Recovery Force Shipsiii
| Ship |
Type |
Designation | Covers |
| Atlantic (based around Cruiser-Destroyer Flotilla FOUR) | |||
| USS John R. Pierce | SRS/PRS (Capsule) - Destroyer | DD-753 | Y |
| USS Intrepid | PRS - Carrier | CVS-11 | Y |
| USS Barton | SRS - Destroyer | DD-722 | Y |
| USS Fred T. Berry | SRS - Anti-Sub Destroyer | DDE-858 | Y |
| USS Dewey | SRS - Guided Missile Destroyer | DLG-14 | Y |
| USS Donner | SRS - Dock Landing Ship | LSD-20 | Y |
| USS Elokomin | SRS - Oiler | AO-55 | Y |
| USS English | SRS - Destroyer | DD-696 | Y |
| USS Farraguti,1 | SRS - Guided Missile Destroyer | DLG-6 | Y (E. Rare) |
| USS Hank | SRS - Destroyer | DD-702 | Y |
| USS Hoist | SRS - Salvage & Rescue Ship | ARS-40 | N |
| USS Hunt | SRS - Destroyer | DD-674 | Y |
| USS Massey | SRS - Destroyer | DD-778 | Y |
| USS Moale | SRS - Destroyer | DD-693 | Y |
| USS Remey | SRS - Destroyer | DD-688 | Y (E. Rare) |
| USS Robinson | SRS -Destroyer | DD-562 | Y |
| USS Soley | SRS - Destroyer | DD-707 | Y |
| USS Speigel Grove | SRS - Dock Landing Ship | LSD-32 | Y |
| USS Sturdy | SRS - Ocean Minesweeper | MSO-494 | N |
| USS Swerve | SRS - Ocean Minesweeper | MSO-495 | N |
| USS Wren | SRS - Destroyer | DD-568 | Y |
| Tracking Ships | |||
| USAF Coastal Sentry | TS - East Coast of Africa | T AGM-15 | N |
| Not Involved | |||
| USAF Rose Knot | TS - In Dry Dock | T AGM-14 | N |
| USS Alstede & This One4a | Stores Ship | AF-48 | Y |
| USS Antietam | Carrier | CVS-36 | Y |
| USS Aucilla4a | Fleet Oiler | AO-56 | Y |
| USS Cinarron4a | Oiler | AO-22 | Y |
| USS Constellation & Another4b | Carrier | CVA-64 | Y |
| USS Decatur | Destroyer - was Actual Recovery Ship for MA-4 | DD-036 | Y |
| USS Enterpriseiv | Carrier | CVA-65 | Y |
| USS Forrestal | Carrier | CVA-59 | Y |
| USS Glennon | Destroyer | DD-840 | Y |
| USS Hancock4a | Carrier | CVA-19 | Y |
| USS Holder | Destroyer | DDE-819 | Y |
| USS Lake Champlain | Carrier | CVS-39 | Y |
| USS MacDonough3 | Guided Missile Frigate | DLG-8 | Y |
| USS McNair3 | Destroyer | DD-679 | Y |
| USS Marias4a | Oiler | AO-57 | Y |
| USS Noa | Destroyer | DD-841 | Y |
| USS Noble | Attack Transport | APA-218 | Y |
| USS Okinawa | Carrier | LPH-3 | Y |
| USS Oklahoma City4a | Light Cruiser | CLG-5 | Y |
| USS Proteus4a | Submarine Tender | AS-19 | Y |
| USS Franklin D. Roosevelt | Carrier | CV-42 | Y |
| USS Sampson4a | Destroyer (postmarked for mission scrub) | DDG-10 | Y |
| USS Sampson3 | Destroyer | DDG-10 | Y |
| USS Shenandoah | Destroyer Tender | AD-26 | Y |
| USS Wasp | Carrier | CVS-18 | Y |
|
Ship |
Description of Postmark |
Scarcity |
|---|---|---|
| USS Barton | Ship's name on top of postmark | Common |
| USS Barton | Ship's name on bottom of postmark | Common |
| USS Dewey | Standard USS Dewey onboard postmark | Common |
| USS Dewey | USS Dewey New York postmark | Less Common |
| USS Elokomin | A.M. Postmark | U/K |
| USS Elokomin | P.M. Postmark | Common |
|
Cachet |
Description of Cachet |
Colours | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beck Cachet1,2 | This was Morris Beck's first cover for a Recovery Ship from the US Space program. It does not have a number like subsequent Beck covers. | Green, Red & Black | Printed |
| Goldcraft Cachet | Shows Mercury Capsule & Recovery ship | Red, Red-Brown, Black, Yellow or Orange | Printed |
| Schultz Cachet | Shows a Mercury Capsule inside a circle of rope plus text | Various | Printed |
| Gordon Cachet 1 | US NAVY RECOVERY SHIP ON STATION .... | Blue | Rubber Stamp |
| Gordon Cachet 2 | LT. CMDR. M. SCOTT CARPENTER 2nd US ASTRONAUT IN ORBIT .... | Maroon | Rubber Stamp |
| Gordon Cachet 3 | Small Stamp Like US Flag S/H | Multicolour | S/H |
| Gordon Cachet 4 (possible) | ASTRONAUT M S CARPENTER .... PICKED UP BY HELO AT 1530 | Maroon | Rubber Stamp |
| Gordon Cachet 54c (possible) | ASTRONAUT LCDR. M. SCOTT CARPENTER SPACECRAFT "AURORA" (possible) | Black , Maroon | Rubber Stamp |
| Unknown 1 | 'ASTRONAUT LCDR. M. SCOTT CARPENTER' etc text cachet | Black | Rubber Stamp |
| Unknown 2 | Shows a Small Mercury Capsule | Black | Rubber Stamp |
| Unknown 34f | 2ND U.S. MANNED ORBITAL FLIGHT | Red | Rubber Stamp |
|
Cachet |
Description of Cachet |
Colours | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| USS Intrepid | This is the Captain's Cover for this Mission signed by the Commanding Offier, J. L. Abbot Jr | Black & Blue | Printed |
| USS Intrepid | Cover with Captain's cachet without a signature on an airmail envelope | Black & Blue | Printed |
| USS Intrepid3 | Cover with Captain's cachet without a signature on a large envelope | Black & Blue | Printed |
| USS Intrepid5 | Cover with Captain's cachet without a signature but with major printing errors. Another example4b. | Black & Blue | Printed |
| USS Intrepid4 | Cover with Captain's cachet without a signature but with an even larger printing error | Black & Blue | Printed |
| USS Intrepid4 | Cover with Captain's cachet without a signature and with a missing black colour | Blue | Printed |
| USS Intrepid4d | Well done cover with hand drawing of capsule | multicolour | Drawing |
| USS John R. Piercev | Back of Cover | Black | Rubber Stamp |
| USS John R. Piercev | Cover with a slightly different cachet | Black | Rubber Stamp |
| USS John R. Pierce3 | 'Return to Port' Cover - May 30, 1962 | Maroon | Rubber Stamp |
| USS John R. Pierce4a | Very Late postmark plus Beck like cachet | Black | Rubber Stamp |
| USS John R. Pierce7 | A very rare Goldcraft cover. See also this one4e and this one8. | Red | Printed |
| USS Shenandoah | Signature of Commander of Mercury Recovery Force Radm John L. Chew |
N/A | N/A |
| USS Dewey | Special Ship's cachet for this Mission | Light Blue, Maroon, Black | Rubber Stamp |
| USS Antietam4 | A Different cachet | Green | Printed |
| USS English | Airmail cover | None | N/A |
| 60 years of Destroyers | 1902-1962 - Small cachet shows a couple of Destroyers | Maroon | Rubber Stamp |
|
Postmark |
Description of Cover |
Postmark Date |
|---|---|---|
| USS Intrepid | Captain's Cover signed by the Commanding Officer Captain J. L. Abbot Jr | 24 May 1962 |
| USS Intrepid | Cover with Captain's cachet and signed by Recovery helicopter pilot - Rare | 24 May 1962 |
| USS Intrepid | Captain's Cover signed by Recovery helicopter pilot - Rare | 24 May 1962 |
| USS John R. Pierce | Cover signed by Scott Carpenter | 24 May 1962 |
| USS John R. Pierce6 | Truely great flown helicopter cover - only one seen | 24 May 1962 |
| USS Dewey9 | Signed by Scott Carpenter and ship's captain Tremaine. Also an unusual US Dewey New York postmark | 24 May 1962 |
Notes General:
i ) When Aurora 7 overshot the planned primary recovery area by 240 miles, the USS Farragut, which was not assigned to the Recovery Force, was in the area along with a Coast Guard Cutter and a merchant ship, was requested to be prepared to assist in the recovery. It was the first ship to reach the spacecraft but did not have the special recovery equipment required to recover the spacecraft. She maintained surveillance until the USS John R. Pierce arrived to recover the capsule. Before the destroyer arrived, HSS-21 helos from the USS Intrepid recovered Carpenter and the pararescue team and returned them to the USS Intrepid. Source: 'Project Mercury .. one step into space', Donald O. Schultz (1967) & 'Results of the Second U.S. Manned Orbital Space Flight May 24, 1962', NASA SP-6.
ii ) Liftoff was delayed from May 7, May 15 and May 19
iii ) See article by Dr Ross J. Smith for a discussion of the phantom ships in the Pacific
iv) Covers are known that have the text in black (thanks to Toni Rigo) rather than maroon. Covers are also known without the text cachet.
v) A list of all known USS Pierce covers compiled by Dennis Dillman
Notes Other:
1) Cover is from the collection of Eddie Bizub. A second similar cover has been reported by Tom Steiner. Another cover, this time from the USS Fred T Berry, was sold on eBay in late 2019 for Euro 113.
2) An identical cover with a USS John R. Piece postmark appears in 'Primary Recovery Ship Cover Handbook', Ray E. Cartier, 1993 (7)
3) From the collection of Tom Steiner
4) Sold on eBay during 2013 a) 2014 b) 2015 c) 2019 d) 2020 e) 2021 f) 2022
5) From the collection of Woody Witt
6) From the collection of Walter M. Hopferwieser
7) From the collection of Steve Durst
8) From the collection of Timothy Preston
9) From the collection of Joseph Volutza
This page © Dr Ross J Smith
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Last modified on 5 July 2024
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