USS Deliver (ARS-23) - Struck By Fire From Chinese Mainland

Struck By Fire From Chinese Mainland

Deliver returned to her home port at Pearl Harbor 9 January 1947 after a U.S. West Coast overhaul. She made two cruises to the Far East for towing and salvage duty, based at Tsingtao, China. During her first tour, on 19 June 1947, while attempting to recover a beached pontoon barge, she encountered rifle fire from the beach and the ship was hit. She withdrew briefly to report the situation and in the early afternoon with Admiral C. M. Cooke, Jr., Commander Naval Forces, Western Pacific, aboard to direct operations, the ship's salvage party covered by a landing force and fire from the ship recovered the barge. The ship was hit again but no personnel or material injury was sustained. Deliver also operated in the Central Pacific as her salvage and rescue services were required. On one occasion in March 1950 while en route to Pearl Harbor from Eniwetok, she rendezvoused with the disabled net tender Elder (AN-20) and towed her to port.