Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Norfolk was a part of the United States Navy reserve fleets, also called a mothball fleet, and was used to store the many surplus ships after World War II. The Atlantic Reserve Fleet was just south of the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, called the South Gate Annex in Portsmouth, Virginia, south of Norfolk, Virginia. The reserve fleet was stored in the freshwater of the Elizabeth River, Southern Branch near the Jordan Bridge. The freshwater was good for long-term storage for ships. Some ships in the fleet were reactivated for the Korean War and Vietnam War.South Gate Annexyoutube.com, The Mothball Fleetyoutube.com The USN Mothball Fleet - Storing up for a rainy daypilotonline.com Archive: Decaying fleet could break apart, unleash disastrous spill, By Scott Harper, Sep 16, 2009
The Norfolk Naval Shipyard's Hampton Roads Facilities at Portsmouth includes: the South Gate Annex, Scott Center Annex, St. Helena Annex and St. Julien's Creek Annex.globalsecurity.org St. Helena AnnexHisotical Marker St. Helena Annexmilbases.com Norfolk Naval Shipyard
Reserve ship examples The USS Massachusetts (BB-59) was stored for 18 years at the Atlantic Reserve Fleet. Massachusetts was placed in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet in 1947. On June 8, 1965, she departed, and the Navy transferred ownership of the battleship to the State of Massachusetts. She became a museum ship in Battleship Cove, Fall River, Massachusetts.heraldnews.com, Dedicated group worked tirelessly to get the battleship to Fall River, Staff Writer, The Herald News, 2015UN Navy USS Massachusetts (BB-59) USS Casa Grande (LSD-13), a Casa Grande-class dock landing ship was stored at Atlantic Reserve Fleet from 1946 to 1950. In 1950, she was recommissioned and put back in service. Casa Grande, Naval Historical Center, accessed 29 March 2008USS Casa Grande (LSD-13), NavSource Online, accessed 29 March 2008 USS Briareus (AR-12), a cargo ship, was stored at the Atlantic Reserve Fleet from 1946 to 1951. In 1951, she was recommissioned and put back in service.NavSource USS Briareus (AR-12) USS Albemarle (AV-5), a Curtiss-class seaplane tender was placed in the fleet in 1960, in 1965 she was converted to the USNS Corpus Christi Bay (T-ARVH-1), a floating aeronautical maintenance facility for helicopters.NavSource USS Albemarle (AV-5) USS Deuel (APA-160), a Haskell-class attack transport, was placed in the fleet May 1946, and recommissioned in October 1950.NavSource USS Deuel (APA-160)
South Gate Annex Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility South Gate Annex Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility (NISMF) is at the former Atlantic Reserve Fleet site. The South Gate Annex Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility is used as temporary storage of inactivated nuclear-powered ships, with the fuel removed.NISMF Portsmouth, Virginiaglobalsecurity.org Norfolk Naval Shipyard
See also James River Reserve Fleet Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Museum Naval Medical Center Portsmouth Drydock Number One, Norfolk Naval Shipyard
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