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U.S.S. SIMON LAKE

(AS-33)

RESULTS NOT EXCUSES
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USS Simon Lake (AS-33) keel was laid on 7 January 1963 at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington. She was launched on 8 February 1964 and after fitting out was commissioned on 7 November 1964

USS Simon Lake was named for Simon Lake (1866 - 1945), a naval architect, inventor and builder of an early submarine, Argonaut Junior, for the US Navy in 1894.

After a shakedown cruise to Pearl Harbor, HI in early 1965, USS Simon Lake transisted the Panama Canal in April 1965 and moved to her first homeport, Charleston, SC. There for the next two years she provided material support and technical expertise to the Atlantic US Submarine Fleet. In July 1966 Simon Lake sailed to her new station, Holy Loch, Scotland. In Holy Loch for nearly fours years, Simon Lake supported Submarine Squadron 14. In May 1970 she returned to Charleston, then on to Bermerton, WA for Overhaul and conversion to support Poseidon Missile Submarines.

Exiting the shipyard in March 1971, Simon Lake returned to Charleston in April and went back about the business of submarine tending there until departing for Rota, Spain in November 1972. After spending five years in Rota, Simon Lake returned to Charleston NSY in January 1977 for overhaul.

During the late 1970's USS Simon Lake remained on the East Coast of the United States porting at various times in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; Kings Bay, GA; and Goose Creek/Charleston, SC.

USS Simon Lake returned to Holy Loch, Scotland in May 1987. With the fall of the Berlin wall and decline of the Soviet threat, Holy Loch was no longer needed. Simon Lake sailed in March 1992 for Norfolk, Va, ending the US presence at Holy Lock.

After being overhauled from March 1992 to March 1993, Simon Lake sailed for La Maddalena, her homeport for the next six years. She transited the Suez Canal and Red Sea in March 1998 to support of Operation Southern Watch in the Persian Gulf. In June 1998, she returned to La Maddalena, Italy. She continued living up to her motto, RESULTS NOT EXCUSES over the next year until departing for Norfolk, VA.

Decommissioned on 31 July 1999, USS Simon Lake is laid up at Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility, Portsmouth, VA

The USS Simon Lake (AS-33) operational history and significant events of her service career follow:

AS-33 Deployments - Major Events

Add a AS-33 Shellback Initiation Add a AS-33 Deployment - Major Event
Month Year to Month Year Deployment / Event
JUL1941-JAN1979The XO was Captain Beard cold War ops.
JUL1941-JAN1979The XO was Captain Beard cold War ops.
JAN1963-Keel Date: 7 JAN 1963
at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard Bremerton WA
FEB1964-Launch Date: 8 FEB 1964
NOV1964-Commissioned: 7 NOV 1964
JAN1965-FEB1965Shakedown Cruise to Pearl Harbor
APR1965-Panama Canal
JUN1966-JUN1966CHANGE OF COMMAND 15 JUNE OSBORN TO ELLIS COOPER RIVER SITE
JUL1966-MAY1970Crossed Atlantic to Homeport of Holy Loch Scotland
JUL1970-MAR1971Regular Overhaul
JUL1970-MAR1971Polaris to Poseidon conversion - PSNS
APR1971-NOV1972Homeport - Charleston SC
MAY1971-MAY1971Guantanamo Bay
NOV1972-NOV1972Change Homeport to Rota Spain
FEB1978-MAR1978Guantanamo Bay
JUN1979-JUN1979Change homeport from Charleston SC to Kingsbay GA
OCT1980-DEC1980Guantanamo Bay
JAN1981-AUG1985Kings Bay GA.
SEP1985-SEP1986Regular Overhaul
SEP1985-NOV1986Guantanamo Bay
OCT1986-DEC1986Guantanamo Bay
MAY1987-MAR1992Changed Homeport to Holy Loch Scotland
JAN1988-MAY1990Mediterranean
JAN1989-MAY1989Sea Trials
MAR1992-APR1992Blue Nose - Arctic Circle
FEB1993-MAR1993Changed Home Port
JAN1994-MAY1999La Maddalena Italy
APR1998- Shellback Initiation - 15 APR 1998 - Indian Ocean
NOV1998-MAY1999Mediterranean-Indian Ocean-Persian Gulf
JUL1999-Decommissioned: 31 JUL 1999

AS-33 General Specifications

Class: Simon Lake-class submarine tender

Named for: Simon Lake

Complement: 1420 Officers and Enlisted

Displacement: 12686 tons

Length: 644 feet

Beam: 85 feet

Flank Speed: 20 knots

Final Disposition: Moored at Norfolk Naval Shipyard Portsmouth Virginia



USS SIMON LAKE (AS-33)



Simon Lake (AS-33) was laid down on 7 January 1963 by the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, Wash.; launched on 8 February 1964; sponsored by Mrs. Cecil Ford and Mrs. Herbert Diamond; and commissioned on 7 November 1964, Capt. James B. Osborn in command.

Simon Lake sailed from Bremerton on 16 January 1965 for Pearl Harbor on her shakedown cruise and returned to Bremerton on 17 February for a six-week yard availability period. The Polaris submarine tender stood out of Bremerton on 16 April and proceeded to Charleston, S.C., via the Panama Canal.

Simon Lake arrived at Charleston on 1 May and tended submarines there until 11 July 1966. On that date, she sailed for Holy Loch, Scotland, where she relieved Hunley (AS-31) as tender for Submarine Squadron (SubRon) 14. She operated from there until 24 May 1970 when she got underway for Charleston. In June, she sailed for Bremerton for her first overhaul since commissioning. The tender was in the yard from6 July 1970 to March 1971 and, while there, was also converted to Poseidon missile capability.

Simon Lake returned to Charleston on 3 April and tended submarines there until 19 November 1972 when she sailed for Rota, Spain, as the relief for Holland (AS-32). Into September 1974, Simon Lake is still operating from Rota.

[Note: The above USS SIMON LAKE (AS-33) history may, or may not, contain text provided by crew members of the USS SIMON LAKE (AS-33), or by other non-crew members, and text from the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships]