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The effect of inflation over the past 90 years can be illustrated dramatically by pointing to the original cost of the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard at Bremerton, Washington—an hour’s ride from Seattle. It has been part of the U. S. Navy since 1891 when Congress appropriated money “not exceeding $10,000” and assigned Lieutenant A. B. Wyckoff the task of selecting a dry dock site and effecting a land purchase “at the lowest possible cost.” Convinced of the necessity of a shipyard on Puget Sound, Lieutenant Wyckoff pursued his task with diligence and enthusiasm. He soon consummated a transaction involving a bit more than 190 acres, paying $9,512.51 of the government’s money. He assumed command of the new naval station on 16 September 1891, and in April 1896, construction of the first dry dock was completed and the new shipyard began to function.
The monitor Monterey (BM-6) was the first ship docked in the new yard, but it remained for the battleship Oregon (BB-3) to prove the mettle of the fledgling shipyard. Following a general overhaul at Bremerton, the Oregon began the grueling 14,700- mile trip between the Pacific and Atlantic in time to join Rear Admiral William T. Sampson’s squadron and to participate in the Spanish-American War. Arriving in Santiago Bay in 71 days, the Oregon was still in fighting trim, as she proved in the Battle of Santiago on 3 and 4 July 1898.
With the turn of the century, Congress began to appreciate the strategic worth of the new facility. Successive appropriations of $300,000 and $500,000 for buildings, quarters, and electric lights were soon followed by a raise in rank from naval station to
The USS Idaho (BB-42) enters Dry Dock 2 on 23 September 1919. For many years, the Puget Sound Navy Yard was widely known as a battleship yard because of the overhauls and other maintenance performed there on ships of the battle fleet.
roceedings / February 1982
“navy yard.” Completion of a second dry dock—this one constructed of granite and concrete—came in 1913, and the outbreak of World War I brought a rapid increase and improvement in shipyard installations, along with the new shipyard’s first change in mission—new construction was to be undertaken in addition to overhauls. As a result, a third dry dock, shallow and designed primarily for shipbuilding, was completed at a cost of about $2 million. World War I also brought new shipbuilding ways, a general storehouse, and a hospital. Employment rose sharply to 6,500 persons by 1917.
By the time the residue of World War I construction was completed, hard times had come. Employment in the Puget Sound Navy Yard fell to fewer than 3,000 workers by the time the administration of President Franklin D. Roosevelt was inaugurated in 1933. Only two ships had been built at Puget Sound in the 1920s, the Medusa (AR-1) from 1920 to 1924, and Holland (AS-3) from 1921 to 1926.
The desperate need for work in order to keep even a small work force employed was answered only in part by the construction of the heavy cruiser Louisville (CA-28). The keel of the 10,000-ton ship was laid on the Fourth of July 1928, and she was launched in September 1930. That project was followed by a second heavy cruiser, the Astoria (CA- 34), laid down in 1930 and launched in 1933. As a result of funds made available under the National Industrial Recovery Program, a new assignment to build six 1,500-ton destroyers was given to the yard at Bremerton. The keel of the Worden (DD-352) was laid in 1932 and the last of the six, the Wilson (DD‘ 408), was not completed until 1939.
As the European situation worsened in 1939 and Japan began to threaten, the pace at Puget Sound again quickened, and the yard work force of 6,000 was engaged in construction of the destroyers Charles F. Hughes (DD-428) and Monssen (DD- 436), and in repair and overhaul of the West Virgin'd (BB-48), Colorado (BB-45), Minneapolis (CA-36), Astoria (CA-34), and Houston (CA-30). By December 1941, the work force had increased to 17,000, and by the end of World War II employment had peaked at 32,000 workers.
Wartime activity once again demanded expansion, and Dry Dock 5, the shipfitter shop, a seven-story building, a heavy forge shop, an electrical shop- several other shop buildings, a supply pier, and Piers 3 and 7 resulted. The war also taxed the Bremerton community’s ability to provide housing and trans-
Portation. The government was called upon to construct 11,186 housing units, nearly 2,000 dormitory units, and 1,200 apartments. The navy yard was also actively engaged in the transportation business, and by 1945 the yard was operating 86 buses on routes extending over most of its home county.
Repair of battle-damaged ships constituted the bulk of the work during World War II. Famous names among those included the much-written- about “Ghosts of Pearl Harbor”— the Tennessee (BB-43), Maryland (BB-46), Nevada (BB-36), California (BB-44), and West Virginia (BB-48). Altogether, a total of 394 naval vessels of all types were built, fitted out, repaired, or overhauled.
”VJ Day,” on 14 August 1945, marked the start °f a transition to peacetime operations. The immediate period following Japan’s surrender saw the completion of work on hand and much-needed repairs to returning ships. Operation Magic Carpet, formulated to transport our huge overseas forces back to the United States in a minimum of time, generated considerable work converting aircraft carriers to troop transports.
Reorganization of the huge World War II naval shore establishment began soon after VJ Day. On 30 November 1945, the navy yard was redesignated a naval shipyard. The naval hospital, marine barracks, naval barracks, and inactive fleet berthing areas were established as separate commands under U. S. Naval Base, Bremerton. Bremerton Group, Pacific Reserve Fleet was subsequently established and, in 1947, mooring facilities consisting of four moorings 800 feet long, and two moorings 1,200 feet long, were completed to berth mothballed ships.
The onset of the Korean War in 1950 saw the Work force increase from 7,800 to 15,300 by mid- 1952. By August 1950, the shipyard had 16 ship activations under way in addition to overhauls and carrier conversions. The accelerated work program continued through the Korean armistice of 1953. during the emergency, emphasis was placed on activations, overhauls, and conversions.
With the introduction of jet aircraft, it was soon evident that World War II carriers would require modernization to handle the heavier new planes. Puget Sound Naval Shipyard adapted to become the West Coast’s carrier yard. The first ship to be completed in the major carrier program was the Essex (CVA-9), followed by the Kearsarge (CVA-33), Yorktown (CVA-10), Hancock (CVA-19), Shangri fa (CVA-38), Lexington (CVA-16), Midway (CVA- 41), Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVA-42), and Coral Sea (CVA-43), carrying through to 1960.
A gradual transition of work assignments was again noted in the mid-1950s with the advent of the guided-missile era. The yard kept pace with a contract to construct two guided-missile frigates and by continuing the modernization of facilities in the late 1950s.
The highly successful application of nuclear power to ship propulsion and the construction of a nuclear-powered carrier instigated a movement to acquire nuclear power capabilities and caused Dry Dock 6 to be constructed. It remains as one of the world’s longest dry docks. Concurrent with this activity came an assignment to acquire fleet ballistic missile systems checkout capabilities. The shipyard, by this time, had become an important part of the Polaris nuclear submarine program. Many firsts were recorded at the yard during the remainder of the 1960s, including the first sub safe overhaul, the first fleet ballistic missile submarine overhaul, and the first combination nuclear refueling and sub safe overhaul. Also during the 1960s, the yard built the first of the Sacramento (AOE-I)-class fast combat support ships. She played a vital part in fleet replenishment off Vietnam.
The early 1970s marked the completion of several ships, including the shipyard’s third AOE, the USS Detroit (AOE-4), several LPDs, and some DEs. From then on, the yard was out of the new construction business and engaged exclusively in repair, overhauls, and conversion work. Epitomizing the growth and vitality of the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, a new management-engineering building was constructed and dedicated. A new sheet-metal shop, nuclear repair shop, and improvements to the machine shop came in 1972.
With the closing of two naval shipyards (Boston and Hunters Point in San Francisco) and the realignment of the naval shore establishment in 1973, the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard was asked to take on a greater share of the ship repair load and greater responsibility in all areas of ship repair and refueling. The big carriers began returning in 1975 and, at the rate of about one per year, the carriers, certain surface ship overhauls, and attack submarine overhauls have kept the Bremerton yard prosperous with a constant work force of about 10,000 people.
Puget Sound Naval Shipyard is justifiably proud of its history and its legacy of quality and adaptability. In the battleship era, Bremerton was the battleship yard. As carriers superseded the battle- wagons, Bremerton became the carrier yard. As the steam-driven, surface Navy gave ground to nuclear ships—surface and submarine—Bremerton became the nuclear shipyard. With whatever changes still lie ahead, it is certain that the yard will keep pace and continue to play its important role.
Mr. Judt earned his bachelor of arts degree from San Francisco State College, and then worked as a reporter for a daily newspaper in Richmond, California. He began working for the Navy in the mid-1960s at Mare Island Naval Shipyard and later edited employee newpapers at naval shipyards in Hunters Point. San Francisco and Philadelphia. Mr. Judt is currently the editor of Salute, the weekly newspaper for the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard.
(1) The USS Xipsic was llte navy yard's first administrative headquarters and the home of the first commandant, Lieutenant A. 11. Wyckoff. (2) The second dry dock was built of granite and concrete. Constructed between 1909 and 1913, it is still in use; this shot was made in May 1911. (3) The USS Vicksburg takes on coal at the shipyard’s coaling dock in the early 1900s. This dock was used to refuel the Great White Fleet in 1908 during its around-the-world cruise. (4) These are the ribcage skeletons of the submarines H-4, H-5, H-6, and H-7 in May 1918. (5) The first of the group, H-4, is launched in October 1918. (6) As part of its World War 1 construction program, Puget Sound built the ammunition ships Nitro (AE-2), left, and Pyro (AE-1), right, shown in December 1919 shortly before launching.
(I) As part of its construction of the repair ship Medusa (AR-1) in the early 1920s, the yard at Bremerton manufactured the turbines and single reduction gear for her propulsion plant. This view is looking aft with turbines in the foreground. (2) and (3) For the launching of the Medusa on 16 April 1923, she was floated out of the graving dock in which she was built after the christening by the ship’s sponsor, Mrs. Burns Poe. She is shown with Rear Admiral J. A. Hoogewerff, commandant of the shipyard.
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U) and (2) are two prelaunching views of the submarine tender Holland (AS-3) in March 1926. In the bow-view of the Bremerton-built ship, note the submarine lifting hook suspended from a chain. (3) In 1933, a 250-ton hammerhead cane was completed for use in fitting out new ships. In this picture, it is lifting battleship gun barrels )v‘th men on them. (4) Work dropped off for the shipyard during the depression, but the yard did build new cruisers, including the Louisville (CA-28).
(1) As part of the massive building program designed to provide the United States with a two-ocean navy, Puget Sound Navy Yard built the destroyers Charles F. Hughes (DD-428) and Monssen (DD-436), shown here on 16 May 1940, in position for launching. (2) War bond sales were stimulated by competition between the Bremerton yard (shown here) and the Mare Island shipyard. The prize was the right to name a new heavy cruiser. (3) Bremerton won, and the new ship by that name is shown under construction in Camden, New Jersey. (4) Many war-damaged vessels were repaired in the Puget Sound yard during the 1940s, including this destroyer whose stern was blown off in Alaskan waters.
(1) Sometimes only portions of ships had to be built. When the heavy cruiser Pittsburg (CA-72) lost her bow, a new one was built at Bremerton for attachment to the ship. (2)
In the years after World War II, Puget Sound Naval Shipyard provided berthing space for dozens of ships of the Pacific Reserve Fleet, including these Ess ex-class carriers.
In the foreground is the Essex (CVA-9) herself. (3) In the 1950s, a number of the war-built carriers were modernized at Bremerton, given angled flight decks and hurricane bows.
(1) In the early 1960s, the yard constructed a new dry dock in order to accommodate super carriers. Begun in 1959, Dry Dock 6 was completed by April 1962, having cost $21.6 million—much more than the half million spent on Dry Dock 1 many years earlier. Mothballed ships are shown to the left of the new dock. (2) The fleet replenishment ship Sacramento (AOE-1), the first of a new type, was built at Bremerton; this progress view is from July 1963. (3) In more new construction work, another July 1963 photo shows side-by-side work on the guided missile frigates Jouett (DLG-29) and Sterett (DLG-31).
(1) In an overhaul now in progress, the Enterprise (CVN- 65) is getting a substantial facelifting which is altering the distinctive appearance of her island structure. (2) An aerial view of part of the industrial area of the shipyard shows work on a number of ships in progress. (3) The Puget Sound Naval Shipyard occupies the peninsula in the right center of the photo, adjoining the town of Bremerton. The Olympic Mountains provide a majestic backdrop to the scenic area in which the yard is located.