| Ship | Type | Designation | Covers |
| Atlantic | |||
| USS Escape | SRS - Rescue & Salvage Ship | ARS-6 | Y |
| Pacific | |||
| USS New Orleans | PRS - Carrier | LPH-11 | Y |
| USS Grappleiii | SRS - Rescue & Salvage Ship | ARS-53 | Y |
| Tracking Ships | |||
| USNS Vanguard | TS - Tracking Ship | T-AGM-19 | Y |
| USNS Redstone ii | TS - Tracking Ship | T-AGM-20 | Y |
| Others | |||
| USS Bolsteriii | Rescue & Salvage Ship | ARS-39 | N |
| USS Takelmaiii | Fleet Tug | ATF-113 | N |
| 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 Sentinel iv | Tracking Ship | T-AGM-22 | Y |
| 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 Escape | Greyscale photo of the Escape - Cape Canaveral - Jul 28 |
- |
| USS Escape | Cape Canaveral - Aug 6 | - |
| USS Escape3 | USPS 320 - 2? Sept | - |
| USS Escape8 | Blue Skylab II Mission Emblem | - |
| Norfolk VA | Norfolk Naval Air Station Postmark | Scarce |
| Norfolk VA | Machine Cancel | Common |
| Norfolk VA | Hand Cancel without Time Slug | - |
| Norfolk VA | Hand Cancel with Time Slug | - |
| 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. Also exists with a Blue cachet | - |
| USNS Redstone | Cape Canaveral - Sep 25 - MC | - |
| USNS Vanguard | Cape Canaveral - Jul 28 - MC | - |
| USNS Vanguard | Cape Canaveral - Sep 25 - MC | - |
| USNS Vanguard | Mar Del Plata - 28 Jul - nearest port to tracking area | - |
| USNS Vanguard3 | Mar Del Plata - 21 Jul - nearest port to tracking area | - |
| USS Grapple | US Postal Service 967 | - |
| Kunia | Jul 28 - Black TF-130 cachet | - |
| Kunia | Sep 25 - Maroon TF-130 cachet | Common |
| 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 Cachet | 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 |
|
Ship |
Known Cachet Colours |
Beck Numbers |
| USS New Orleans | Maroon | B892, B893 |
| Norfolk | Black | B894, B895 |
| Cachet | Description of Cachet | Colours | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| USS New Orleans | Mission Emblem Cover | Mulicolour | Printed |
| USS New Orleans | USS New Orleans postcard with note from crew member. USPS 967 Hi postmark | Multicolour | Printed |
| USS New Orleans | US Senate Press Gallery corner card & US Navy cachet | Maroon | Rubber Stamp |
| USS New Orleans | Very nice Astro Philatelist Covers cachet | Mulicolour | Printed |
| USS New Orleans4f | Extremely Rare Reuben Ramkissoon cover was on board the ship for the enire mission | None | None |
| USS New Orleans4d | Unusual Hand Painted Cover | Mulicolour | Painted |
| USS New Orleans4e | Mission Emblem Cover with printed crew signatures | Mulicolour | Printed |
| USS New Orleans4g | Great Map cover with Navy cachet | Maroon | Rubber Stamp |
| Cape Canaveral | Orbit cover shows Mission Emblem, splashdown location and splashdown scene. | Mulicolour | Printed |
| 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 |
| Norfolk | Includes 2 x 10c Postage Due Stamps | Black | Rubber Stamp |
| USS Escape | With a black TF-140 cachet. A blue TF-140 cachet also exists | Black or Blue | Rubber Stamp |
| USS Escape5 | Photo of the ship cachet | Black | Printed |
| Kunia HI | Inner & Outer Space Printed Cachet | Red & Black | Printed |
| USNS Range Sentinel3 | Blue Cachet | Blue | Rubber Stamp |
| USNS Vanguard / USS New Orleans7 | Great dual cover with Navy cachet, USS New Orleans postmark, USNS Vanguard corner card and two different cachets and signatures of both commanders! | Maroon / Black / Black | Rubber Stamp |
| Postmark | Description of Cover | Postmark Date |
|---|---|---|
| USS New Orleans | Main Recovery Helicopter Cover marked 25 Sept 1973 and signed by pilot & co-pilot of the Recovery helicopter | 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 | ELS Helicopter Recovery Cover marked 25 Sept 1973 and signed by pilot & crew of the recovery helicopter | 26 Sept 1973 |
| USS New Orleans4c | Relay Helicopter Recovery Cover marked 25 Sept 1973 and signed by pilot & crew of the recovery helicopter | 26 Sept 1973 |
| USS New Orleans | Another Main Recovery Helicopter 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 | A Helicopter Recovery Cover signed by 9 members of the swim team. Note that the pilot and co-pilot names appear not to be signatures. Also co-pilot appears to be incorrect. | 25 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 |
Notes General:
i ) The USS Escape was the launch site recovery ship for the launch on July 28. The USS Ticonderoga and the USS Grapple were recovery ships for the splashdown on September 25.
ii) The USNS Redstone was stationed in port on standby
iii) NASA Report JSC-08662 states that the three ships USS Grapple, USS Bolster and USS Takelma were all involved with one of the three active at all times
iv) This cover is interesting in that it has a TF-140 cachet despite the ship not being mentioned in any mission reports. Was it a reserve for the mission?
Notes Other:
3) From the collection of Tom Steiner
4) Sold on eBay October 2009 b) 2011 c) 2014 d) 2015 e) 2022 f) 2023 g) 2024
5) From the collection of Luc Jallot
6) From the collection of Steve Durst
7) From the collection of Joseph Volutza
8) From the collection of Mark Burton
This page © Dr Ross J Smith
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Last modified on 18 May 2024
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