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U.S.S. PRAIRIE

(AD-15)

DONT TREAD ON ME

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USS Prairie (AD-15) keel was laid 7 December 1938 by New York Shipbuilding, Camden, New Jersey. A Dixie-class destroyer tender, she was commissioned 5 August 1940. In Argentia, Newfoundland on December 7, 1941, she remained there, servicing convoy escorts and fleet vessels, until May 1942 when she sailed for the Boston Navy Yard for repairs after a fire. In Boston from May to October 1942, USS Paririe returned to Argentia until September 1943.

With the U.S. offensive against Japan gaining momentum, USS Prairie was needed in the Pacific. Sailing from Argentia in September 1943, Prairie again touched at Boston, through the Panama Canal and took up station in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii in November 1943. As the front of the war in the Pacific adavnced westward, USS Priarie moved closer to Japan to support the destroyers and other vessels in the war effort. She was stationed at Majuro Atoll, Eniwetok, Ulithi as the war progressed and wound up in Tokyo Bay after the end of hostilities. Prairie arrived in the United States in November 1945.

Prairie remained in commision between World War II and the Korean War. She was stationed in San Diego with a deployment to Tsingtao China in 1947. USS Prairie deployed three times to the Far East during the Korean war to support the Allied war effort.

As the 1950s progressed Prairies duties consisted of material and technical support of the 7th Fleet. In 1957 she circumnavigated the world as the finish to a West Pac deployment.

USS Prairies remaining career, until decommisioning on 26 March 1993, consisted of West Pac deployents supporting the fleet. In June 1982 she became the oldest ship in commision, flying the Dont Tread On Me Navy jack.

AD-15 Deployments - Major Events

Add a AD-15 Shellback Initiation Add a AD-15 Deployment - Major Event
Month Year to Month Year Deployment / Event
DEC1938-Keel Date: 7 DEC 1938
at New York Shipbuilding
DEC1939-Launch Date: 9 DEC 1939
AUG1940-Commissioned: 5 AUG 1940
DEC1941-MAY1942Argentia - Newfoundland Station
MAY1942-OCT1942Repair at Boston Navy Yard after fire
OCT1942-SEP1943Argentia - Newfoundland Station
OCT1942-SEP1943West Pac
OCT1942-OCT1942Dance held on deck - Vaughn Monroe and His Orchestra
APR1943-APR1947Great Lakes
JUL1945-JUL1945Commisioning
JUL1945-JUL1945Great Lakes
JUL1947-JUN1948Tsingtao China for Repair Duty
MAR1950-JUL1954Korean war
MAR1950-JUL1954Korean war
MAR1955-SEP1955West Pac
JUL1956-APR1957Wes pac; Bahrein; Capetown; Rio de Janeiro; Panama Canal
APR1957-Shellback Initiation - 18 APR 1957 - Pacific Ocean
JAN1958-JUL1958West Pac
JAN1961-SEP1961West Pac
SEP1962-MAR1963WESTPAC Cruise
JAN1964-JAN1968West Pac-Viet Nam
JAN1964-JUN1964Wes Pack Cruiise
JAN1965-MAY1965Dry Dock
MAR1965-SEP1965WESPAC
JUL1966- Shellback Initiation - 26 JUL 1966 - Pacific Ocean
JUL1966-Shellback Initiation - 23 JUL 1966 - Pacific Ocean
AUG1966-DEC1966Middle Pacific
JUL1967-DEC1967Middle Pacific
OCT1968-MAR1969West Pac-Viet Nam
OCT1968-MAR1969West Pac
OCT1969-APR1970West Pac
JAN1970-JAN1986West Pac
JAN1971-AUG1971West Pac
MAR1971-NOV1971West Pac-Viet Nam
MAY1971-DEC1971West Pac
JUN1971-DEC1971West Pac-Viet Nam
SEP1971-Shellback Initiation - 21 SEP 1971 - Pacific Ocean
SEP1971-Shellback Initiation - 12 SEP 1971 - Pacific Ocean
JAN1972-JAN1976West Pac-Viet Nam
JAN1972-JAN1973West Pac
JAN1973-MAY1974Dry Dock
MAR1973-SEP1973West Pac
MAR1973-MAY1974West Pac-Viet Nam
APR1973-MAY1974West Pac
MAY1973-Shellback Initiation - 6 MAY 1973 - Indian Ocean
MAY1973-Shellback Initiation - 6 MAY 1973 - Pacific Ocean
JAN1975-SEP1975West Pac
JAN1975-SEP1975West Pac
JAN1975-OCT1975West Pac-Viet Nam
JAN1975-DEC1975West Pac-Viet Nam
JAN1975-OCT1975West Pac-Viet Nam
MAY1975-Shellback Initiation - 6 MAY 1975 - Pacific Ocean
AUG1975-DEC1975West Pac-Viet Nam
NOV1976-SEP1977Regular Overhaul
NOV1977-MAY1978West Pac
JAN1978-JUL1978West Pac
JUN1979-DEC1979West Pac
JAN1980-JUN1980West Pac
JAN1981-JUN1981West Pac
JUN1981-DEC1981West Pac
JUN1981-Shellback Initiation - 1 JUN 1981 - Pacific Ocean
OCT1983-JUN1984West Pac
NOV1983-JUL1984West Pac
NOV1983-APR1984Mediterranean-Indian Ocean
NOV1983-JUL1984West Pac
NOV1983-JUL1984West Pac-Indian Ocean
NOV1983-JUL1984West Pac
APR1984-Shellback Initiation - 13 APR 1984 - Indian Ocean
NOV1986-MAY1987West Pac
AUG1988-FEB1989West Pac-Indian Ocean
AUG1988-FEB1989Desert Storm
JUN1990-DEC1990West Pac
OCT1990-Shellback Initiation - 19 OCT 1990 - Pacific Ocean
OCT1990-Shellback Initiation - 19 OCT 1990 - Indian Ocean
OCT1990- Shellback Initiation - 19 OCT 1990 - Pacific Ocean
JAN1991-JUL1991West Pac
JAN1991-JUL1991Desert Shield
JAN1991-JAN1992West Pac-Indian Ocean-Persian Gulf
MAR1993-Decommissioned: 26 MAR 1993

AD-15 General Specifications

Class: Dixie-class destroyer tender

Complement: 698 Officers and Enlisted

Displacement: 16500 tons

Length: 530.5 feet

Beam: 73.3 feet

Draft: 24 feet 3 in

Final Disposition: Scrapped



USS PRAIRIE (AD-15)



The second Prairie, a destroyer tender, was laid down 7 December 1938 by New York Shipbuilding Corp., Camden, N.J.; launched 9 December 1939; sponsored by Mrs. Samuel M. Robinson; and commissioned 5 August 1940, Capt. J. B. W. Waller in command.

Prior to U.S. entry into World War II, Prairie cruised between Atlantic ports from Colon, C.Z. to Argentia, Newfoundland. She was docked at Argentia, tending Allied ships, on 7 December 1941 as the first direct blows of World War II struck the United States.

A floating workshop for American and other Allied destroyers, Prairie was mother ship to a squadron of destroyers at Argentia, the Atlantic terminus of the transatlantic convoy route. A fire from Spry (PG-64), secured astern of Prairie, spread to the tender 29 May 1942 and caused extensive damage. After repairing at Boston, Prairie returned to Argentia. On 22 February 1943, U.S. Coast Guard cutter Campbell (WPG-32) was rammed during an engagement with a German submarine; complete overhaul was provided by Prairie, and Campbell sailed to the United States 27 May.

Departing Argentia 2:3 September, Prairie steamed to Boston, and on to Pearl Harbor in November, to remain until February 1944. She departed Pearl Harbor 7 February to move with advancing forces in operations against the Marshall Islands. Lying in sheltered waters, Prairie tended destroyers throughout the remainder of the war. Majuro Atoll had been secured 7 February, and Prairie arrived there the 13th, to remain at this advantageous point for mobile supply during the costly campaign for Tarawa. Departing Majuro 3 June, she steamed to Eniwetok, where she was while fighting progressed in the Marianas and Carolines. Reporting to Ulithi 8 October, Prairie was there at war's end and remained until 1 October 1945, when she steamed to Tokyo Bay. On 30 November she steamed home to San Francisco.

Prairie steamed to San Diego, destroyer force headquarters, 16 February 1946 and remained there until 11 August 1947. The Korean conflict demanded more hurried operations from Prairie, and she sailed to provide tending services for U.N. forces from 2 February to 3 August 1951 and again from 6 April to 10 September 1952, and from late August 1953 to 11 April 1954.

After this period of increased activity, Prairie continued to provide repair, supply, and medical services to ships of the 7th Fleet. In March 1956, the tender returned to San Diego after completing an around-the-world cruise, a rarity for a destroyer tender. In 1958, Prairie steamed to Yokohama 8 May for the ceremonies at which Yokohama and San Diego became sister cities. In October 1959, she steamed to Taiwan for the 10-10 Day festival, a day similar to U.S. Independence Day for the Nationalist Chinese.

In Spring 1961, the tender participated in the Pony Express exercises held by SEATO forces. She returned to Pearl Harbor 15 July 1966 for her first visit in over 20 years; she repaired over 100 vessels there before departing the area 6 December. During a 6 month tour at Pearl Harbor beginning in July 67, Prairie rescued survivors from the yacht Anobell in turbulent waters 600 miles off Hawaii 11 December and transported them to San Diego.

In 1968, Prairie added a People-to-People program to her schedule of duties while at Taiwan. As part of that program, her crew painted a new orphanage and provided dental care to remote areas of the island. Prairie continues to service ships of the 7th Fleet into 1970.

[Note: The above USS PRAIRIE (AD-15) history may, or may not, contain text provided by crew members of the USS PRAIRIE (AD-15), or by other non-crew members, and text from the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships]