vice admiral, and admiral in the United States Navy. He is remembered in popular culture for his order at the Battle of Mobile Bay, usually paraphrased: "Damn the...
, who would later gain fame during the US Civil War Battle of Mobile Bay
Battle of Mobile Bay
The Battle of Mobile Bay of August 5, 1864, was an engagement of the American Civil War in which a Federal fleet commanded by Rear Adm. David G. Farragut, assisted by a contingent of soldiers, attacked a smaller Confederate fleet led by Adm...
, when he gave the order, "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!" MINSY served as a major Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
repair station during the late 19th century, handling American as well as Japanese and Russian vessels in the course of duty.
In 1861, the longest lived of the clipper ships, Syren
Syren (clipper)
The Syren was the longest lived of all the clipper ships, with a sailing life of 68 years 7 months. She sailed in the San Francisco trade, in the Far East, and transported whaling products from Hawaii and the Arctic to New Bedford....
, was brought to Mare Island Navy Yard for $15,000 of repairs. Syren had struck Mile Rock
Mile Rocks Light
Mile Rocks Lighthouse is a lighthouse on a rock about southwest of the Golden Gate Bridge, California. It's now an automated and unnatural looking lighthouse with a flat top and red painted rings which tends to stand out very obviously between the Golden Gate Bridge and the Cliff House to the south...
two times while beating out of the Golden Gate
Golden Gate
The Golden Gate is the North American strait connecting San Francisco Bay to the Pacific Ocean. Since 1937 it has been spanned by the Golden Gate Bridge...
.
By 1901, this shipyard, Union Iron Works
Union Iron Works
Union Iron Works, located in San Francisco, California, on the southeast waterfront, was a central business within the large industrial zone of Potrero Point, for four decades at the end of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth centuries.-History:...
, was contracted out by John Philip Holland
John Philip Holland
John Philip Holland was an Irish engineer who developed the first submarine to be formally commissioned by the U.S...
's (Holland Torpedo Boat Company) to build two Adder-class (later A-class)
Plunger class submarine
The Plunger-class was an early class of United States Navy submarines, used primarily as training vessels for the newly formed "silent service" to familiarize navy personnel with the performance and operations of such craft. Most of these "A-class" submarines ended up being stationed in the...
submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
s. They were known as USS Grampus / A-3
USS Grampus (SS-4)
USS Grampus , a Plunger-class submarine later named A-3, was the fourth ship of the United States Navy to be named for two members of the dolphin family : Grampus griseus, also known as Risso's dolphin, and Orcinus orca, also known as the killer whale.Her keel was laid down on 10 December 1900 at...
and USS Pike / A-5
USS Pike (SS-6)
The first USS Pike was a in the service of the United States Navy, later renamed as A-5.She was laid down on 10 December 1900 at San Francisco, California by Union Iron Works, launched on 14 January 1903, and commissioned on 28 May 1903 at the Mare Island Navy Yard with Lieutenant Arthur...
and were the first United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
submarines built on the West Coast.
Mare Island Naval Shipyard also took a commanding role in civil defense and emergency response on the West Coast, dispatching warships to the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
to subdue Native American
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
uprisings. MINSY sent ships such as south to Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
and the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
to protect US political and commercial interests. Some of the support, logistics and munition requirements for the Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
were filled by Mare Island. MINSY sent men, materiel and ships to San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
in response to the fires following the 1906 earthquake
1906 San Francisco earthquake
The San Francisco earthquake of 1906 was a major earthquake that struck San Francisco, California, and the coast of Northern California at 5:12 a.m. on Wednesday, April 18, 1906. The most widely accepted estimate for the magnitude of the earthquake is a moment magnitude of 7.9; however, other...
. Arctic rescue missions were mounted as necessary. Ordnance manufacturing and storage were two further key missions at MINSY for nearly all of its active service, including ordnance used prior to the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
World War I
In March 1917 MINSY was the site of a major explosion of barges loaded with munitions. The blast killed 6 people, wounded another 31, and destroyed some port facilities. Agents of U.S. Military Intelligence tied the blast to roving German saboteur Lothar WitzkeLothar Witzke
Lothar Witzke was a German spy and saboteur active in the United States and Mexico during World War I.- Naval career :Born in Posen , Witzke was educated at Posen Academy then entered the German Naval Academy as a seventeen-year-old cadet. By the beginning of the war he was a lieutenant in the...
, who was caught and imprisoned in 1918.
MINSY saw major shipbuilding efforts during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. MINSY holds a shipbuilding speed record for a destroyer that still stands, launching the in just 17½ days in May–June 1918. Mare Island was selected by the Navy for construction of the only US West Coast-built battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
, the , launched in 1919. Noting the power of underwater warfare
Underwater warfare
Underwater warfare refers to combat conducted underwater such as:*Actions by submarines actions, and anti-submarine warfare, i.e. warfare between submarines, other submarines and surface ships; combat airplanes and helicopters may also be engaged when launching special dive-bombs and...
shown by German U-boats in WWI, the Navy doubled their Pacific-based submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
construction program at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard by founding a submarine program at MINSY in the early 1920s.
On January 1, 1918, the Marine Detachment of Mare Island won the Rose Bowl
Rose Bowl Game
The Rose Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game, usually played on January 1 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. When New Year's Day falls on a Sunday, the game is played on Monday, January 2...
, defeating the US Army team fielded by Camp Lewis
Fort Lewis
Joint Base Lewis-McChord is a United States military facility located south-southwest of Tacoma, Washington. The facility is under the jurisdiction of the United States Army Joint Base Garrison, Joint Base Lewis-McChord....
by a score of 19-7. One year later they appeared in the Rose Bowl again, this time losing by a 17-0 score to a Great Lakes Naval Station
Naval Station Great Lakes
Naval Station Great Lakes is the home of the United States Navy's only boot camp, located near the city of North Chicago, Illinois, in Lake County. Important tenant commands include the Recruit Training Command, Training Support Center and Navy Recruiting District Chicago...
team that included future football legends George Halas
George Halas
George Stanley Halas, Sr. , nicknamed "Papa Bear" and "Mr. Everything", was a player, coach, owner and pioneer in professional American football. He was the iconic longtime leader of the NFL's Chicago Bears...
, Paddy Driscoll
Paddy Driscoll
John Leo "Paddy" Driscoll was a professional American football quarterback. Driscoll was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1965 and is a member of the NFL 1920s All-Decade Team...
and Jimmy Conzelman.
World War II
During World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, MINSY reached peak capacity for shipbuilding, repair, overhaul, and maintenance of many different kinds of seagoing vessels including both surface combatants and submarines. Up to 50,000 workers were employed. Mare Island even received Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
cruisers and destroyers and four Soviet Navy
Soviet Navy
The Soviet Navy was the naval arm of the Soviet Armed Forces. Often referred to as the Red Fleet, the Soviet Navy would have played an instrumental role in a Warsaw Pact war with NATO, where it would have attempted to prevent naval convoys from bringing reinforcements across the Atlantic Ocean...
subs for service. Following the War, MINSY was considered to be one of the primary stations for construction and maintenance of the Navy's Pacific fleet
United States Pacific Fleet
The United States Pacific Fleet is a Pacific Ocean theater-level component command of the United States Navy that provides naval resources under the operational control of the United States Pacific Command. Its home port is at Pearl Harbor Naval Base, Hawaii. It is commanded by Admiral Patrick M...
of submarines, having built seventeen submarines and four submarine tenders by the end of hostilities.
War bonds
Patriotism and esprit de corps among the workers ran very high. Mare Island's military and civilian workforce raised almost $76M in war bonds; enough to pay for every one of the submarines built at MINSY prior to VJ DayVictory over Japan Day
Victory over Japan Day is a name chosen for the day on which the Surrender of Japan occurred, effectively ending World War II, and subsequent anniversaries of that event...
. More than 300 landing craft were built at Mare Island.
Shipbuilding
Mare Island Naval Shipyard constructed at least eighty-nine sea-going vessels. Among the more important ships & boats built were:- 1858 USS SaginawUSS Saginaw (1859)The first USS Saginaw was a sidewheel sloop-of-war in the United States Navy during the American Civil War.-History:The first vessel built by the Mare Island Navy Yard, Saginaw was laid down on 16 September 1858; launched as Toucey on 3 March 1859; sponsored by Miss Cunningham, daughter of the...
– sloop-of-warSloop-of-warIn the 18th and most of the 19th centuries, a sloop-of-war was a warship with a single gun deck that carried up to eighteen guns. As the rating system covered all vessels with 20 guns and above, this meant that the term sloop-of-war actually encompassed all the unrated combat vessels including the...
, wood - 1872 USS MohicanUSS Mohican (1883)The second USS Mohican was a steam sloop of war in the United States Navy. She was named for the Mohican tribe.-Construction:Mohican was laid down by Mare Island Navy Yard, California, 4 September 1872, funded with the repair money allocated for the first ; launched 27 December 1883; sponsored by...
– sloop-of-war, wood - 1875 USS MonadnockUSS Monadnock (BM-3)The second USS Monadnock was an iron‑hulled, twin‑screw, double‑turreted monitor of the in the United States Navy which saw service in the Spanish-American War....
– monitorMonitor (warship)A monitor was a class of relatively small warship which was neither fast nor strongly armoured but carried disproportionately large guns. They were used by some navies from the 1860s until the end of World War II, and saw their final use by the United States Navy during the Vietnam War.The monitors...
, steel - 1886 USRC Cosmos – revenue cutter, wood
- 1904 USS IntrepidUSS Intrepid (1904)The third USS Intrepid was a barque in the United States Navy.Her keel was laid down by the Mare Island Navy Yard. She was launched on 8 October 1904 sponsored by Miss Helen de Young and commissioned on 16 August 1907 with Commander Edward E...
– training ship, steel - 1907 USS PrometheusUSS Prometheus (AR-3)USS Prometheus was a repair ship that served the United States Navy during World War I and World War II. Named for Prometheus who, in Greek mythology, stole a spark from heaven and gave it as a gift of fire to newly-created mankind, she was originally laid down as a collier on 18 October 1907 at...
– collierCollier (ship type)Collier is a historical term used to describe a bulk cargo ship designed to carry coal, especially for naval use by coal-fired warships. In the late 18th century a number of wooden-hulled sailing colliers gained fame after being adapted for use in voyages of exploration in the South Pacific, for...
, steel - 1911 USS Jupiter – collier, steel. Later converted to aircraft carrier USS LangleyUSS Langley (CV-1)USS Langley was the United States Navy's first aircraft carrier, converted in 1920 from the collier USS Jupiter , and also the U.S. Navy's first electrically propelled ship...
- 1913 USS KanawhaUSS Kanawha (AO-1)The third USS Kanawha was a replenishment oiler of the US Navy. She was laid down 8 December 1913 by the Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, California; launched 11 July 1914; sponsored by Miss Dorothy Bennett; and commissioned 5 June 1915, Lt. Comdr...
– tankerTanker- Transportation :* Tanker , a ship designed to carry bulk liquids** Chemical tanker, a type of tanker designed to transport chemicals in bulk** Oil tanker, also known as a petroleum tanker...
, steel - 1913 USRC Guard - Revenue Cutter Service harbor tug, wood
- 1913 USS PalosUSS Palos (PG-16)The second USS Palos , a shallow draft gunboat built for service on the Yangtze River, China, was pre-constructed at Mare Island Navy Yard in 1912; dismantled and shipped to Shanghai, China: laid down by the Shanghai Dock and Engineering Co., on 28 April 1913; launched on 23 April 1914; sponsored...
– gunboatGunboatA gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies.-History:...
, steel - 1913 USS MonocacyUSS Monocacy (PG-20)USS Monocacy was a shallow draft gunboat built for service on the Yangtze River. It was pre-constructed at Mare Island Navy Yard in 1912 and then dismantled and shipped to Shanghai, China. She was laid down by the Shanghai Dock & Engineering Co. 28 April 1913. One year later, or 27 April 1914 she...
– gunboat, steel - 1914 USS MaumeeUSS Maumee (AO-2)The second USS Maumee was laid down as Fuel Ship No. 14 on 23 July 1914 by Navy Shipyard, Mare Island, Calif.; launched 17 April 1915; sponsored by Miss Janet Crose; and commissioned 20 October 1916, Lt. Comdr. Henry C. Dinger in command...
– tanker, steel - 1915 USS CuyamaUSS Cuyama (AO-3)USS Cuyama was a tanker of the United States Navy launched 17 June 1916 by Mare Island Navy Yard; sponsored by Miss M. Offley; and commissioned 2 April 1917, Lieutenant I. B. Smith, USNRF, in command....
– tanker, steel
- 1916 USS ShawUSS Shaw (DD-68)USS Shaw was a in the United States Navy during World War I. She was later transferred to the United States Coast Guard as CG-22....
, destroyerDestroyerIn naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
- steel - 1916 USS CaliforniaUSS California (BB-44)USS California , a Tennessee-class battleship, was the fifth ship of the United States Navy named in honor of the 31st state. Beginning as the flagship of the Pacific Fleet, she served in the Pacific her entire career. She was sunk in the attack on Pearl Harbor at her moorings in Battleship Row,...
– battleshipBattleshipA battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
, steel (32,500 ton) - 1916 USS CaldwellUSS Caldwell (DD-69)USS Caldwell was the lead ship of her class destroyer of the United States Navy. She was the first Navy ship named for Lieutenant James R. Caldwell ....
– destroyer, steel - 1917 Fifteen submarine chaserSubmarine chaserA submarine chaser is a small and fast naval vessel specially intended for anti-submarine warfare. Although similar vessels were designed and used by many nations, this designation was most famously used by ships built by the United States of America...
s - wood - 1917 FairfaxUSS Fairfax (DD-93)USS Fairfax was a Wickes-class destroyer in the United States Navy during the World War I, later transferred to the Royal Navy as HMS Richmond , as a Town class destroyer.-USS Fairfax:...
– destroyer (Destroyers for Bases AgreementDestroyers for Bases AgreementThe Destroyers for Bases Agreement between the United States and the United Kingdom, September 2, 1940, transferred fifty mothballed destroyers from the United States Navy in exchange for land rights on British possessions...
) - 1917 TaylorUSS Taylor (DD-94)The first USS Taylor was a Wickes-class destroyer in World War I and the years following. She was named for Rear Admiral Henry Taylor.-History:...
– destroyer - 1918 BoggsUSS Boggs (DD-136)USS Boggs was a Wickes class destroyer in the United States Navy, later redesignated as AG-19 and then as DMS-3, and back again to AG-19. She was the first ship named for Admiral Charles Boggs....
– destroyer (World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
) - 1918 KiltyUSS Kilty (DD-137)USS Kilty was a Wickes class destroyer in the United States Navy. She was the first ship named for Admiral Augustus Kilty.Kilty was launched 25 April 1918 by the Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, California; sponsored by Miss Elizabeth Harrison Shapley; and commissioned 17 December 1918, Lieutenant...
– destroyer (Guadalcanal campaignGuadalcanal campaignThe Guadalcanal Campaign, also known as the Battle of Guadalcanal and codenamed Operation Watchtower by Allied forces, was a military campaign fought between August 7, 1942 and February 9, 1943 on and around the island of Guadalcanal in the Pacific theatre of World War II...
- Philippines campaign (1944-45)Philippines campaign (1944-45)The Philippines campaign of 1944–45, the Battle of the Philippines 1944–45, or the Liberation of the Philippines was the American and Filipino campaign to defeat and expel the Imperial Japanese forces occupying the Philippines, during World War II. The Japanese Army had overrun all of the...
- Battle of OkinawaBattle of OkinawaThe Battle of Okinawa, codenamed Operation Iceberg, was fought on the Ryukyu Islands of Okinawa and was the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific War of World War II. The 82-day-long battle lasted from early April until mid-June 1945...
) - 1919 KennisonUSS Kennison (DD-138)USS Kennison was a Wickes class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II, later redesignated AG-83. She was the first ship named for William Kennison....
– destroyer (World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
) - 1918 WardUSS Ward (DD-139)USS Ward was a Wickes-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War I, later APD-16 in World War II...
- destroyer (Attack on Pearl HarborAttack on Pearl HarborThe attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
– Guadalcanal campaignGuadalcanal campaignThe Guadalcanal Campaign, also known as the Battle of Guadalcanal and codenamed Operation Watchtower by Allied forces, was a military campaign fought between August 7, 1942 and February 9, 1943 on and around the island of Guadalcanal in the Pacific theatre of World War II...
- Philippines campaign (1944-45)Philippines campaign (1944-45)The Philippines campaign of 1944–45, the Battle of the Philippines 1944–45, or the Liberation of the Philippines was the American and Filipino campaign to defeat and expel the Imperial Japanese forces occupying the Philippines, during World War II. The Japanese Army had overrun all of the...
)
- 1918 ClaxtonUSS Claxton (DD-140)USS Claxton , named for Thomas Claxton, was a Wickes-class destroyer in the United States Navy.The ship was launched 14 January 1919 by Mare Island Navy Yard; sponsored by Mrs. F. W. Kellogg; and commissioned 13 September 1919, Lieutenant Commander F. T...
– destroyer (Destroyers for Bases AgreementDestroyers for Bases AgreementThe Destroyers for Bases Agreement between the United States and the United Kingdom, September 2, 1940, transferred fifty mothballed destroyers from the United States Navy in exchange for land rights on British possessions...
) - 1919 HamiltonUSS Hamilton (DD-141)The second USS Hamilton was a Wickes class destroyer in the United States Navy following World War I, later reclassified DMS-18 for service in World War II...
– destroyer (invasion of North AfricaOperation TorchOperation Torch was the British-American invasion of French North Africa in World War II during the North African Campaign, started on 8 November 1942....
- Philippines campaign (1944-45)Philippines campaign (1944-45)The Philippines campaign of 1944–45, the Battle of the Philippines 1944–45, or the Liberation of the Philippines was the American and Filipino campaign to defeat and expel the Imperial Japanese forces occupying the Philippines, during World War II. The Japanese Army had overrun all of the...
) - 1920 Montana – battleship (43,200-ton) (scrapped under terms of the Washington Naval TreatyWashington Naval TreatyThe Washington Naval Treaty, also known as the Five-Power Treaty, was an attempt to cap and limit, and "prevent 'further' costly escalation" of the naval arms race that had begun after World War I between various International powers, each of which had significant naval fleets. The treaty was...
) - 1920 LitchfieldUSS Litchfield (DD-336)USS Litchfield was a Clemson-class destroyer in the United States Navy following World War I. She was named for John Litchfield.-History:...
– destroyer (World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
) - 1920 ZaneUSS Zane (DD-337)USS Zane was a Clemson-class destroyer in the United States Navy following World War I. She was named for Randolph Zane.-History:...
– destroyer (Attack on Pearl HarborAttack on Pearl HarborThe attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
– Guadalcanal campaignGuadalcanal campaignThe Guadalcanal Campaign, also known as the Battle of Guadalcanal and codenamed Operation Watchtower by Allied forces, was a military campaign fought between August 7, 1942 and February 9, 1943 on and around the island of Guadalcanal in the Pacific theatre of World War II...
) - 1921 WasmuthUSS Wasmuth (DD-338)USS Wasmuth was a Clemson-class destroyer in the United States Navy following World War I. She was named for Henry Wasmuth.-History:...
– destroyer (Attack on Pearl HarborAttack on Pearl HarborThe attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
) - 1922 TreverUSS Trever (DD-339)USS Trever was a Clemson-class destroyer in the United States Navy. She was named in memory of Lt. Cmdr. George A. Trever.-History:...
– destroyer (Attack on Pearl HarborAttack on Pearl HarborThe attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
– Guadalcanal campaignGuadalcanal campaignThe Guadalcanal Campaign, also known as the Battle of Guadalcanal and codenamed Operation Watchtower by Allied forces, was a military campaign fought between August 7, 1942 and February 9, 1943 on and around the island of Guadalcanal in the Pacific theatre of World War II...
) - 1922 PerryUSS Perry (DD-340)The third USS Perry was a Clemson-class destroyer in the United States Navy following World War I. She was one of eight ships named for Oliver Hazard Perry.-History:...
– destroyer (Attack on Pearl HarborAttack on Pearl HarborThe attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
- Battle of PeleliuBattle of PeleliuThe Battle of Peleliu, codenamed Operation Stalemate II, was fought between the United States and the Empire of Japan in the Pacific Theater of World War II, from September–November 1944 on the island of Peleliu, present-day Palau. U.S...
) - 1922 DecaturUSS Decatur (DD-341)The third USS Decatur was a Clemson-class destroyer in the United States Navy following World War I. She was named for Stephen Decatur.-History:...
– destroyer (World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
) - 1927 USS NautilusUSS Nautilus (SS-168)USS Nautilus , a and one of the "V-boats", was the third ship of the United States Navy to officially bear that popular ship's name. She was originally named and designated V-6 , but was redesignated and given hull classification symbol SC-2 on 11 February 1925...
– submarine (sank 6 ships in 14 World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Pacific patrols) - 1928 USS ChicagoUSS Chicago (CA-29)USS Chicago was a Northampton-class heavy cruiser of the United States Navy that served in the Pacific Theater in the early years of World War II. She was the second US Navy ship to be named after the city of Chicago, Illinois...
– cruiserCruiserA cruiser is a type of warship. The term has been in use for several hundreds of years, and has had different meanings throughout this period...
(Battle of Savo IslandBattle of Savo IslandThe Battle of Savo Island, also known as the First Battle of Savo Island and, in Japanese sources, as the , was a naval battle of the Pacific Campaign of World War II, between the Imperial Japanese Navy and Allied naval forces...
- Battle of Rennell IslandBattle of Rennell IslandThe Battle of Rennell Island took place on 29–30 January 1943, and was the last major naval engagement between the United States Navy and the Imperial Japanese Navy during the Guadalcanal campaign of World War II...
) - 1931 USS San FranciscoUSS San Francisco (CA-38)USS San Francisco , a New Orleans-class heavy cruiser, was the second ship of the United States Navy named after the city of San Francisco, California. She saw extensive action during World War II....
– cruiser (Attack on Pearl HarborAttack on Pearl HarborThe attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
- Battle of Cape EsperanceBattle of Cape EsperanceThe Battle of Cape Esperance, also known as the Second Battle of Savo Island and, in Japanese sources, as the , took place on 11–12 October 1942, and was a naval battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II between the Imperial Japanese Navy and United States Navy...
- Naval Battle of GuadalcanalNaval Battle of GuadalcanalThe Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, sometimes referred to as the Third and Fourth Battles of Savo Island, the Battle of the Solomons, The Battle of Friday the 13th, or, in Japanese sources, as the , took place from 12–15 November 1942, and was the decisive engagement in a series of naval battles...
- Battle of the Philippine SeaBattle of the Philippine SeaThe Battle of the Philippine Sea was a decisive naval battle of World War II which effectively eliminated the Imperial Japanese Navy's ability to conduct large-scale carrier actions. It took place during the United States' amphibious invasion of the Mariana Islands during the Pacific War...
- Philippines campaign (1944-45)Philippines campaign (1944-45)The Philippines campaign of 1944–45, the Battle of the Philippines 1944–45, or the Liberation of the Philippines was the American and Filipino campaign to defeat and expel the Imperial Japanese forces occupying the Philippines, during World War II. The Japanese Army had overrun all of the...
- Battle of OkinawaBattle of OkinawaThe Battle of Okinawa, codenamed Operation Iceberg, was fought on the Ryukyu Islands of Okinawa and was the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific War of World War II. The 82-day-long battle lasted from early April until mid-June 1945...
) - 1934 USS SmithUSS Smith (DD-378)The second USS Smith was a Mahan-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was named for Lieutenant Joseph B. Smith, USN...
– destroyer (Battle of the Santa Cruz IslandsBattle of the Santa Cruz IslandsThe Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, 26 October 1942, sometimes referred to as the Battle of Santa Cruz or in Japanese sources as the , was the fourth carrier battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II and the fourth major naval engagement fought between the United States Navy and the Imperial...
- Philippines campaign (1944-45)Philippines campaign (1944-45)The Philippines campaign of 1944–45, the Battle of the Philippines 1944–45, or the Liberation of the Philippines was the American and Filipino campaign to defeat and expel the Imperial Japanese forces occupying the Philippines, during World War II. The Japanese Army had overrun all of the...
) - 1934 USS PrestonUSS Preston (DD-379)USS Preston was a in the United States Navy during World War II. She was the fifth Navy ship named for Lieutenant Samuel W. Preston ....
– destroyer (Battle of the Santa Cruz IslandsBattle of the Santa Cruz IslandsThe Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, 26 October 1942, sometimes referred to as the Battle of Santa Cruz or in Japanese sources as the , was the fourth carrier battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II and the fourth major naval engagement fought between the United States Navy and the Imperial...
- Naval Battle of GuadalcanalNaval Battle of GuadalcanalThe Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, sometimes referred to as the Third and Fourth Battles of Savo Island, the Battle of the Solomons, The Battle of Friday the 13th, or, in Japanese sources, as the , took place from 12–15 November 1942, and was the decisive engagement in a series of naval battles...
) - 1935 USS HenleyUSS Henley (DD-391)USS Henley , a Bagley-class destroyer, was the 2nd ship of the United States Navy to be named for Captain Robert Henley, an officer in the United States Navy during the Quasi-War with France, the War of 1812 and the Second Barbary War....
– destroyer (Attack on Pearl HarborAttack on Pearl HarborThe attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
- Guadalcanal campaignGuadalcanal campaignThe Guadalcanal Campaign, also known as the Battle of Guadalcanal and codenamed Operation Watchtower by Allied forces, was a military campaign fought between August 7, 1942 and February 9, 1943 on and around the island of Guadalcanal in the Pacific theatre of World War II...
)
With the prelude to, and the outbreak of World War II, the Mare Island Naval Shipyard specialized in submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
s, and other than a few submarine tenders, no more surface ships were built there. MINSY continued building non-nuclear subs through the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
including two of the three s and the , an early guided missile launcher. In 1955, Mare Island was awarded the contract to build , the first nuclear submarine laid down at a Pacific
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
base. The shipyard became one of the few that built and overhauled nuclear submarines, including several UGM-27 Polaris
UGM-27 Polaris
The Polaris missile was a two-stage solid-fuel nuclear-armed submarine-launched ballistic missile built during the Cold War by Lockheed Corporation of California for the United States Navy....
submarines. 1970 saw the launching of USS Drum, the last nuclear submarine built in California. In 1972, the Navy officially ceased building new nuclear submarines at Mare Island, though overhaul of existing vessels continued. The was decommissioned at Mare Island in 1980, then rigged for towing back to Groton, Connecticut
Groton, Connecticut
Groton is a town located on the Thames River in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 39,907 at the 2000 census....
to serve as a museum of naval history.
- 1936 USS PompanoUSS Pompano (SS-181)USS Pompano , a United States Porpoise-class submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the pompano....
– submarineSubmarineA submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
(sank 6 ships in 7 World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Pacific patrols) - 1936 USS SturgeonUSS Sturgeon (SS-187)USS Sturgeon , a Salmon-class submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the sturgeon.Her keel was laid down on October 27, 1936 by the Mare Island Navy Yard. She was launched on March 15, 1938 sponsored by Mrs. Charles S. Freeman; and commissioned on June 25, 1938...
– submarine (sank 9 ships in 11 World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Pacific patrols) - 1937 USS SwordfishUSS Swordfish (SS-193)USS Swordfish , a Sargo-class submarine, was the first submarine of the United States Navy named for the swordfish, a large fish with a long, swordlike beak and a high dorsal fin...
– submarine (sank 12 ships in 13 World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Pacific patrols) - 1939 USS FultonUSS Fulton (AS-11)USS Fulton was the leader of her class of seven submarine tenders, launched on 27 December 1940 by Mare Island Navy Yard and sponsored by Mrs. A. T. Sutcliffe, great-granddaughter of Robert Fulton. Fulton was commissioned on 12 September 1941, with Commander A. D...
– submarine tender (World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
) - 1939 USS TunaUSS Tuna (SS-203)USS Tuna was a United States Navy Tambor-class submarine, serving in the Pacific during World War II and earning seven battle stars for her service. After the war, she participated in the Bikini Atoll atomic testing in 1946.-Origins:...
– submarine (sank 4 ships in 13 World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Pacific patrols) - 1939 USS GudgeonUSS Gudgeon (SS-211)USS Gudgeon , a Tambor-class submarine, was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for the gudgeon). Her keel was laid down by the Mare Island Navy Yard. She was launched on 25 January 1941, sponsored by Mrs. William S. Pye, and commissioned on 21 April 1941 with Lieutenant Commander...
– submarine (sank 11 ships in 12 World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Pacific patrols) - 1941 USS SperryUSS Sperry (AS-12)USS Sperry was a in the United States Navy. She was named for Elmer Sperry.Sperry was laid down on 1 February 1941 at the Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, California; launched on 17 December 1941, just 10 days after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor; sponsored by Mrs. Helen Sperry Lea, daughter...
- submarine tender (World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
) - 1941 USS SilversidesUSS Silversides (SS-236)USS Silversides is a Gato-class submarine, the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for the silversides, a small fish marked with a silvery stripe along each side of its body....
- submarine (sank 23 ships in 14 World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Pacific patrols (3rd highest number for a U.S. submarine)) - 1941 USS TriggerUSS Trigger (SS-237)was a Gato-class submarine, the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for the triggerfish, any of numerous deep-bodied fishes of warm seas having an anterior dorsal fin with two or three stout erectile spines....
- submarine (sank 18 ships in 12 World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Pacific patrols (11th highest number for a U.S. submarine)) - 1942 USS BushnellUSS Bushnell (AS-15)USS Bushnell was launched on 14 September 1942 at the Mare Island Navy Yard; sponsored by Mrs. Luther Gibson; and commissioned on 10 April 1943, with Commander C. T. Bonney in command.On 27 June, she departed for Pearl Harbor, arriving on 3 July...
- submarine tender (World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
) - 1942 USS WahooUSS Wahoo (SS-238)was a Gato-class submarine, the first United States Navy ship to be named for the wahoo, a dark blue food fish of Florida and the West Indies....
- submarine (sank 20 ships in 7 World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Pacific patrols (6th highest number for a U.S. submarine)) - 1942 USS WhaleUSS Whale (SS-239), a Gato-class submarine, was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for the whale, an extremely large, aquatic mammal that is fishlike in form....
- submarine (sank 9 ships in 11 World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Pacific patrols) - 1942 USS SunfishUSS Sunfish (SS-281)USS Sunfish , a Gato-class submarine, was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for the ocean sunfish, Mola Mola, a plectognath marine fish, having a deep body truncated behind, and high dorsal and anal fins....
- submarine (sank 15 ships in 11 World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Pacific patrols) - 1942 USS TunnyUSS Tunny (SS-282)The USS Tunny was a Gato-class submarine which saw service in World War II and in the Vietnam War. Tunny received nine battle stars and two Presidential Unit Citations for her World War II service and five battle stars for her operations during the Vietnam War.Tunny was the first submarine of the...
- submarine (sank 7 ships in 9 World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Pacific patrols Vietnam WarVietnam WarThe Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
) - 1942 USS TinosaUSS Tinosa (SS-283)USS Tinosa , a , was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for the tinosa, a poisonous, black, tropical fish.The first Tinosa was laid down on 21 February 1942 at Vallejo, California, by the Mare Island Navy Yard; launched on 7 October 1942; sponsored by Mrs. William E. Molloy; and...
- submarine (sank 16 ships in 11 World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Pacific patrols) - 1942 USS TullibeeUSS Tullibee (SS-284)USS Tullibee , a , was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for the tullibee, a whitefish of central and northern North America. Her keel was laid down on April 1, 1942 at Mare Island, California, by the Mare Island Navy Yard. She was launched on November 11, 1942 sponsored by Mrs....
- submarine (sank 3 ships 4 World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Pacific patrols) - 1943 USS Howard W. GilmoreUSS Howard W. Gilmore (AS-16)USS Howard W. Gilmore was a , originally named Neptune but renamed Howard W. Gilmore in honor of Commander Howard W. Gilmore, a Medal of Honor recipient. She was launched by the Mare Island Navy Yard at Mare Island, California, on 16 September 1943, sponsored by Mrs. H. W. Gilmore, widow of...
- submarine tender (World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
) - 1943 USS SeahorseUSS Seahorse (SS-304)USS Seahorse , a Balao-class submarine, was the first submarine and second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the seahorse, a small fish whose head and the fore part of its body suggest the head and neck of a horse....
- submarine (sank 20 ships in 8 World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Pacific patrols (6th highest number for a U.S. submarine)) - 1943 USS SkateUSS Skate (SS-305)USS Skate was a United States Navy Balao-class submarine named for the skate, a type of ray.Skate was laid down at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard of Vallejo, California, 1 August 1942. She was launched on 4 March 1943, sponsored by Mrs. George P. Shamer and commissioned on 15 April with Commander...
- submarine (sank 10 ships in 7 World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Pacific patrols) - 1943 USS TangUSS Tang (SS-306)USS Tang was a Balao-class submarine of World War II. She was built and launched in 1943.In her short career, the Tang sank 33 ships displacing 116,454 tons Her commanding officer received the Medal of Honor for her last two engagements...
- submarine (sank 24 ships in 5 World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Pacific patrols (2nd highest number for a U.S. submarine)) - 1943 USS TilefishUSS Tilefish (SS-307)USS Tilefish , a Balao-class submarine, was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for the tilefish, a large, yellow-spotted deepwater food fish....
- submarine (sank 2 ships 6 World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Pacific patrols) - 1944 USS SpadefishUSS Spadefish (SS-411)USS Spadefish , a Balao-class submarine, was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for the spadefish. Although she was commissioned late in the war and spent only one year in the Pacific war zone, she was to run up a record of 88,091 tons in 21 ships and numerous trawlers...
- submarine (sank 21 ships in 5 World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Pacific patrols (4th highest number for a U.S. submarine)) - 1944 USS TrepangUSS Trepang (SS-412)The first USS Trepang was a Balao-class submarine in the United States Navy. She was named for the trepang, a marine animal sometimes called a 'sea slug' or a 'sea cucumber', having a long, tough, muscular body and found in the coral reefs of the East Indies.When the contract to build her was...
- submarine (sank 11 ships in 5 World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Pacific patrols) - 1944 USS SpotUSS Spot (SS-413)USS Spot was a Balao-class submarine of the United States Navy, named for the spot, a small sciaenoid food fish of the Atlantic coast, with a black spot behind its shoulders....
- submarine (sank 1 ship in 3 World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Pacific patrols) - 1944 USS SpringerUSS Springer (SS-414)USS Springer was a Balao-class submarine of the United States Navy, named after the springer, a Grampus.Springer was laid down on 3 October 1943 at Vallejo, Calif., by the Mare Island Navy Yard; launched on 3 August 1944, sponsored by Mrs. M. S...
- submarine (sank 4 ships in 3 World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Pacific patrols) - 1945 USS NereusUSS Nereus (AS-17)USS Nereus was a in the United States Navy. According to Greek mythology, Nereus was the eldest son of Pontus and Gaia, and one of the manifestations of the Old Man of the Sea....
- submarine tender - 1945 USS SticklebackUSS Stickleback (SS-415)USS Stickleback , a Balao-class submarine, was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for the stickleback, any of numerous small scaleless fish having two or more free spines in front of the dorsal fin. Her keel was laid down on 1 March 1944 by the Mare Island Navy Yard of Vallejo,...
- submarine (1 World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Pacific patrol) - 1947 USS TiruUSS Tiru (SS-416)USS Tiru , a Balao-class submarine, was a ship of the United States Navy named for the tiru.Tiru—laid down on 17 April 1944 at Vallejo, Calif., by the Mare Island Navy Yard—remained uncompleted for three years as a result of the curtailment of the submarine building program at the end of World War II...
- submarine - 1951 USS BassUSS Bass (SSK-2)USS Bass , a Barracuda-class submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the bass, an edible, spiny-finned fish....
- submarine - 1951 USS BonitaUSS Bonita (SSK-3)USS Bonita , a Barracuda-class submarine, was the fourth ship of the United States Navy to be named for the bonito, any of several types of fish, including the skipjack tuna, Katsuwonus pelamis, the Atlantic bonito , the lesser amberjack , or the cobia .The original contract for construction of...
- submarine - 1957 USS Grayback - submarine
- 1957 USS SargoUSS Sargo (SSN-583)USS Sargo , a Skate-class nuclear-powered submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the sargo, a food and game fish of the porgy family, inhabiting coastal waters of the southern United States....
- submarine - 1959 USS Halibut - submarine
- 1959 USS Theodore RooseveltUSS Theodore Roosevelt (SSBN-600)USS Theodore Roosevelt , a , was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for President Theodore Roosevelt . Initially unnamed and assigned hull classification symbol SSGN-600 as a guided missile submarine, her keel was laid down on 20 May 1958 by the Mare Island Naval Shipyard using...
- submarine - 1960 USS ScampUSS Scamp (SSN-588)USS Scamp , a Skipjack-class nuclear-powered submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the scamp, a member of the serranidae family of fish....
- submarine - 1961 USS PermitUSS Permit (SSN-594)USS Permit became the lead ship of her class of submarine when the former lead ship, was lost. She was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the permit, a food fish, often called "round pompano," found in waters from North Carolina to Brazil.The contract to build her was...
- submarine - 1961 USS PlungerUSS Plunger (SSN-595)USS Plunger , a , was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named "plunger", meaning a diver or a daring gambler.The contract to build her as a guided-missile submarine was awarded to Mare Island Naval Shipyard on 23 March 1959, but by the time her keel was laid down on 2 March 1960 she...
- submarine - 1962 USS Andrew JacksonUSS Andrew Jackson (SSBN-619)|...
- submarine - 1963 USS Woodrow Wilson - submarine
- 1963 USS Daniel BooneUSS Daniel Boone (SSBN-629)|...
- submarine - 1963 USS Stonewall JacksonUSS Stonewall Jackson (SSBN-634)|...
- submarine - 1964 Bathyscaphe Trieste IIBathyscaphe Trieste IITrieste II ' was the successor to Trieste — the United States Navy's first bathyscaphe purchased from its Swiss designers. The original Trieste design was heavily modified by the Naval Electronics Laboratory in San Diego, California and built at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard...
- deep submergence bathyscaphe - 1965 USS Kamehameha - submarine
- 1965 USS Mariano G. VallejoUSS Mariano G. Vallejo (SSBN-658)-External links:...
- submarine - 1967 USS GurnardUSS Gurnard (SSN-662)USS Gurnard , a , was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the gurnard, a food fish of the genus Trigla and part of the sea robin family.-Construction and commissioning:...
- submarine - 1968 USS GuitarroUSS Guitarro (SSN-665)USS Guitarro , a , was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the guitarro, a ray of the guitarfish family.-Keel-laying and launching:...
- submarine - 1969 USS HawkbillUSS Hawkbill (SSN-666)USS Hawkbill , a Sturgeon-class attack submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the hawksbill, a large sea turtle...
- submarine - 1969 USS PintadoUSS Pintado (SSN-672)USS Pintado , a Sturgeon-class attack submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the pintado, a large mackerel-like fish, whose elongated spots suggested the Spanish language word meaning "painted."...
- submarine - 1970 USS DrumUSS Drum (SSN-677)USS Drum , a Sturgeon class attack submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the drum, also known as the croaker or hardhead, any of various fishes of the Sciaenidae family, capable of making a drumming noise and best known on the Atlantic coast of North...
- submarine
Riverine training
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, the US Navy transferred their Brown Water Navy Riverine Training Operations from Coronado, California
Coronado, California
Coronado, also known as Coronado Island, is an affluent resort city located in San Diego County, California, 5.2 miles from downtown San Diego. Its population was 24,697 at the 2010 census, up from 24,100 at the 2000 census. U.S. News and World Report lists Coronado as one of the most expensive...
to Mare Island
Mare Island
Mare Island is a peninsula in the United States alongside the city of Vallejo, California, about northeast of San Francisco. The Napa River forms its eastern side as it enters the Carquinez Strait juncture with the east side of San Pablo Bay. Mare Island is considered a peninsula because no full...
. Motorists traveling along Highway 37
California State Route 37
State Route 37 is a state highway in the northern part of the U.S. state of California that runs 21 miles along the northern shore of San Pablo Bay. It is built from U.S. Route 101 in Novato and runs through the southern tips of Sonoma and Napa Counties to Interstate 80 in Vallejo...
from the Vallejo/Fairfield
Fairfield, California
Fairfield is a city located in Solano County in Northern California, USA. It is generally considered the midpoint between the cities of San Francisco and Sacramento, approximately from the city center of both cities, approximately from the city center of Oakland, less than from Napa Valley, 18...
areas to the Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
, which passes through Mare Island, could often view US Navy Swift Boats
Fast Patrol Craft
Patrol Craft Fast , also known as Swift Boats, were all-aluminum, long, shallow-draft vessels operated by the U.S. Navy, initially to patrol the coastal areas and later for work in the interior waterways as part of the Brown Water Navy to interdict Vietcong movement of arms and munitions,...
(PCF-Patrol Craft Fast) and PBRs (Patrol Boat River
Patrol Boat, River
Patrol Boat, River , or PBR, is the United States Navy designation for a small rigid-hulled patrol boat used in the Vietnam War from March 1966 until the end of 1971...
), among other riverine type boats, maneuvering through the slough
River delta
A delta is a landform that is formed at the mouth of a river where that river flows into an ocean, sea, estuary, lake, reservoir, flat arid area, or another river. Deltas are formed from the deposition of the sediment carried by the river as the flow leaves the mouth of the river...
s of what is now the Napa-Sonoma State Wildlife Area, which borders the north and west portions of Mare Island. US Navy Reserve Units may still operate the slough portions of the State Wildlife Area for training purposes, as the navigable waters are considered public property
Public property
Public property is property, which is dedicated to the use of the public. It is a subset of state property. The term may be used either to describe the use to which the property is put, or to describe the character of its ownership...
. The US Navy Brown Water Riverine Forces inactivated after the Vietnam War, maintaining only the US Naval Reserve PBRs and auxiliary craft at Mare Island, until the 1996 base closure; at which time the Reserve units moved to new facilities in Sacramento, California
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
.
Base closure
Base Realignment and Closure
Base Realignment and Closure is a process of the United States federal government directed at the administration and operation of the Armed Forces, used by the United States Department of Defense and Congress to close excess military installations and realign the total asset inventory to reduce...
(BRAC) process of 1993. Naval operations ceased and the facility was decommissioned on April 1, 1996.
The California Conservation Corps
California Conservation Corps
The California Conservation Corps, or the CCC, is a department of the government of California, falling under the state cabinet-level California Resources Agency...
, Touro University, and numerous commercial and industrial businesses are currently leasing property aboard the former naval shipyard. In May 2000, the Navy completed the transfer of a former housing area called Roosevelt Terrace using an "economic development conveyance"; a method to accelerate the transfer of BRAC facilities back to civilian communities for their economic benefit. The Navy is also transferring property at the shipyard to other government agencies such as Fish and Wildlife Service
United States Fish and Wildlife Service
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service is a federal government agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats...
refuge, a Forest Service
United States Forest Service
The United States Forest Service is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands, which encompass...
office building, an Army Reserve Center
United States Army Reserve
The United States Army Reserve is the federal reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the reserve components of the United States Army....
, a Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
communications facility, and a Department of Education
United States Department of Education
The United States Department of Education, also referred to as ED or the ED for Education Department, is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government...
school.
External links
- Brief history written in 1939
- Recently written history with photos
- Mare Island Navy Yard - 1928. Elbridge Ayer BurbankElbridge Ayer BurbankElbridge Ayer Burbank was an American artist who sketched and painted more than 1200 portraits of Native Americans from 125 tribes. He studied art in Chicago and in his 30s traveled to Munich, Germany for additional studies with notable German artists...
pencil sketch. - National Park Service World War II in the San Francisco Bay Area: Mare Island Naval Shipyard
- Mare Island Historic Park Foundation
- Library of Congress Americas Memory