USS Simon Lake (AS-33)
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| Career |  |
|---|---|
| Ordered: | |
| Laid down: | 7 January 1963 |
| Launched: | 8 February 1964 |
| Commissioned: | 7 November 1964 |
| Decommissioned: | 31 July 1999 |
| Fate: | Laid up at Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility |
| Struck: | |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 12,686 tons |
| Length: | 644 ft |
| Beam: | 85 ft |
| Draught: | 30 ft |
| Propulsion: | 2 boilers, steam turbine, single shaft |
| Speed: | 20 knots (37 km/h) |
| Complement: | 1,420 |
| Armament: | four 3"/50 gun mounts |
USS Simon Lake (AS-33) was the lead ship of her class of submarine tenders in the United States Navy, named for Simon Lake, a pioneering designer of early submarines.
The ship was laid down on 7 January 1963 by the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, Washington; launched on 8 February 1964; sponsored by Mrs. Cecil Ford and Mrs. Herbert Diamond; and commissioned on 7 November 1964, Captain 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, South Carolina, 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 SUBRON-14 (Submarine Squadron 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 from 6 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 operated from Rota.
In May 1987 Simon Lake returned to Scotland to again relieve USS Hunley in the Holy Loch where in 1988 and 1991, she won the coveted Battle Efficiency 'E' award. She remained on station there until the base was closed and all assets withdrawn in 1992. Sailing for Norfolk, VA in March of that year, Simon Lake drew to a close 30 years of US Navy presence in Holy Loch, Scotland.
Simon Lake was decommissioned on 31 July 1999 and is in reserve as of 2004.
[edit] References
This article includes text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.
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