MA-4 Cachets

Recovery Force Ships

Ship	Type	Designation	Covers
Atlantic (Task Force Alfa)
USS Decatur	SRS/PRS (actual) - Destroyer	DD-936	Y
USS Plymouth Rock	PRS (designated) - Dock Landing Ship	LSD-29	Xⁱ
USS Bigelow	SRS - Destroyer	DD-942	N
USS Borie	SRS - Destroyer	DD-704	N
USS Cony	SRS - Destroyer	DDE-508	N
USS Escape	SRS -Salvage & Rescue Ship	ARS-6	N
USS Glennon	SRS - Destroyer	DD-840	N
USS Wallace L. Lind	SRS - Destroyer	DD-703	N
USS Sarsfield	SRS - Destroyer	DDE-837	N
USS Zellars	SRS - Destroyer	DD-777	N
Tracking Ships
USAF Coastal Sentry	TS - Indian Ocean Tracking Ship	T AGM-15	N
USAF Rose Knot	TS - Atlantic Tracking Ship	T AGM-14	N
Not Involved
USS Farragut²	Guided Missile Frigate	DLG-6	Y
USS Forrestal²	Carrier	CVA-59	Y
USS Helena²	Carrier	CA-75	Y
USS Hornet^2a	Carrier	CVA-12	Y
USS Francis Marion²	Attack Transport	APA-249	Y
USS Lynde McCormick	Destroyer	DDG-8	Y
USS Radford	Destroyer	DDE-446	Y

Cachets

Cachet	Description of Cachet	Colours	Type
USS Decatur	Official ship's envelope with ship's seal & extra text	Gold	Rubber Stamp
USS Decatur¹	Official ship's envelope with cachet produced by USS Decatur’s LT. J. A. Fel & extra text	Aqua	Rubber Stamp

Signed PRS Covers

Postmark	Description of Cover	Postmark Date
USS Decatur	Crew cover signed by the Commanding Officer (thus a Captain's Cover Type 2)	13 Sept 1961
USS Decatur	Late postmark and signed by the Commanding Officer. Note the ship's MA-4 cachet which appears not to have been available during the mission. This is the earliest date seen for the cachet.	1 Nov 1961
USS Decatur	Late postmark and signed by an unknown Officer. Later dates are known.	1 Nov 1961

Notes General:
i) This cover with a late postmark is the only one known. An earlier one has been found by Tom Steiner.

Notes Other:
1) From Steve Durst's CD book
2) Sold on eBay during 2014 2a) 2018