Recovery Force Ships
| Ship |
Type |
Designation | Covers |
|
Pacific (TF-130)3 |
|||
|
PRS - Carrier |
CVS-33 |
Y |
|
|
SRS - Anti-Submarine Destroyer |
DDE-719 |
Y |
|
|
SRS - Destroyer |
DDE-450 |
Y |
|
|
SRS - Destroyer |
DD-498 |
Y |
|
|
SRS - Anti-Submarine Destroyer |
DDE-446 |
Y |
|
|
SRS - Destroyer |
DD-499 |
Y |
|
|
SRS - Anti-Submarine Destroyer |
DDE-517 |
Y |
|
|
Atlantic (TF-140) |
|||
|
SRS - Carrier |
CVS-39 |
Y |
|
|
SRS - Guided Missile Destroyer |
DDG-2 |
Y |
|
|
USS Affray |
SRS - Ocean Minesweeper |
MSO-511 |
N |
|
USS Alacrity |
SRS - Ocean Minesweeper |
MSO-520 |
N |
|
SRS - Destroyer |
DD-933 |
Y |
|
|
SRS - Radar Picket Destroyer |
DDR-881 |
Y |
|
|
SRS - Guided Missile Destroyer |
DDG-31 |
Y |
|
|
SRS - Radar Picket Destroyer |
DDR-880 |
Y |
|
|
USS Fletcher5 |
SRS - Destroyer |
DD-445 |
N |
|
SRS - Radar Picket Destroyer |
DDR-882 |
Y |
|
|
SRS - Destroyer |
DD-700 |
Y |
|
|
SRS - Destroyer |
DD-391 |
Y |
|
|
USS Hoist6,9 |
SRS -Salvage & Rescue Ship |
ARS-40 |
Y |
|
SRS -Destroyer |
DD-694 |
Y |
|
|
SRS - Destroyer |
DD-32 |
Y |
|
|
SRS - Oiler |
AO-27 |
Y |
|
|
SRS - Destroyer |
DD-775 |
Y |
|
|
SRS - Anti-Submarine Destroyer |
DDE-859 |
Y |
|
|
SRS - Destroyer |
DD-697 |
Y |
|
|
Others |
|||
|
Guided Missile Destroyer - on Standby Pacific |
DLG-9 |
Y |
|
|
Tracking & Communication Ships |
|||
|
USAF Coastal Sentry |
TS - Stationed South of Japan |
T-AGM 15 |
N |
|
USAF Rose Knot |
TS - Stationed near Pitcairn Island |
T-AGM 14 |
N |
|
TS - Stationed Near Hawaii - Remote site functions |
T-AGM 1 |
Y |
|
|
TS - Stationed near Midway |
T-AGM 7 |
Y |
|
|
TS - Stationed near Midway |
T-AGM 6 |
Y |
|
|
USNS American Mariner |
TS - Stationed near Midway |
T-AGM 12 |
N |
|
Not Involved |
|||
|
Cable Repair Ship |
ARC-3 |
Y |
|
|
Attack Cargo Ship |
AKA-54 |
Y |
|
|
Stores Ship |
AF-48 |
Y |
|
|
Carrier |
CVS-36 |
Y |
|
|
Guided Missile Destroyer |
DDG-6 |
Y |
|
|
Carrier |
CVA-64 |
Y |
|
|
Carrier |
CVA-43 |
Y |
|
|
Destroyer |
DD-941 |
Y |
|
|
Carrier |
CVA-65 |
Y |
|
|
Carrier |
CVS-9 |
Y |
|
|
Carrier |
CVA-59 |
Y |
|
|
Guided Missile Cruiser |
CLG-3 |
Y |
|
|
Carrier |
CVA-19 |
Y |
|
|
Hospital Ship |
AH-12 |
Y |
|
|
Carrier |
CVS-12 |
Y |
|
|
Submarine Tender |
AS-31 |
Y |
|
|
Carrier |
CVA-62 |
Y |
|
|
Carrier |
CVA-63 |
Y |
|
|
Carrier |
CVS-16 |
Y |
|
|
Guided Missile Cruiser |
CG(N)-9 |
Y |
|
|
Carrier |
CVA-41 |
Y |
|
|
Carrier |
CVA-34 |
Y |
|
|
Carrier |
CVA-61 |
Y |
|
|
Carrier |
CVS-15 |
Y |
|
|
Carrier |
CVA-31 |
Y |
|
|
Guided Missile Destroyer |
DDG-12 |
Y |
|
|
Carrier |
CVA-42 |
Y |
|
|
Carrier |
CVA-38 |
Y |
|
|
Destroyer |
DD-707 |
Y |
|
|
Carrier |
CVA-14 |
Y |
|
|
Radar Picket Destroyer |
DDR-878 |
Y |
|
|
Destroyer |
DD-843 |
Y |
|
|
Carrier |
CVS-18 |
Y |
|
|
Carrier |
CVS-10 |
Y |
|
|
Tracking Ship |
T-AGM 3 |
Y |
|
|
Tracking Ship |
T-AGM 4 |
Y |
|
|
Tracking Ship |
T-AGM 5 |
Y |
|
|
Ship |
Description of Postmark |
Scarcity |
|---|---|---|
| USS Kearsarge | MC - Time below date in Postmark - Type 1 | Scarce |
| USS Kearsarge | MC - Time above date in Postmark - Type 2 | Scarce |
| USS Kearsarge | Hand Cancel | Even Scarcer |
| USS Kearsarge | Both Hand and Machine Cancel | Extremely Rare |
| USS Kearsarge10 | Includes a red double circle USS Kearsarge New York cancel | Extremely Rare |
| Hand Cancel | Common | |
| Machine Cancel | U/K | |
| Hand Cancel | Common | |
|
USS Wasp10 |
Machine Cancel | U/K |
| USS Bon Homme Richard | Normal Pmk | Common |
| USS Bon Homme Richard | 3 in Pmk is Reversed | U/K |
|
Cachet |
Description of Cachet |
Colours | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beck Cachet7 | Shows a Mercury Capsule | Blue-Black-Red | Printed |
| Goldcraft Cachet | Shows Mercury Capsule & Recovery ship | Various | Printed |
| Fuerst Cachet | Shows drawing Mercury capsule, ship & sunrise plus text | Bicolour - Various | Rubber Stamp |
| Schultz Cachet | Shows a Mercury Capsule inside a circle of rope plus text | Maroon, Green, Purple, Black | Rubber Stamp |
| Type 1 | Shows a Mercury Capsule plus text | Maroon, Blue, Black | Rubber Stamp |
| Type 2 | A small stamp-like picture of Schirra. At least three different types exist | Brown Shades | Printed |
| Type 3 | Text cachet mentions Task Force 130 and Mercury 6 orbit recovery force | B/W | Rubber Stamp |
| Gordon Cachet | A common Text Cachet - often appears with other cachets | Red, Blue, Green | Rubber Stamp |
| Schirra Shot | Shows the Earth and an orbital path | Black | Rubber Stamp |
|
Ship |
Beck Numbers |
| USS John Paul Jones | B77 |
| USS Norris | B78 |
| USS Charles E. Sperry | B79 |
|
Cachet |
Description of Cachet |
Colours | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| USS Kearsarge/ USNS Huntsville |
Postmarked aboard USS Kearsarge plus ship's cachet but also with USNS Huntsville corner card and MSTS Cachet | Black & Maroon | Rubber Stamp |
| USS Kearsarge | Ship's cachet - Type 2 Pmk | Maroon | Rubber Stamp |
| USS Kearsarge | Unusual card with USS Kearsarge/MA-8 cachet | Maroon | Rubber Stamp |
| USS Decatur - Type 1 | Ship's cachet | Maroon | Rubber Stamp |
| USS Decatur - Type 2 | Ship's cachet | Maroon | Rubber Stamp |
| USS Philip | Ship's cachet - Note the misspelling of the ship's name in postmark. Note also that the ship's cachet and the postmark are incorrectly marked DDE-498 | Black | Rubber Stamp |
| USS Philip | Ship's cachet - Note the misspelling of the ship's name in postmark. Note that while the ship's cachet has been corrected to DD-498, the postmark has not been corrected. | Black | Rubber Stamp |
| 60 Years of Destroyers | 1902-1962 - Small cachet shows a couple of Destroyers | Maroon, Black | Rubber Stamp |
| USS Lake Champlain10 | Interesting cachet shows capsule orbiting earth and Schirra | Grey Scale | Printed |
| USS Enterprise | Cachet shows Aircraft Carrier and capsule under parachutes plus text | B/W | Rubber Stamp |
| USS Renshaw10 | USS Renshaw signed corner card with a postmark from Honolulu on 6 October - Schultz Cachet | Maroon | Rubber Stamp |
|
Postmark |
Description of Cover |
Postmark Date |
|---|---|---|
| USS Kearsarge | Crew Cover signed by the Commanding Officer Captain E. P. Rankin - Type 1 Pmk - Captain's signature uses a blue pen | 3 October 1962 |
| USS Kearsarge | Crew Cover signed by the Commanding Officer Captain E. P. Rankin and Walter Schirra with both a hand & machine cancel - Also note the Captain's signature uses a black pen | 3 October 1962 |
| USS Kearsarge | Ship's cachet and signed by Postal Clerk (unusual) - Type 1 Pmk | 3 October 1962 |
Notes:
1) Note that just before this mission (31 August - 1 September) the name of Port
Canaveral was changed to Cape Canaveral
2) The mission was postponed on September 10 and October 1
3) One NASA source adds an extra two unnamed ships to the Pacific Recovery Force
4) The Renshaw was listed to be involved. A report by Donald O. Schultz in 'Project Mercury ...one step into space'
states that the ship was scratched and took no part in the mission. Both NASA and DOD still list the USS Renshaw
as having taken part
5) There is doubt as to whether the USS Fletcher was involved
6) A late postmarked cover 23/10/1962 Norfolk exists
7) This is the first mission for which Beck covers were available to the general public
8) From the collection of Dennis Paul
9) From the collection of Tom Steiner
10) Sold on eBay during 2011
This page © Dr Ross J Smith
This page is maintained by the Webmaster
Last modified on 17 November 2011
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