USS Petrel ( ASR - 14 ) The fifth USS " Petrel " ( ASR - 14 ) was a " Chanticleer " - class submarine rescue ship in the United States Navy . " Petrel " was laid down on 26 February 1945 , was built by Savannah Machine Foundry Co . , Savannah , Georgia ; launched on 26 September 1945 , sponsored by Mrs . Effie Jeffreys ( in honour of her son , MMC Romie L . Jeffreys , who died along with all hands on the submarine on 11 February 1942 ) , and commissioned at Savannah on 24 September 1946 , Lt . Dennis Hima in command . Service history . 1946 – 1949 . After fitting out at Charleston , South Carolina and shakedown at Guantanamo and Panama Bay s , " Petrel " returned to Charleston on 18 December 1946 . She sailed for New London on 6 January 1947 to join SubRon 2 , and operated out of that base for the next three years training and qualifying deep - sea divers and salvage crews , and escorting submarines such as and in tests . 1950 – 1959 . Departing New London on 23 January 1950 , she steamed off Old Point Comfort , Virginia , where the battleship had run aground . Divers from " Petrel " surveyed and excavated around the bottom of the battleship , and on 1 February " Petrel " aided in the “ big pull ” that drew " Missouri " into deep water . After this operation , " Petrel " returned to New London on 6 February , but was reassigned to Key West on 5 May . " Petrel " continued training operations , with SubRon 4 , at Key West throughout the 1950s , with occasional variations . She towed ex - off Dry Tortuga Flats in October 1950 to be sunk in firing exercises by the destroyer . Exercises in 1952 included re - floating the " U – 2513 " . In 1956 , " Petrel " had a key role in freeing " Nantahala " , aground in Key West Channel . On 14 February 1958 , " Petrel " received a distress call at Key West from the submarine , stranded in heavy seas off San Salvador , Bahama Islands . Steaming to the area and off - loading some of " Guavina ' s " oil cargo , " Petrel " towed the lightened submarine to Key West . 1960 – 1969 . " Petrel " continued to operate along the Atlantic coast of the southern United States until sailing in early 1961 for the Mediterranean for exercises with SubDiv 41 , 6th Fleet in June and operated off Portugal in salvage operations after a DC - 8 passenger airplane crash . " Petrel " returned to Charleston on 28 August for coastal operations until she again joined the 6th Fleet from January to May 1964 . She departed Charleston on 12 July for Hamilton , Bermuda , where she aided the U . S . Air Force in recovering wreckage and personnel from a two - plane , mid - air collision . Highlights of subsequent coastal service included accompanying in sea trials in September , work with in April 1965 , and duty at Guantanamo on 28 – 30 September and during Hurricane Inez . " Petrel " departed New London on 6 January 1966 for Holy Loch , Scotland , with in tow . On 17 January , an Air Force B - 52 , carrying four unarmed Mk . 28 nuclear bombs , collided with a KC - 135 off Palomares , Spain . " Petrel " was sent to the area to aid in salvage operations and had the delicate task of maintaining position over the bomb . The weapon was brought to the surface on 7 April , by the ROV " CURV " , placed on " Petrel " , and transferred to the . " Petrel " then returned to Charleston . Deployed to the Mediterranean again in 1968 , " Petrel " searched for the lost Israeli submarine on 26 January , and missing on the 30th . On 12 February , she helped salvage destroyer at Rhodes , Greece . After return to Charleston in May , she joined in the search for missing submarine on the 27th , and returned to Charleston from the Azores on 12 July . She continued operations with SubDiv 41 into 1970 . " Petrel " was decommissioned on 30 September 1991 , and struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 9 October 1991 . Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet , " Petrel " was transferred to MARAD custody on 1 May 1999 , for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet , at James River , Virginia . A contract for scrapping was awarded to Bay Bridge Enterprises of Chesapeake , Virginia , and the ship was towed from the James River on 5 December 2003 .