>From the "Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships," 

(1976) Vol. 6, pp.483-484.





SHENANDOAH





	A river formed by the junction of its north and south 

forks in Warren County, Virginia.  It flows northeast some 

55 miles, crosses the northeastern lip of West Virginia, and 

empties into the Potomac at Harpers Ferry, W. Va.





AD-26

Displacement:  11,755 t.

Length:  492’

Beam:  69’6”

Draft:  28’

Speed:  18 k.

Complement:  1,035

Armament:  2 5”; 8 40mm; 22 20mm

Class:  SHENANDOAH





	The third SHENANDOAH (AD-26) was laid down on 

16 September 1944 by Todd Pacific Shipyards, Inc., Tacoma, 

Wash.; launched on 29 March 1945; sponsored by Mrs. Daniel 

Hunt, and commissioned on 13 August 1945, Capt. Albert C. 

Burrows in command.



	SHENANDOAH completed her fitting out in December and 

sailed to the east coast, via the Panama Canal, where she 

reported for duty with Destroyer Force, United States 

Atlantic Fleet in January 1946.  Until June 1947 she tended 

destroyers in various east coast ports; primarily at 

Norfolk, her home port.  The tender deployed on her first 

tour of duty with the 6th Fleet from June through August 

1947.  In the next 20 years she was assigned 13 more tours 

in the Mediterranean.



	SHENANDOAH's most publicized tour of duty was in 1964.  

She won international acclaim for her heroic rescue of the 

crew of the Dutch merchant ship DORIS.  The freighter broke 

loose from her moorings during the height of a storm and 

became impaled upon the rocks of Molo San Vincenzo in 

Naples' outer harbor.  A line was run to the freighter by 

the crew of the SHENANDOAH, and all aboard were rescued 

minutes before DORIS rolled over and sank.



	The destroyer tender also won recognition in 1965 for 

her repairs to the bow of the carrier SHANGRI-LA (CV-38) 

which had collided with a destroyer during maneuvers.



	SHENANDOAH was awarded the Battle Efficiency Pennant 

for her competence in destroyer tending in 1952 and 1956.  

She was awarded the Engineering "E" in 1958 and 1965, and 

the Supply "E" in 1962, 1963, and 1967.  SHENANDOAH was 

again deployed with the 6th Fleet in 1968, 1970, and 1973.  

She returned to her home port on 15 December 1973 and into 

July 1974 is tending ships on the east coast.



	[Decommissioned on 1 April 1980, SHENANDOAH was 

transferred to the Maritime Administration as part of the 

National Defense Reserve Fleet on 1 March 1982.]



Internet Web Sites:

	United States Naval & Shipbuilding Museum

		www.uss-salem.org/worldnav/usa/decom.htm#aux

	Naval Vessel Register

		www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/AD26.htm





Transcribed by Michael Hansen

mhansen2@home.com