Waterford (ARD-5) was originally the unnamed, steel-hulled, auxiliary repair drydock ARD-5. She was completed in June 1942 at
Alameda, California, by the
Pacific Bridge Company. During the war, she served
Pearl Harbor and
San Francisco. At the end of
World War II she was serving at the navy yard at
Mare Island, California. She remained there until shifting to the east coast to serve the repair needs of the Atlantic Fleet. ARD-5 was named
Waterford on 17 November 1976. She remained active, "in service" with the
Atlantic Fleet into 1979—serving
Groton and
Naval Submarine Base New London. In 1984,
Waterford assisted in repairs of the .
Fate In February 1997, the nuclear research submarine
NR-1 docked, and undocked by late March.
Waterford was decommissioned on 9 September 1997, and struck from the
Naval Register on 1 October 1997. On 10 March 1999, she was disposed of via the
Security Assistance Program to the
Republic of Chile. She was renamed
Talcahuano (133) on 30 August 1999. == Ship Awards ==