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Following post-overhaul
sea trials in Puget Sound, SCAMP was reassigned back to San Diego,
as home port, on 12 February 1971; but did not enter that port until
16 April after a voyage to Pearl Harbor. On 27 July, she deployed to
WestPac. SCAMP stopped at Pearl Harbor from 2 to 13 August, then
headed on to Subic Bay, R.P., arriving on the 30th. For the bulk of
1971, she operated with the 7th Fleet in Far Eastern waters other
than off the coast of Vietnam, except for one short two-day period,
8 and 9 October. She returned to San Diego on 2 February 1972, but,
due to increased tension in Southeast Asia, redeployed to the 7th
Fleet in May. She operated in the South China Sea for most of the
summer, returning to San Diego on 1 August. Upon arrival, she went
into a two-month standdown period, followed by more than a month of
restricted availability at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. She departed
Puget Sound on 28 November, conducted weapons system accuracy tests,
and returned, on 11 December, to San Diego, where she remained for
the remainder of the year. SCAMP operated locally around San Diego
until 29 March 1973. At that time, she departed the west coast for
deployment to the Far East. She stayed at Pearl Harbor between 5 and
10 April, then headed for Yokosuka, Japan. she arrived in Japan on
23 April and operated with the 7th Fleet until 1 September, when she
departed Guam for Pearl Harbor. SCAMP stopped at Pearl Harbor during
the period 10 to 15 September, then set sail for San Diego. Arriving
on 21 September, the nuclear submarine immediately entered a period
of standdown and upkeep until 1 November, when she resumed
operations in the vicinity of San Diego. She continued that
employment into June 1974. SCAMP transited to the east coast and
underwent overhaul in Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, VA, in
1980-81 followed by service in the Med on Special Ops during the
Libyian crisis and two UNITAS expeditions seeing her earn her last
Battle "E" in 1982. During a rescue attempt in the Atlantic of a
Panamanian freighter floundering during a major storm, SCAMP was
successful in rescuing one sailor, but received extreme damage to
her sail, sail place access doors and planes which resulted in her
early retirement. SCAMP was decommissioned and struck from the Navy
List 28 April 1988. She was disposed of through SRP at PSNS which
was completed 9 September 1994. SCAMP earned three battle stars for
service in the Vietnam War.
* * * *
The foregoing was compiled from DANFS, Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships,
- Navy Department; and from "UNITED STATES NAVAL SUBMARINE FORCE
INFORMATION BOOK" - J. Christley.
Information to correct an apparent error in the DANFS Version Re:
Scamp's 1980-81 overhaul location was furnished to Web page host by
Randall J. Stiles, former ELT on board during that time frame.
_________________________________________________________
A Continuation of USS Scamp's History, by
T.P. Guilfoil, CDR,USN(Ret), Commanding Officer
20 Jul 82 – 15 Jul 85
I took command of Scamp at
the Submarine Base, Groton-New London, CT on 20 July 1982. The rest of
1982 was spent with Scamp participating in various exercises along the East
Coast of the United States, pre overseas movement (POM) work up, certification,
and subsequent deployment to the Mediterranean Sea. At the end of 1982, the Scamp was in
LaMaddelena, Italy tied up along side the submarine tender USS Orion, having steamed
20,000 miles, completed several Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) operations, and
port visits in Naples, Italy and Toulon, France.
Scamp returned to
homeport in March 1983 having successfully conducted several more operations
with the Sixth Fleet, passed an Operational Reactor Safeguards Examination
(ORSE), and another port visit to Laspezia, Italy. The spring
and summer of 1983 were spent in a post deployment upkeep, conducting exercises
in the local operating areas, a Tactical Readiness Evaluation (TRE), Mark 48
torpedo proficiency firing and a port visit in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The rest of
the fall and winter of 1983 were spent at the New London Sub Base Submarine
Support Facility conducting major work on the reactor plant, steam generating system,
and the reduction gears. This period was
interspersed with short periods at sea testing the work that was done, and a
port visit to Halifax, Nova
Scotia. The highlight of 1983 took place in October,
when Scamp was awarded the Submarine Squadron Two Battle “E” and the ASW “A”
for her performance during the fiscal year 1983. At the end of 1983 Scamp was in her homeport
having steamed only 18.500 miles. Rather
a slack year for a fast attack submarine.
In 1984, Scamp was destined
to make up for the low mileage steamed in 1983.
After a slow start doing local operations and an ORSE, Scamp was tasked
to fill in for another submarine as a participant in two NATO exercises, United
Effort and Teamwork 84. Scamp, with only
ten days notice, departed New London
in mid February. Scamp returned to
Groton, CT in mid April having steamed 16,500 miles, simulated
sinking 254,000 tons of surface war ships, crossed the Arctic Circle, and a port visit in Haakonsvern, Norway. After completing a TRE, Mark 48
torpedo proficiency firings and a POM period, Scamp deployed in early June for
Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico and participation in Unitas XXV. Scamp operated with the navies of six
countries, participating in sixty-three ASW exercises, simulated sinking over
100,000 tons of shipping including the battleship Iowa, visited ports in Puerto
Rico, Venezuela, Columbia, Panama, Ecuador, Peru, Chile and Argentina. Scamp returned to homeport in September 1984
having steamed 22,000 miles, transited the Panama Canal and the Straight of Magellan, crossed the equator in
both the Pacific and the Atlantic Oceans, and hosted a visit from the Chief of Naval Operations who pinned Dolphins
on two crew members. This entire
deployment was conducted with the engineering plant shut down for only six days
and no repair availabilities. The crew
did an outstanding job. Scamp spent the
remainder of 1984 in upkeeps, two dry dockings (one at the Sub Base and the
other in Charleston, South
Carolina) and
operations in the local Op areas. At the
end of the year the Scamp was in homeport resting from having steamed 48,000
miles and having visited thirteen new ports.
The first half of 1985 was
spent conducting local operations, preparing for and passing various
inspections and preparing for and deploying to the Mediterranean Sea again. I
relinquished command of Scamp in LaMaddelena, Italy on 15 July 1985 .
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