USS Griffin ( AS - 13 ) USS " Griffin " ( AS - 13 ) , originally " Mormacpenn " , a United States Maritime Commission Type C3 pre - war cargo ship , was launched by Sun Shipbuilding & Dry Dock , Chester , Pennsylvania , 11 October 1939 . She served briefly with Moore - McConnack , Inc . , was acquired by the Navy in 1940 , renamed " Griffin " ( AS - 13 ) and converted to a submarine tender at Robbins Dry Dock and Repair Company , Brooklyn , N . Y . " Griffin " commissioned 31 July 1941 , Comdr . S . D . Jupp in command . Her conversion completed in September 1941 , " Griffin " conducted shakedown off the East Coast and sailed with a sub squadron to Newfoundland 22 November 1941 . Recalled to Newport , Rhode Island , after Pearl Harbor , the ship was assigned to the United States Pacific Fleet , and departed 14 February 1942 for Australia . " Griffin " arrived Brisbane 15 April 1942 to tend Submarine Squadron 5 . Early in the war , the United States developed a major submarine base in Australia ; and submarines tended by " Griffin " struck hard at Japanese shipping while surface forces strengthened themselves for the first Pacific offensives . During this period " Griffin " also repaired merchant ships at a time of great need . The tender departed Brisbane for the Fiji Islands 11 November 1942 and 1 December 1942 sailed to Bora Bora to escort Submarine Division 53 to the Panama Canal Zone . Arriving Balboa 7 January 1943 , " Griffin " continued north to Oakland , California , arriving 20 January 1943 . After repairs at San Diego , California , " Griffin " again departed for the Pacific , sailing 27 April 1943 . She arrived Pearl Harbor 4 May 1943 to take up her vital support duties , and remained until 3 January 1944 . The ship performed refits , battle repairs , and general upkeep on submarines before sailing to Mare Island to arrive 10 January 1944 . " Griffin " returned to Pearl Harbor 17 March 1944 , and departed 8 April 1944 for the great submarine base at Fremantle , Western Australia . She arrived 8 May and immediately set about servicing the growing submarine fleet . The tender remained at Fremantle until 20 November 1944 , during her Stay founding a rubber fabrication shop which solved one of the great shortages on board the submarines . She then moved closer to the Japanese shipping lanes at Mios Woendi , New Guinea , arriving 9 December 1944 . There she tended submarines , surface craft of all kinds , and even lent her repair equipment to shore facilities . " Griffin " remained at Mios Woendi until 1 February 1945 when she sailed for Subic Bay , via Leyte . Arriving 10 February 1945 , " Griffin " set up one of the initial submarine repair facilities in the Philippines since 1942 . She also helped to salvage damaged destroyer . Shifting base , the tender sailed 22 March 1945 via Leyte , and arrived in the Hawaiian Islands 10 April 1945 . After a brief stay at Pearl she departed 10 May 1945 for Midway , arrived 4 days later , and set up another repair facility for submarines . By that time submarines supported by " Griffin " had practically annihilated Japanese merchant shipping and had played a decisive role in the great Pacific offensive . She remained at Midway until 10 September 1945 , then sailed to Pearl Harbor and San Francisco , entering the bay 24 September . Decommissioned at Mare Island 12 October 1945 , the ship was placed in reserve . Later she transferred to the Stockton group , Pacific Reserve Fleet , where she remained in reserve , in service , tending reserve submarines , until at least 1967 . She was stricken in 1972 and transferred to MARAD . She was sold in 1973 .