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History of Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Bath

    
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, Lt. Cmdr. R. W. Ferrell assumed the duties of Superintending Constructor and Cmdr. G. B. Vroom, assumed duties as Inspector of Machinery in December. During this period, the principal contractor, Bath Iron Works (BIW) Corporation, started constructing 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 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 U.S. Navy's long line of destroyers. Arleigh Burke was delivered to the fleet in April 1991.

In 1991, the offices of SUPSHIP Brooklyn and SUPSHIP Boston joined SUPSHIP Bath as resident detachments and were subsequently disestablished.

In 2004, SUPSHIP Bath began overseeing the construction of Navy ships built by General Dynamics-NASSCO in San Diego, Calif. In 2005, SUPSHIP Bath expanded again by taking on oversight responsibilities for Navy ships built at AUSTAL USA in Mobile, Ala.

In 2011, SUPSHIP Bath and Gulf Coast swapped shipyard oversight responsibilities. SUPSHIP Gulf Coast gained oversight responsibilities for AUSTAL and SUPSHIP Bath took on Marinette Marine Corporation in Marinette, Wis.

In 2012, SUPSHIP Bath began overseeing the building of Auxiliary General Oceanographic Research vessels at Dakota Creek Industries in Anacortes, Wash.

Today, SUPSHIP Bath oversees the design and construction of five Navy ships at four private shipyards in the United States. We are the proud inheritors of the U.S. Navy team that has played a key part in the Navy shipbuilding and repair story for the last 75 years.

 

 

  Launching of the U.S. Navy destroyer USS Dewey (DD-349), July 28, 1934
 

 

  Launching of U.S. Navy destroyer USS Abbot (DD-629), February 1943
 

 

  U.S. Navy experimental research escort USS Glover (AGDE-1) awaiting launch, on April 17, 1965