after a west coast overhaul, "fulton" served as tender at pearl harbor from february–may 1946, then sailed for bikini atoll to participate in operation crossroads—atomic weapons tests in the marshalls—that summer. in addition to caring for the six submarines assigned to the project, she acted as repair ship for other vessels in the task force. on 18 september 1946, she arrived at mare island navy yard, where she was decommissioned and placed in reserve on 3 april 1947.