APOLLO RECOVERY SHIP COVER & POSTMARK VARIETIES

Apollo 7 (AS-205) - 22 October 1968

Recovery Force Ships

Ship Type Designation Covers

Atlantic

USS Essex1

PRS - Carrier

CVS-9

Y

USS Arneb2

SRS - Amphibious Cargo Ship

LKA-56

Y

USS Cambria

SRS - Amphibious Transport

LPA-36

Y

USS Paiute3

SRS - Fleet Ocean Tug

ATF-159

Y (E. Rare)

USNS Vanguard7

SRS - Tracking Ship (Dual Role)

T-AGM-19

Y

Pacific

USS Cochrane

SRS - Guided Missile Destroyer

DDG-21

Y

USS Nicholas

SRS - Anti-Sub Destroyer

DD-449

Y

USS Ponchatoula

SRS - Oiler

AO-148

N

USS Rupertus

SRS - Destroyer

DD-851

Y (E. Rare)

USS Henry Tucker

SRS - Destroyer

DD-875

Y (E. Rare)

Tracking & Communication Ships

USNS Redstone

TS - Pacific

T-AGM 20

Y

USNS Huntsville

TS - Pacific

T-AGM 7

Y

USNS Vanguard7

TS - Atlantic

T-AGM 19

Y

USNS Mercury

TS - between the Philippines and Japan

T-AGM 21

Y

Recovery Control Center

Norfolk VA8

Atlantic Recovery Control Center

N/A

Y

Not Involved5, 5a

USS Cubera/USS Orion

Submarine / Submarine Tender - involved in ASW training

SS-347/AS-18

Y

USS Hassayampa

Oiler - Replaced by the USS Ponchatoula

AO-145

Y 

USS Ozark12

Mine Countermeasures Support Ship - Scratched from mission

MCS-2

Y

USS Pawcatuck12

Oiler - involved in ASW training

AO-108

Y

USS Putnam12

Destroyer

DD-757

Y

USS Rushmore

Dock landing Ship - Scratched

LSD-14

Y


Postmark Variations

Ship

Description of Postmark

Scarcity
USS Rupertus Oct 18 1968 Postmark - No Time Slug Very Scarce
USS Rupertus11 Oct 22 1968 Postmark - Time Slug Very Scarce

Norfolk Naval Air Station

Large Postmark Common

Norfolk

Smaller Postmark Common

Cachets

Cachet

Description of Cachet

Colours Type 
Navy Recovery Force Cachet - Atlantic

Designed by Morris Beck it shows an Apollo Capsule

 See Below Rubber Stamp 
Navy Recovery Force Cachet - Pacific

Designed by Morris Beck it shows an Apollo Capsule

 See Below Rubber Stamp 
Beck Cachet - Atlantic Similar to Navy Cachet  Atlantic:Blue-Red
Pacific :Green-Black		 Printed 
Beck Cachet - Pacific Similar to Navy Cachet  Atlantic:Blue-Red
Pacific :Green-Black		 Printed 
Beck USS Essex Variety6 Beck Printed Cachet - extremely rare Green-Black Printed 
Norfolk VA10 Orbit Cachet Green Printed
TF-140 Manned Spacecraft Recovery Force TF-140 Emblem Black, Blue Rubber Stamp

Navy Recovery Force Cachet Colours & Beck Cachet Numbers

Ship

Known Cachet Colours

Beck Numbers

USS Essex Black, Blue, Maroon 758, 760, 761, 762
USS Arneb Black, Blue, Maroon small numbers of 759 to 762
USS Cambria Black, Maroon 759
USS Cochrane Maroon 756, 757
USS Nicholas Maroon Only one cover is known9
USNS Vanguard/Jacksonville Black, Blue small numbers of 759 to 762

Interesting Cachets & Covers

Cachet

Description of Cachet

Colours Type 
USS Essex Chief of Staff, ComCarDiv Twenty Corner Card - Navy Cachet Maroon Rubber Stamp
USS Nicholas Navy Cachet on Envelope with Embossed Navy Seal Maroon Embossed/ Rubber Stamp
USS Cochrane Ship's Cachet - Often on Back of Cover Black Rubber Stamp

Warning - Cachets & Covers

Cachet

Description of Cachet

Colours Type 
Various TF-140 cachet with a Norfolk postmark and the following text cachet 'APOLLO 7 USS xxxxx". These are not Recovery Ship covers. They are TF-140 Recovery Force covers. The following ship names have been seen: USS Essex, USS Arneb and USS Cambria Black Rubber Stamp


Signed PRS Covers including Helicopter Recovery Covers - these covers were actually aboard the PRS during recovery

Postmark

Description of Cover

Postmark Date
USS Essex Recovery Cover signed by NASA Recovery Leader Dr Donald Stullhen 22 October 1968
USS Essex Recovery Cover signed by Recovery 3 Pilot & Co-Pilot - first helicopter to spot the Apollo 7 capsule 22 October 1968
USS Essex11 Recovery Cover signed by various members of the recovery team 22 October 1968

Note:
1) At least two sources mention that a USS Essex cover with a machine cancel exists. However, none have been sited and none illustrated in catalogs. If it exists, it is extremely rare.
2) From the collection of Steve Durst. Unlike this example, most Arneb postmarks for this mission are poor
3) Noted by most sources, this ship is not mentioned in the NASA Mission Report
4) Extremely rare. A second cover is owned by Eddie Bizub.
5) Covers have been reported from the following ships ('Project Apollo' by Donald Schultz); USS Ellison, USS Stormes, USS Greene, USS Pawcatuck, USS Cubera, USS Cutlass (all involved in ASW training before/during the mission) and the USS Ozark which was scratched.
5a) Donald Schultz reported that the USS Ellison, USS Putnam, USS Stormes, USS Greene, USS Cubera, v and USS Pawcatuck were there for recovery efforts as well as being on a training mission. However, there is no other evidence to support this. In addition he contradicts himself later in his handbook. Covers should be considered commemorative only.
6) From collection of Eddie Bizub - It has a Navy cachet on the back - Only two such covers have been reported
7) the USNS Vanguard had a dual role, firstly as a tracking ship and then it was moved to a different
position and acted as a Secondary Recovery Ship. Hence, two quite different cachets exist
8) From the collection of Steve Durst
9) The only Beck printed cover known with a USS Nicholas postmark is a B757 cover which was intended for the USS Cochrane
10) From the collection of Tom Steiner
11) Sold on eBay during 2010
12) Sold in Space Unit Auction #100

 

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Last modified on 30 November 2011

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