The Fulton class was a class of seven United States Navy submarine tenders. The class took its name from the lead ship, USS Fulton (AS-11), which was commissioned 27 December 1940 by Mare Island Navy Yard and sponsored by Mrs. A. T. Sutcliffe, great-granddaughter of Robert Fulton. Fulton was commissioned on 12 September 1941.[1] The basic hull and superstructure for this class was the same as the Dixie-class destroyer tenders and Vulcan-class repair ships.
Ships in class
| Ship Name | Hull No. | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Commissioned/Recommissioned | Decommissioned | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fulton | AS-11 | Mare Island Navy Yard | 19 July 1939 | 27 December 1940 | 12 September 1941 | 3 April 1947 | DANFS, NVR |
| 10 April 1951 | 30 September 1991 | ||||||
| Sperry | AS-12 | 1 February 1941 | 17 December 1941 | 1 May 1942 | 30 September 1982 | DANFS, NVR | |
| Bushnell | AS-15 | 23 December 1941 | 14 September 1942 | 10 April 1943 | 30 April 1948 | DANFS, NVR | |
| 1 February 1953 | 30 June 1970 | ||||||
| Howard W. Gilmore | AS-16 | 21 December 1942 | 16 September 1943 | 24 May 1944 | 30 September 1980 | DANFS, NVR | |
| Nereus | AS-17 | 12 October 1943 | 12 February 1945 | 27 October 1945 | 27 October 1971 | DANFS, NVR | |
| Orion | AS-18 | Moore Dry Dock Company | 31 July 1941 | 24 June 1942 | 30 September 1943 | 3 September 1993 | DANFS, NVR |
| Proteus | AS-19 | 15 September 1941 | 12 November 1942 | 31 January 1944 | 26 September 1947 | DANFS, NVR | |
| 8 July 1960 | 30 September 1992 |
In 1959-1960, Proteus was converted to a tender for the Polaris Fleet Ballistic Missile submarines, including the addition of a 13.4 m section amidships. All ships of this class have been decommissioned and scrapped.