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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

USS Suncock (AN-80)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Delta - Foxtrot - Foxtrot
NDFF
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from left to right
American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal

Cohoes Class Net Laying Ship:
  • Laid down, 30 November 1944, as Yard Net Tender Suncock (YN-99); at Commercial Iron Works, Portland, OR.
  • Redesigned Net Laying Ship (AN-80), 17 January 1945
  • Launched, 16 February 1945
  • Commissioned USS Suncock (AN-80), 5 May 1945, LT. Robert C. Ramey USNR in command
  • During World War II USS Suncock (AN-80) was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater
  • USS Suncock (AN-80) was assigned to Joint Task Force 1, Task Unit 1.2.7 Target Vessel Group - Salvage Units for Operation Crossroads the atomic bomb tests at Bikini Atoll in July 1946
  • Decommissioned, 12 June 1947, at Astoria, OR. and laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, Astoria
  • Custody transferred to the Maritime Administration in 1961
  • Custody transferred to the Department of Interior, Bureau of Mines
  • Moved to the Pacific Reserve Fleet at Mare Island, date unknown
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 September 1962
  • Custody transferred to MARAD in September 1962, for use as a research vessel by the Bureau of Mines, renamed RV Grass Valley
  • Returned to US Navy custody for disposal, 18 June 1968
  • Final Disposition, sold, 28 July 1971, to Waterman Supply Co., Wilmington, CA.
  • Re-sold in 1971 to Sandra Anne Cordoba of San Francisco, CA. as a fishing vessel named Maria Alina Tique Yates, reflagged Panama
  • Re-named, date unknown, Smmarcanda used as a coastal freighter, Name morphed into Samarkanh
  • Re-sold in 1989 to Samuel M. Hancock, Comox, B.C., Canada, renamed Northen Lights, reflagged Canada
  • Final Disposition, scrapped in 2003 by Saltair Marine, Ladysmith, B.C. Canada
    Specifications:
    Displacement 785 t.
    Length 168' 6"
    Beam 33' 10"
    Draft 10' 10"
    Speed 12.3 kts.
    Complement
    Officers 4
    Enlisted 42
    Largest Boom Capacity 12 t.
    Armament
    one single 3"/50 cal gun mount
    Fuel Capacity
    Diesel 905 Bbls
    Propulsion
    two Busch-Sulzer BS-539 Diesel-electric engine
    single Westinghouse Main Reduction Gear
    two 60Kw 120V D.C. Ship's Service Generators
    single propeller, 1,200shp

    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image
    Size Image Description Source
    USS Suncock (AN-80)
    Suncock 67k USS Suncock (AN-80) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo from the collections of the US Navy Memorial
    Stan Svec
    Suncock 370k Decommissioned USS Suncock (AN-80) at the US Naval Reserve Fleet at Mare Island in June 1965 while being reactived for use by the Bureau of Mines. Suncock was activated by the US Naval Reserve Ship Activation and Repair Division 12-2(M). (See attached Activation Report). She is moored alongside the decommissioned cruiser USS Oakland (CLAA-95) outboard of the decommissioned cruiser USS Roanoke (CL-145).
    File name: AN 80-03, Navy Photo, June 1965.
    Darryl Baker
    Suncock 295k Decommissioned USS Suncock (AN-80) at the US Naval Reserve Fleet at Mare Island in June 1965 while being reactived for use by the Bureau of Mines.
    File name: AN 80-04, Navy Photo, June 1965.
    Darryl Baker
    RV Grass Valley
    Suncock 346k Ex-USS Suncock (AN-80) as Bureau of Mines research ship RV Grass Valley moored pierside at the Marine Mineral Technology Center, Tiburon, CA. in August 1965.
    File name: AN 80-08, Navy Photo, August 1965
    Darryl Baker
    Commercial Se ervice
    Suncock
    091808006
    29k MV Northern Lights V (Ex-USS Suncock (AN-80) moored pierside, date and location unknown.
    The Nauticapedia
    John Spivey
    Suncock
    091808007
    29k
    Northern Light V: - An Interesting Derelict
    By John MacFarlane 2017

    "In 1945 she was built by Commercial Iron Works, at Portland OR. USA. 158'x33'x13'Steel i634.35gt 384.73rt She was powered by 2—900bhp diesel—electric engines.
    She started life as a a USN Net Tender, then as the Samarkahdh, then as the Northern Light (IX), and lastly as the Northern Light V 1989. ln 1945 she was owned bythe US Navy aa a submarine net tender in boom defences. She was 'Cocooned' in the mothball fleet unlil sold as surplus. She was purchased by Columbian owners as the Samarkandh a coastwise freighter. ln 19B9—20U4 she was owned by Samuel M. Hancock, Commx BC.
    As the Samarkandh she entered Canadian waters under a crew oi Columbian nationals declaring force majeure to enable her [to] stop and repair her engines. One propulsion motor was damaged - possibly sabotaged. She was arrested and seized by the RCMP and ihe Canadian Navy In a remole Vancouver Island inlet and her cargo (containing drugs] was unloaded. She was Then moved to Esquimalt BC where later the RCMP moved her to the old Coast Guard Base on Harbour road in Victoria Harbour. Crown Assets and Disposal sold her to Frank Gale & Partner. He intended to use her as a supply vessel to the ofi shore dragger fleet (which obviously never happened). She was towed to Cowichan Bay where she lay for some time and later she was a prominent sight around Hornby and Denman Islands moving anchorage when she became too unpooular wilh local residents.
    Jeff Slubbington (British Columbia Nautical History Facebook Group 2EllD5l2019) stated ‘She was towed to Ladysmilh and broken up at Saltair Marine.‘ She is said to have been scrapped there in 2003."
    The Nauticapedia
    John Spivey
    Suncock
    091808008
    29k
    Suncock
    091808009
    29k
    Suncock
    091808010
    29k

    USS Suncock (AN-80)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)

    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Ramey, Robert Clifton, USNR5 May 1945 - 14 November 1945
    02LT. Lefcourt, Louis Lawrence, USNR14 November 1945 - 22 February 1946
    03LT. Nickle, Leslie George, USN22 February 1946 - 12 June 1947
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves

    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log

    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    Net Tender Stories
    Back to the Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Yard and District Craft Photo Index Back To The Service Force Ship Type Index Back To The Yard Net Tender (YN) Photo Index Back To Net Laying Ship (AN) Photo Index
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 7 June 2024