Citation
Headquarters
Commander Navy Forces Far East
Public Information Office

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE W/PIX   12 May 1954

YOKOSUKA, JAPAN, May 12 -- Navy crews in the Far East were hailed today
by top military leaders for completing one of the most difficult salvage
operations undertaken in this area.

Officers and men of the salvage vessels USS Safeguard and USS Grasp and
the fleet tug USS Takelma were praised by Admiral Robert B. Carney, the
Navy's Chief of Operations, for succeeding in a month-long struggle to
refloat the merchantman SS San Mateo Victory.

The naval crews and ships had to work 32 days to free the freighter,
which had grounded literally "high and dry" -- with three quarters of
her weight resting on rock -- on Che ju-do Island off South Korea's
south coast during the foggy night of April 5.

The Navy assigned a veteran salvage officer to supervise the refloating
task after preliminary surveys showed that almost half of the ship's
hull was exposed on the rock, above low tide. The experts calculated
that 6,000 tons of her 8,000 ton weight was resting on the beach.

Lt. Cdr. A. W. Mott, salvage officer on the staff of Commander Service
Squadron Three, who supervised salvaging of a similarly beached SS
Cornhusker Mariner last year, determined that although large holes had
been torn in the San Mateo's hull by jagged volcanic rocks, enough
buoyancy could be obtained to float her without extensive repairs. But
the problems of removing rocky pinnacles which had broken through the
ship's hull and clearing a channel to the open sea remained.

Crews from the salvage ships worked nearly around the clock for a month,
stopping only when heavy seas, squalls or high tides kept them from
their work.

Beaching gear was fanned out from the San Mateo to maintain control of
the stranded vessel, while a tow cable was run out to the USS Grasp.
Sailors used sledgehammers and pneumatic drills to cut away the stubborn
rock, while Navy divers planted dynamite in the underwater coral.

The fleet tug Takelma arrived on the scene to take over the towline in
preparation for the "big pull." But the elements were still on the
winning side.

On May 7 at high tide the San Mateo inched off her rocky mooring as the
Takelma pulled her toward the open sea. The month's labors had not been
in vain. The San Mateo Victory floated again.