USS Los Alamos (AFDB-7) in the Holy Loch

USS LOS ALAMOS (AFDB-7)

Commissioned 6 Jan. 1945 as USS ADFB-7 - Decommissioned 5 Dec. 1994

Early in 1961 the US Navy established a North Atlantic base for Fleet Ballistic Missile (FBM) submarines operations in western Scotland. Designiated as "Site One", the base was in the Holy Loch, near dunoon, and accessed by the Firth of Clyde. In March of 1961, the four sections of a floating drydock (USS AFDB-7) were towed across the Atlantic Ocean to Site One where a detachment of Seabees from MCB-4 erected and assembled the four sections. The task was completed 10 November, and the auxiliary floating drydock was reclassified and placed in service as USS Los Alamos (AFDB-7).

Assigned to Submarine Squadron 14, Los Alamos began drydock service for the FBM boats with the docking of the USS Patrick Henry (SSBN-599). The dry dock's vital roll was performed for the next 30 years, with Los Alamos completing over 2800 docking operations. For its service Los Alamos earned a number of awards including three Navy Meritorious Unit Commendations.

In March 1992 Site One was closed, thus ending thirty one years of American presence in the Holy Loch. AFDB-7 was disassembled into sections and returned to the United States. The sections were then transferred to the Brownsville Navigation District, Texas on 11 August 1995. Currently in use as Solomon Ortiz Dry Dock at Keppel AmFELS Shipyard, Brownsville, Texas.

USS Hunley with Los Alamos - click on image to enlarge

Below is a declassified photo of the USS Theodore Roosevelt (SSBN-600) taken ca. 1963 by the US Air Forces 10th Tacticle Reconnaissance Wing. Photo courtesy of Doug Walsh, crane operator on the Los Alamos from 1962-1964.

click on image to enlarge

On 5 December 1994 Los Alamos was decommissioned and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register.

Article by Gary Flynn

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