Recovery Force Ships

Ship	Type	Designation	Covers
Atlantic
USS Escape	SRS - Rescue & Salvage Ship	ARS-6	Y
Pacific
USS New Orleans	PRS - Carrier	LPH-11	Y
USS Grapple	SRS - Rescue & Salvage Ship	ARS-53	Y
Tracking Ships
USNS Vanguard	TS - Tracking Ship	T-AGM-19	Y
USNS Redstone2	TS - Tracking Ship	T-AGM-20	Y
Recovery Control Center
Norfolk VA	Atlantic Recovery Control Center	N/A	Y
Kunia HI	Pacific Recovery Control center	N/A	Y
Not Involved
USS Adroit	SRS - Minesweeper	MSO-509	Y
USNS Range Sentinel3	Tracking Ship	T-AGM-22	Y

Postmark Variations

Ship	Description of Postmark	Scarcity
USS New Orleans	Hand Cancel - Day of Recovery Used in Hawaii	Common
USS New Orleans	Hand Cancel - Day after Recovery Used aboard PRS	Rare
USS Escape	Red Double Circle Jacksonville Mayport NS STA. Postmark	-
USS Escape	Black Jacksonville Mayport Naval Station Postmark	Common
USS Escape3	Cape Canaveral - Aug 6	-
USS Escape3	USPS 320 - 2? Sept	-
Norfolk VA	Machine Cancel only	Common
Norfolk VA	Both Hand Cancel and Machine Cancel	Less Common
USNS Redstone	Cape Canaveral - Jul 28 - MC	-
USNS Redstone	Cape Canaveral - Jul 28 - HC	-
USNS Redstone	Patrick AFB - Jul 28	-
USNS Redstone	Cape Canaveral - Sep 25 - MC	-
USNS Vanguard	Cape Canaveral - Jul 28 - MC	-
USNS Vanguard	Cape Canaveral - Sep 25 - MC	-
USNS Vanguard3	Mar Del Plata - 21 Jul - nearest port to tracking area	-
USNS Vanguard3	Mar Del Plata - 28 Jul - Both Blue & Black cachets are known	-
USS Grapple	US Postal Service 967	-
Kunia3	Jul 28 - Black TF-130 cachet	-
Kunia	Sep 25 - Maroon TF-130 cachet	Common

Cachets

Cachet	Description of Cachet	Colours	Type
Navy Recovery Force Cachet - Atlantic	Designed by Morris Beck it shows capsule, skylab, parachute etc plus TF-140	Black	Rubber Stamp
Navy Recovery Force Cachet - Pacific	Designed by Morris Beck it shows capsule, skylab, parachute etc plus TF-130	Maroon	Rubber Stamp
Beck Cachet - Atlantic	Similar to but larger than Navy Cachet	Blue-Orange-Black	Printed
Beck Cachet - Pacific	Similar to but larger than Navy Cachet	Green-Orange-Black	Printed
TF-130	Manned Spacecraft Recovery Force - Pacific Shows a capsule & various Recovery Craft	Black, Maroon	Rubber Stamp
TF-140 Cachet	TF-140 Manned Spacecraft Recovery Force Atlantic shows Apollo capsule in sea with parachutes attached	Blue, Black	Rubber Stamp
Artopages Cachet	At least three different cachets exist 1) Navy Ship 2) Skylab 3) General	Various	Printed

Navy Recovery Force Cachet Colours & Beck Cachet Numbers

Ship	Known Cachet Colours	Beck Numbers
USS New Orleans	Maroon	B892, B893
Norfolk	Black	B894, B895

Interesting Cachets & Covers

Cachet	Description of Cachet	Colours	Type
USS Grapple	Ship's Cachet	Black	Rubber Stamp
USS Grapple / USS New Orleans4	USS Grapple cachet with USS New Orleans Postmark	Black + Maroon	Rubber Stamp
USS Grapple / USS New Orleans6	Another USS Grapple cachet with USS New Orleans Postmark plus ship's cachet on back	Black + Maroon	Rubber Stamp
Pago Pago, Samoa3	Pago Pago Postmark, port is close to splashdown site	Multiple	Printed
Norfolk	TF-140 cachet	Black	Rubber Stamp
USS Escape5	Photo of the ship cachet	Black	Printed
Kunia HI3	Inner & Outer Space Printed Cachet	Red & Black	Printed

Signed PRS Covers including Helicopter Recovery Covers - covers postmarked on 26th were actually aboard the PRS during recovery

Postmark	Description of Cover	Postmark Date
USS New Orleans	Helicopter Recovery Cover marked 25 Sept 1973 and signed by pilot & co-pilot of the Recovery helicopter	26 Sept 1973
USS New Orleans	Another Helicopter Recovery Cover marked 25 Sept 1973 and signed by pilot & co-pilot of the recovery helicopter with the ship's official cachet on the back	26 Sept 1973
USS New Orleans	Swim Helicopter Recovery Cover marked 25 Sept 1973 and signed by pilot & co-pilot of the recovery helicopter	26 Sept 1973
USS New Orleans	PRS Cover signed by pilot & co-pilot of the ELS helicopter	26 Sept 1973
USS New Orleans	2 unknown signatures	26 Sept 1973
USS New Orleans	This cover was signed by the three Skylab 3 Astronauts.It was also signed by the Commanding Officer. It was probably not aboard the PRS during recovery. See companion covers for Skylab 2 & 4.	25 Sept 1973
USS New Orleans	Postcard signed by Rescue Helicopter Pilot Ted E. Dahill and the lead Recovery Swimmer from UDT-11 Jim Maxwell	None
USS New Orleans	PRS cover signed by the lead Recovery Swimmer from UDT-11 Jim Maxwell	26 Sept 1973
USS New Orleans	PRS Cover signed by pilot, co-pilot & Crew of the Swim helicopter	26 Sept 1973
USS New Orleans	Another helicopter Recovery Cover marked 25 Sept 1973 and signed by pilot & co-pilot of the Recovery helicopter	26 Sept 1973
USS New Orleans	PRS cover signed by the Commanding Officer, Capt. Robert Wilhelm Carius	25 Sept 1973
USS New Orleans4b	PRS cover signed by Jack Lousma, the ship's CO Capt. Robert Wilhelm Carius and the Recovery helicopter pilot Ted E. Dahill	25 Sept 1973