History of Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Bath
The construction of ships
for the Navy in the local area began in 1862 when two wooden gunboats were
constructed by the Bath firm of Larrabee and Allen. Many years later in 1893,
Bath Iron Works (BIW) built their first ships for the Navy - two steel gunboats,
USS MACHIAS and USS CASTINE. Since the turn of the century, Navy surface
combatants have been the hallmark of BIW shipbuilding and have included a
battleship (USS GEORGIA). An armored ram (USS KATAHDIN), a cruiser (USS
CLEVELAND), a PT boat (USS DAHLGREN), plus nearly every class of destroyer built
by the US Navy.
The present Office of
Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion & Repair, USN, Bath, Maine (SUPSHIP Bath)
traces its origin back to the year 1931. In October of that year, LCDR R. W.
Ferrell, CC, USN, assumed the duties of Superintending Constructor and in
December, CDR G. B. Vroom, USN, assumed duties as Inspector of Machinery. During
this period, the principal contractor, Bath Iron Works Corporation, was starting
construction of the first post-World War I destroyers for the Navy. These were
the earliest of the new class of "1500 tonners". The first ship, USS DEWEY (DD
349), was launched in 1934.
Post World War II brought
new classes of cruisers and destroyers, culminating in the FFG 7 Class of guided
missile frigates. BIW received the contract for the lead ship, USS OLIVER HAZARD
PERRY (FFG 7), in 1973 and subsequently received orders to build 23 more of that
class, the last of which was delivered in 1987. BIW has constructed eight CG 47
Class AEGIS Cruisers, the first of which was delivered in 1987 and the last in
1993.
In April 1985, BIW received
a contract for the design and construction of ARLEIGH BURKE (DDG 51) - the first
destroyer equipped with the AEGIS weapon system and the latest in the US Navy's
long line of destroyers. ARLEIGH BURKE was delivered to the fleet in April 1991.
There are currently 13 DDG 51 AEGIS guided missile destroyers under contract at
BIW.
In 1991 the offices of
SUPSHIP Brooklyn and SUPSHIP Boston joined SUPSHIP Bath as Resident Detachments
and subsequently disestablished as a result of downsizing of this Naval Shore
establishment.
We are the proud inheritors
of the US Navy Team that has played such a key part in the Navy shipbuilding and
repair story for the last half century.