SPERRY AS 12

Ship Name and Designation History

This section lists the names and designations that the ship had during its lifetime. The list is in chronological order.

Fulton Class Submarine Tender Keel Laid 1 February 1941 - Launched & Christened 17 December 1941 USS SPERRY AS-12 Commissioned 1 May 1942 - Decommissioned 30 September 1982 Struck from Naval Register 30 September 1982 Title transfer to Maritime Administration 23 May 1998

Naval Covers

This section lists active links to the pages displaying covers associated with the ship. There should be a separate set of pages for each incarnation of the ship (ie, for each entry in the "Ship Name and Designation History" section). Covers should be presented in chronological order (or as best as can be determined).

Since a ship may have many covers, they may be split among many pages so it doesn't take forever for the pages to load. Each page link should be accompanied by a date range for covers on that page.

1. USS Sperry AS-12 Covers Page 1    (1942-82)

 

Postmarks

This section lists examples of the postmarks used by the ship. There should be a separate set of postmarks for each incarnation of the ship (ie, for each entry in the "Ship Name and Designation History" section). Within each set, the postmarks should be listed in order of their classification type. If more than one postmark has the same classification, then they should be further sorted by date of earliest known usage.

A postmark should not be included unless accompanied by a close-up image and/or an image of a cover showing that postmark. Date ranges MUST be based ONLY ON COVERS IN THE MUSEUM and are expected to change as more covers are added.
 
>>> If you have a better example for any of the postmarks, please feel free to replace the existing example.

 

Postmark Type --- Killer Bar Text	Postmark Date	Thumbnail Link To Close-Up Image	Thumbnail Link To Full Cover Image

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Post Office Established May 11 1942 - Disestablished July 30 1982

 

Locy Type 2

1952-03-12

Note:

 

Locy Type 2(n)

1947-02-26

Note:

 

Locy Type 2(n+)

1965-12-23

Note:

 

Locy Type 2r

1960-06-04

Cachet by Alton (Budd) M. Arrington for USS Caiman SS-323

 

Locy Type 2t(n+u) (USS)

1977-06-20

Collector's Request

 

Locy Type 2z

1945-07-14

Censored wartime (WWII) use

 

Locy Type 2-1n+ (USS)

1980-10-14

Note:

 

Locy Type 3z (BTB)

1942-07-14

Official Mail - MAILGRAM.

 

Locy Type 7t(n+u) (USS)

1968-11-16

Cachet by Alton (Budd) M. Arrington for USS Bashaw AGSS-241

 

Locy Type 9efu USCS Postmark Catalog Illus. S-57

1947-10-28

Note:

 

Locy Type 9vz

1945-05-19

Registered, Official Business

 

Locy Type P "U.S.S. SPERRY / AS 12" USCS Postmark Catalog Illus. S-57b

1946-07-02

Add-on cachet by Neal J. Mills

 

Locy Type P "U.S.S. SPERRY / SUBRON THREE" USCS Postmark Catalog Illus. S-57c

1946-01-07

Note:

 

Locy Type LDPS 2-1n+ (AM) Jul 30, 1982

1982-07-30

Last Day of Postal Service, Official Ships cachet. Note from crewmember: "30 JUL 82 was the last day of postal service on board Sperry. Postal mediums (seal crimp, cancellation stampers, etc.) were transferred to the Naval archives."

 

Locy Type LDPS 2-1n+ (PM) Jul 30, 1982

1982-07-30

Last Day of Postal Service, cachet by the Stephen Decatur Chapter No. 4, USCS

 

Other Information

USS SPERRY AS-12 earned the following awards during her Naval career - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation Ribbon; Navy Battle "E" Ribbon (2 awards); American Campaign Medal; Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal; World War II Victory Medal; National Defense Service Medal w/ 1 star and the Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon.

NAMESAKE - Elmer Ambrose Sperry (October 12 1860 - June 12 1930)
Sperry developed the Sperry Gyroscope Compass first used by The Navy in the Battleship USS DELAWARE #28. His compasses and stabilizers were adopted by the United States Navy and used in both world wars, and his high-intensity arc lamp was adopted as well.

The ships sponsor is Mrs. Helen Sperry Lea, daughter of Elmer Ambrose Sperry.

 

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