Allied Warships

USS Otus (AS 20)

Submarine tender

NavyThe US Navy
TypeSubmarine tender
Class[No specific class] 
PennantAS 20 
Built byFederal Shipbuilding & Drydock Co. (Kearny, New Jersey, U.S.A.) 
Ordered 
Laid down3 Jun 1940 
Launched2 Nov 1940 
Commissioned19 Mar 1941 
End service20 Aug 1946 
History

Displacement: 5775 BRT
Length: 420 feet
Complement: 644
Armament: 4 4" AA guns (2x2)
Speed: 15 kts

Acquired by the USN on 1 March 1941 and converted to a submarine tender
Commissioned as USS Otus (AS-20) on 19 March 1941
Reclassified as an internal combustion engine repair ship (ARG-20) on 25 June 1945
Decommissioned on 20 August 1946
Sold on 21 August 1946
Stricken on 25 September 1946

 

Commands listed for USS Otus (AS 20)

Please note that we're still working on this section
and that we only list Commanding Officers for the duration of the Second World War.

CommanderFromTo
1Lt.Cdr. Joel Newsom, USN19 Mar 194127 Sep 1943 (1)
2T/Cdr. Lloyd Dallas Follmer, USN27 Sep 1943Jan 1945
3T/Capt. George Thomas Boldizsar, USNJan 19451 Apr 1946

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Notable events involving Otus include:


12 Mar 1942
At 0815H/12, USS Searaven (Lt.Cdr. T.C. Aylward, USN) arrived at Fremantle from patrol. She is then taken in hand for a tender refit initially by USS Holland (T/Capt. J.W. Gregory, USN) but later by USS Otus (Cdr. J. Newsom, USN). (2)

19 Mar 1942
At dawn, USS Sailfish (Lt.Cdr. R.G. Voge, USN) ended her 3th war patrol at Fremantle, Australia.

She was then taken in hand for a tender refit by USS Otus (Cdr. J. Newsom, USN). Following the refit a short training period followed. (3)

4 Mar 1943
Around 0840L/4, the submarine tender USS Otus (Cdr. J. Newsom, USN) departed Melbourne for Fremantle. She was escorted by the light cruiser HMAS Adelaide (A/Capt. J.C.D. Esdaile, OBE, RAN).

Around 0645I/9, the destroyer HrMs Van Galen (Lt.Cdr. F.T. Burghard, RNethN) joined as A/S escort. (4)

9 Mar 1943
Around 1315I/9, USS Otus (Cdr. J. Newsom, USN), HMAS Adelaide (A/Capt. J.C.D. Esdaile, OBE, RAN) and HrMs Van Galen (Lt.Cdr. F.T. Burghard, RNethN) arrived at Fremantle. (5)

23 Jun 1943
Around 1700H/23, the submarine tender USS Otus (Cdr. J. Newsom, USN) departed Fremantle for Sydney. She was escorted by the destroyer HrMs Tjerk Hiddes (Lt.Cdr. W.J. Kruys, RNethN). (6)

1 Jul 1943
Around 1500K/1, the submarine tender USS Otus (Cdr. J. Newsom, USN) and her escort, the destroyer HrMs Tjerk Hiddes (Lt.Cdr. W.J. Kruys, RNethN), arrived at Sydney from Fremantle. (7)

1 Sep 1943
Around 2030K/1, HMAS Stuart (Lt.Cdr. N.A. Mackinnon, RAN) departed Brisbane escorting the submarine tender USS Otus (Cdr. J. Newsom, USN) towards the vicinity of Lady Elliot Island.

They parted company around 1830K/2. (8)

Sources

  1. http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/o5/otus.htm
  2. Patrol report of USS Searaven for her 2nd war patrol
  3. Patrol report of USS Sailfish for her 3rd war patrol
  4. Report of proceedings of HMAS Adelaide for March 1943
  5. Report of proceedings of HMAS Adelaide for March 1943 + File 2.12.03.1613 (Dutch Archives, The Hague, Netherlands)
  6. War diary of USS Otus for June 1943 + File 2.12.03.2100 (Dutch Archives, The Hague, Netherlands)
  7. War diary of USS Otus for July 1943 + File 2.12.03.2100 (Dutch Archives, The Hague, Netherlands)
  8. Report of proceedings of HMAS Stuart for September 1943

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