David Bushnell was born in Saybrook, Connecticut, about 1742. A graduate of Yale University in 1775, he managed to explode gunpowder underwater ... which is thought to have suggested to him the idea of a submarine mine or torpedo. In 1775, he completed a man-propelled, wooden submarine boat, on the outside of which was attached a powder magazine with clock mechanism enclosed for igniting it. Bushnell's submarine was unsuccessful in her attempts to blow up British vessels in 1776-1777. Bushnell commanded the Corps of Engineers at West Point in 1783. He later became the head of a private school in Georgia; and then practiced medicine until his death in 1824 at Warrenton, Georgia.

Two United States Navy submarine tenders were named to honor Revolutionary War submarine pioneer David Bushnell: USS Bushnell (AS-2) and the second USS Bushnell (AS-15). The following ship's history is of the latter ship.

USS Bushnell (AS-15) was christened by Mrs. Luther Gibson and launched on 14 September 1942 by the Mare Island Navy Yard at Vallejo, California. The Fulton Class submarine tender was commissioned on 10 April 1943 with Commander C. T. Bonney in command.

When commissioned, the auxiliary vessel displaced 9,734 tons; was 530'6" in length overall; had a beam of 73'4"; drew 25'6" of water; could make 18.5 knots at speed; was manned by 444 officers and men; and was armed with four 5-inch guns (in gun houses).

On 27 June 1943, USS Bushnell (AS-15) departed for Pearl Harbor, and arrived there on 3 July. While at the Submarine Base at Pearl Harbor, Submarine Squadron Fourteen was assembled with USS Bushnell serving as tender and staff headquarters for the Squadron and Division staffs. USS Bushnell remained at Pearl Harbor until September of 1943 ... then she sailed for Midway Island to deliver provisions and structural materials. Upon returning to Pearl Harbor in December, she resumed her task of refitting submarines...until April of 1944.

USS Bushnell weighed anchor and proceeded to Majuro Atoll in the Marshall Islands on 27 April...laden with provisions, fuel, and materials. Majuro Atoll soon became a regular submarine operating base, although entirely dependent upon the tender for all support.

On 5 February 1945, USS Bushnell returned to Pearl Harbor.

On 29 May, the tender steamed to Midway to refit submarines arriving there from war patrols. She was thus engaged until the cessation of hostilities with Japan on 2 September 1945 (V-J Day).

From September to December of 1945, USS Bushnell acted as a repair vessel for submarines throughout the period of demobilization and peacetime reorganization of the Submarine Force in the San Diego, California, area.

During January of 1946, she sailed to Guam to tend submarines engaged in the occupation of Japan. This tour of duty continued until April...at which time she was recalled to Pearl Harbor for duty with Submarine Squadron One. USS Bushnell operated with Submarine Squadron One until 24 May 1947. At that time, she sailed to the Mare Island Navy Yard for overhaul. Returning to Pearl Harbor on 10 September, she resumed her duties with Submarine Squadron One. During December of 1947, USS Bushnell returned to the Mare Island Navy Yard and reported for inactivation. She was placed out of commission in reserve on 30 April 1948.

USS Bushnell was recommissioned on 21 February 1952.

After intensive training along the west coast of the United States, the submarine tender departed for the Atlantic Ocean on 7 May 1952. She transited the Panama Canal on 21 May and proceeded to the United States Naval Station at Key West, Florida...for duty as the submarine tender for Submarine Squadron Twelve. In addition to that duty, USS

Bushnell conducted brief periods of service to submarines at Norfolk, Virginia (Submarine Squadron Six)...and made short cruises in Caribbean waters.

During the spring of 1970, USS Bushnell relinquished her duties of tending submarines to USS Howard W. Gilmore (AS-16) and commenced preparations for decommissioning. During that period, she was towed to Norfolk, Virginia. She was decommissioned at Norfolk on 30 June 1970; then was placed "In Service, In Reserve" on the same date and commenced serving as the accommodation and depot ship for the inactivation ship facility at Norfolk.

In July of 1975, USS Bushnell was replaced by the USS Indra (ARL-30).

Her status was changed from "In Service, In Reserve" to "In Reserve, Out of Commission" at the same time. Then, she was transferred to the temporary custody of the United States Maritime Commission during August of 1975 for lay-up in the Reserve Fleet.

On 15 November 1980, USS Bushnell was stricken from the "Navy List."

On 3 June 1983, USS Bushnell (AS-15) was used as a target for submarine-launched Mark 48 torpedoes. She was hit and sunk.