Recovery Force Ships
| Ship | Type | Designation | Covers |
|
Atlantic |
|||
|
USS Chikaskiaiii |
SRS - Oiler |
AO-54 |
N |
|
SRS - Salvage Ship |
ARS-41 |
Y (E. Rare) |
|
|
SRS - Destroyer |
DD-776 |
Y |
|
|
SRS - Destroyer |
DD-827 |
Y |
|
|
USS Salamonieiii |
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 - Atlantici | Similar to Navy Cachet | Brown-Green | Printed |
| Beck Cachet - Pacifici | Similar to Navy Cachet | 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 Cachet1 | Harry Gordon added both the text cachet and the “meatball cachet.” | Various | Rubber Stamp |
|
Ship |
Description of Postmark |
Scarcity |
|---|---|---|
| USS Hornetii | 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 Hornet | Navy cachet plus an additional Apollo NASA cachet | Maroon / Black | Rubber Stamp |
| USS Robert A. Owens | Ship's Cachet - usually on back of cover | Black | Rubber Stamp |
| Kennedy Space Center | Maroon Navy cachet | Maroon | Rubber Stamp |
Notes General:
i ) 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.
ii ) 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.
iii ) 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
Notes Other:
1) From the collection of Steve Durst
This page © Dr Ross J Smith
This page is maintained by the Webmaster
Last modified on 4 February 2020
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