USS Bushnell ( AS - 15 ) USS " Bushnell " ( AS - 15 ) was launched on 14 September 1942 at the Mare Island Navy Yard ; sponsored by Mrs . Luther Gibson ; and commissioned on 10 April 1943 , with Commander C . T . Bonney in command . On 27 June , she departed for Pearl Harbor , arriving on 3 July . While at the Submarine Base , Submarine Squadron 14 ( SubRon 14 ) was assembled with " Bushnell " serving as tender and staff headquarters for the Squadron and Division Staff . " Bushnell " remained at Pearl Harbor until September 1943 , when she sailed for Midway Island to deliver provisions and structural materials . Upon returning to Pearl Harbor in December , she resumed her task of refitting submarines until April 1944 . " Bushnell " weighed anchor on 27 April for Majuro Atoll , Marshall Islands , laden with provisions , fuel , and material . Majuro Atoll soon became a regular submarine operating base , although entirely dependent upon the tender . On 5 February 1945 , " Bushnell " returned to Pearl Harbor . On 29 May , the tender steamed to Midway to refit submarines arriving there from war patrols . She was thus engaged until the cessation of hostilities . From September – December 1945 , " Bushnell " continued to act as a repair vessel for submarines throughout the period of demobilization and peacetime reorganization of the submarine force in the San Diego area . In January 1946 , she sailed to Guam to tend submarines engaged in the occupation of Japan . This tour of duty continued until April , at which she was recalled to Pearl Harbor for duty with Submarine Squadron 1 . " Bushnell " operated with SubRon 1 until 24 May 1947 . At that time , she sailed to Mare Island for overhaul . Returning to Pearl Harbor on 10 September , she resumed her duties with SubRon 1 . In December 1947 , " Bushnell " returned to Mare Island and reported for inactivation . She was placed out of commission in reserve on 30 April 1948 . " Bushnell " was recommissioned on 21 February 1952 . After intensive training along the west coast , she departed for the Atlantic on 7 May . She transited the Panama Canal on 21 May and proceeded to Key West , Florida for duty with SubRon 12 . Since that time , she operated at Key West , tending the boats of SubRon 12 and conducting brief periods of service at Norfolk and short cruises in the Caribbean . In 1965 , she suffered a serious fire in some electrical generation equipment — and earned the nickname " the burning Bush " . There was only one minor injury in that incident , and it didn ' t affect operations for long . She returned to Key West in 1967 to continue her service to the submarine fleet . In 1968 , she celebrated her 25th year of service . She continued to supply services to SubRon 12 as well as support services to other ships in the Caribbean and Gulf Coast regions . She made regular visits to New Orleans , Mobile , Fort Lauderdale and Kingston , Jamaica . In 1969 , " Bushnell " was the Navy response ship for Hurricane Camille . She and her crew rebuilt Pilottown , Louisiana , so that river traffic could again move on the Mississippi . Unfortunately , however , her nickname came to haunt her when in early 1970 a high pressure airline ruptured in the bilge , atomizing the oil and other liquids resulting in an explosion and fire that damaged the ship beyond repair . Her own crew did all of her own decommissioning work ( not in a shipyard ) in early 1970 . She was replaced in Key West by her sister ship . " Bushnell " was placed out of commission on 20 June 1970 and was towed to Norfolk where she was turned over to the Reserve Fleet who used her as their new headquarters . She was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 15 November 1980 . On 31 May 1983 , the Coast Guard Cutter towed " Bushnell " out to sea approximately to 35° 34 . 7 North , 73° 18 . 6 West . On 3 June , she was sunk by MK - 48 torpedoes fired by , with in company .