Recovery Force Ships
| Ship | Type | Designation | Covers |
|
Atlantic |
|||
|
USS Chikaskia5 |
SRS - Oiler |
AO-54 |
N |
|
SRS - Salvage Ship |
ARS-41 |
Y (E. Rare) |
|
|
SRS - Destroyer |
DD-776 |
Y |
|
|
SRS - Destroyer |
DD-827 |
Y |
|
|
USS Salamonie5 |
SRS - Oiler |
AO-26 |
N |
|
Pacific |
|||
|
PRS - Carrier |
CVS-12 |
Y |
|
|
SRS - Destroyer |
DD-450 |
Y |
|
|
SRS - Destroyer |
DD-577 |
Y |
|
|
SRS - Guided Missile Destroyer |
DDG-22 |
Y |
|
|
Tracking & Communication Ships |
|||
|
USNS Coastal Sentry |
TS - positioned in Arafura Sea, north of Darwin, Australia. |
T AGM-15 |
N |
|
TS - stationed in the Central Pacific Ocean in the vicinity of Ascension Island |
T AGM-14 |
Y |
|
|
USNS Wheeling |
TS - positioned between USAF ARIA and Hawaii |
T AGM-8 |
N |
|
Cachet |
Description of Cachet |
Colours | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Navy Recovery Force Cachet - Atlantic |
Designed by Morris Beck it shows a rocket on its pad |
Maroon, Black | Rubber Stamp |
| Navy Recovery Force Cachet - Pacific |
Designed by Morris Beck it shows a rocket on its pad |
Maroon, Black | Rubber Stamp |
| Beck Cachet - Atlantic | Similar to Navy Cachet2 | Brown-Green | Printed |
| Beck Cachet - Pacific | Similar to Navy Cachet2 | Black-Red | Printed |
| AS 202 Cachet | A small circular text cachet usually appears as an extra cachet. Produced by Morris Beck. | Maroon, Purple | Rubber Stamp |
| Harry Gordon Cachet3 | Harry Gordon added both the text cachet and the “meatball cachet.” | Various | Rubber Stamp |
|
Ship |
Description of Postmark |
Scarcity |
|---|---|---|
| USS Hornet4 | Machine Cancel | Common |
| USS Hornet | Hand Cancel | Scarce |
|
Ship |
Known Cachet Colours |
Beck Numbers |
| USS Hornet | Maroon | 673, 674 |
| USS O'Bannon | Maroon | 675, 676 |
| USS Sproston | Maroon | 678 |
| USS Benjamin Stoddert | Maroon | 677 |
| USS James C Owens | Black, Maroon | 698, 700 |
| USS Robert A Owens | Black, Maroon | 697, 699 |
|
Cachet |
Description of Cachet |
Colours | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| USS Robert A. Owens | Ship's Cachet - usually on back of cover | Black | Rubber Stamp |
Note:
1)
2) The Beck cachets for Pacific based ships were originally printed a AS 203. They were corrected by being over-printed
with black diamonds and 'AS 202' added in black.
3) From the collection of Steve Durst
4) USS Hornet machine cancels usually don't have a time slug. The one illustrated
is the only one seen which has a faint but clear AM time slug. Update:
A second such cover is in the collection of Antoni RIGO with a much clearer AM
time slug. It is unknown how rare or otherwise this variety is. However, it is certainly less common than the
no time slug variety. This cover is even more interesting in that it has a Wake
Island cancel on the back which is the closest port to where the USS Hornet picket up the Apollo capsule.
5) The Chikaskia was scratched at the very last minute. The Salamonie was already at sea when reassigned to the
recovery force as a replacement. Official records do not show the Chikaskia as being scratched, but show both oilers.
However, correspondence with the Chikaskia's P.A.O. confirmed she was scratched. 'Project Apollo ... three steps
to the moon' by Donald O. Schultz
This page © Dr Ross J Smith
This page is maintained by the Webmaster
Last modified on 2 June 2011
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